You and West told the worlds this yesterday...

J D ACOSTA he does great at CT

Shane Laviolette is available

JD Acosta? What, no Gerald Almodovar?

Not for nothing, guys, but the way she jogged in the Oaks, I can't imagine she wouldn't be ready to come back for the Preakness.

This could be the single greatest mistake ever made by an owner, running back in 14 days off such a huge effort, even 5 weeks is a bit much. She might romp but this romp might cost her 3-4 starts in the future, unless the plan is no more after her 3 year old year

scav why wouldn't we see her next year?

That's not necessarily true. She's a run-off type in the morning with her exercise rider and fights him constantly. But she completely melts when Borel gets aboard and will do what he asks. Even with him last Monday for the work, when she had to wait a half hour, she was anxious to go and he couldn't stop her from those super sharp fractions and 1:10/1:23 gallop out. Putting a new rider on her would be risky, especially in light of the anticipated pace company she will have in Baltimore.

Ok, so explain to me how horses used to be able to run huge races with only a week or in some cases a few days in between?

Because horses that run huge efforts tend not to last. Look at IWR, he has a 8pt top, regressed 2 pts and is now pretty much has 3 hooves in the breeding shed....His type of injury is from RACING or over extension, which comes from huge huge efforts

I am not sure what the IWR connections could have done differently, maybe skip the Wood and take the 8 weeks or whatever it was, but that would have been majorly risky from a value and stud career perspective.

RA has won her race this year, why not give her 6-8 weeks to get over the effort and make a plan for her to get the BC.

Well.. we were speculating based on ther situation at the moment and anticipating the decisions of the parties involved. This more definitive report came through witnesses to the conversation about the commitment and a 'non-confirmation' confirmation from Borel agent Jerry Hissam who said it needs to be officially announced by the trainer or owner.

This is such a bunch of b.s. and why we have paper tiger Champions.

Puts more of a pall on the back story of the horse, not really the horse itself, she doesn't know any better. But, I understand where you're coming from, it makes harder to root for the horse because the connections (for the most part) suck at life.

Things got mighty interesting in the racing world the last 48 hrs.

did the same connections give us what we wanted with Curlin ? he ran as a 4yr old , why wouldn't they run her at 4?

:tro:

No it isn't but I am not going to get into the statistics, maybe 1 out of 20 go against the data that shows huge jump up efforts hurt horses, especially YOUNG ones < 4 years of age

they still can , but the $ involved in the breedding games discourages this

back then i assume purse $ was more important for some of these owners

there s/b no reason why trainers can't get today's horses to run as much as horses from the past you are right

Was that a huge jump up effort or was the competition in that race that weak considering the scratches? I'm just saying, the horse was barely blowing after the race; I don't see why she couldn't run again against better competition off two weeks and a day rest.

There was never a shot he wasn't going to ride her and you knew it and wisely advised the listeners. Borel knows which horse is better...One is a Ferrari the other is Camaro.. As for Borel's horse whisper ways with Rachel, you may want to take that with a small grain of salt, I am sure any top flight jock would be fine and I am sure he loves riding her who wouldn't..

The purse money was crap.

It was about sport and good horsemanship...not statistics and money.

What??? They're running RA in the Preakness? Do they not understand that these races are showcases for the stallions of tomorrow? That colts should stay with colts and fillies with fillies and never the twain shall meet because it's just unnatural and offensive to the fillies' delicate sensibilities, letting them get bumped around by a bunch of big colty colt males?? You might as well just dress them in a miniskirt and high heels and stick them in a dark alley. (Though not with Mine That Bird; he can't take advantage of the situation and therefore should be scratched anyway.)

Harumph. Next thing you know they're going to let women vote and then you'll really see things go to hell in a handbasket. And you kids, get off my lawn.