What have you done for me lately other than run the horse into the ground? The goodwill that might have engendered is surely gone.

Oracle, you know a significant amount about the business, but I know a little more about this horse than you. He is actually almost identical to English Channel in terms of talent, but EC is better suited for 12f. Showing Up won the Secretariat too, which EC couldn't do as a 3yr old. EC has the pedigree, which makes him a better commercial stallion, but he is not more talented than Showing Up. Barclay probably could run this horse in the BC Mile and get a 5th place finish like EC had in last years BCT, but what would be the point?

This could all change too if George Washington runs in the Classic. The Jacksons would probably nudge Barclay into running in the BC Mile and then the Hollywood Derby if all goes well. They do not want Showing Up in a race though with George.

SU looked good in his work over the weekend, which I was fortunate to watch. He should run well this weekend.

I just saw Funny Cide and he is a happy horse. They took some interesting shots with him and I think the Empire Classic is a good spot for him.

A happy horse who gets his head handed to him b/c the human owners are jackasses. I'd be happy to get oats all day and run around in circles also.

He has done ok this year. Barclay would prefer not to run him in grade 1's at Saratoga, but the owners have been good to him. Barclay is a great horseman but he had some tough years in the business. The people that own Funny Cide helped him build the barn and clients he has now. Being a horse trainer is a really tough business. The 2yr old Tagg has now though is unbelievable and he is huge. He might be 17h when it is all said and done.

and that 2 yr old is ?

Nobiz like Showbiz? Is that who you mean?

Barclay Tagg was a well kept secret long before he made the full time switch to NY. He was always a tremendous trainer who showed good judgement and obviously gets horses ready to run very nicely.
The prudence he is showing with Showing Up is just one more example of this.
He sees a horse with tremendous talent who will race at 4. He obviously sees no need to throw the horse into the fire and risk a meltdown. The Jamica should be his for the taking and I would hazard a guess that the Hollywood Derby with its lucrative purse would be onhis dancecard as well.

As a 4 year old he should be in a good position to take some important races. Barclay has been very unfairly criticized for his job with Funny Cide. Most horses his age have long been retired, and I doubt he would have managed him the way he has been managed if he had been left to his own devices. You'll never heard a bad word about him out of this corner.