[quote=CSC]True about Frankel. I bet this may be a prep for the Joe Hirsch on the turf at Belmont on 9/27? Would make sense. Its been a while since he ran, he got sick, so he really would need some sort of prep before he runs in a big turf race.

8/30 (SAR): Forego; Woodward (Gr. I's)
 

9th (5:13) Forego S. (G1)

7 Furlongs | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $250,000

2 First Defence Hill C 119 L
1 Forefathers Prado E S 117 L
3 Eternal Star Velazquez J R 117 L
4 Bold Start Albarado R J 117 L
1A Ferocious Fires Velasquez C 117 L
5 Premium Wine Leparoux J R 117 L
6 Real Estate Coa E M 117 L
7 Lucky Island (ARG) Garcia Alan 121 L
8 Greeley's Conquest Chavez J F 117 L
9 Tasteyville Luzzi M J 117 L

A-Coupled: Forefathers and Premium Wine



10th (5:45) Woodward S. (G1)

1 1/8 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $500,000

1 A. P. Arrow Velasquez C 126 Blk-Off L
2 Loose Leaf Coa E M 126 L
3 Past the Point Prado E S 126 L
4 Divine Park Garcia Alan 126 L
5 Curlin Albarado R J 126 L
6 Dr. D. F. C. Arboleda A 126 L
7 Out of Control (BRZ) Velazquez J R 126 L
8 Wanderin Boy Leparoux J R 126 L

Over/Under on how many lengths Dr. D.F.C. loses by?

I'd "back wheel" him ;)

wanderin boy is the play, IMO..... his last race makes him at least competitive with curlin and if he is on a uncontested lead, he can steal this

Dr Dfc Will Destroy This Field!!! Curlin Better Be Scared!

Ahh the first brilliant comment of the day! He will probably be forwardly placed. Someone has to insure an honest pace up front. It will be tricky to not expend too much energy but Garcia knows him well. DP has earned this spot at a shot at the champ.

Divine Park is in the tricky position of possibly having to sacrifice whatever minimal chance he has of being competitive here by attacking Wanderin Boy too early.

I haven't finished the work on the race, but it seems logical that the only way to make money in this race is to pitch Divine Park completely.

I sure this will comfort you. I agree.

I agree with ArlJim too that Divine Park seems to have as much speed, if not more than Wanderin Boy. But I don't think they'd go to the front with him because of how he's won his last two. If he found himself on the lead, ok, but I don't think they'd push to try to be there and would readily concede it to Wanderin Boy. I don't anticipate a pace nearly as fast though as Divine Park has gotten in his last couple though. That, coupled with the fact that he'll probably be up closer early, will make his seemingly brilliant late run seem a little less brilliant. At what point does he go after WB? Will he have enough to hold off Curlin? He's got too many questions to answer for me and I'm going to believe he can't answer them all. If he does, hats off to him. But I'm going against him completely here.

Curlin
Out of Control
Wanderin Boy

Out of Control has two races on the dirt on his record with one win. Both were around two turns and both produced figures in the 90's. Being that they weren't overly horrible and considering that this is Frankel not ducking for an easy spot, you've got to give him a little longer look than normal. I'm taking a shot here with him to run second.

the "woodward " should be renamed since the distance AND track has changed........how about the "saratoga classic ":confused:

It's been 1 1/8 for quite a while.

The name should not be changed.

Maybe Brilliant Mutal will be insuring the race.

.....yeah, you are correct it has been run for 9 to 12 furlongs
and now at ALL 3 major new york tracks.......i guess i always think of the bid, slew, affirmed ect going 10f at belmont.

It was 12 Furlongs in the mid 70s.

You are right. But I don't see Alan paying that much attention to Wanderin Boy. His concentration will be on Curlin. He'll want to move a bit before Curlin does. But you are right. It is a tough spot. He probably won't get the fractions that may help him. DP is very fit and might be a bit too eager as well. But I don't envision a collapse on his part. He has a very hard and tough disposition. He won't give up without a fight. But I am curious that so many, even here, are looking at Curlin being unbeatable. I really don't think he is and if the race is run like all the others this meet, there is going to be some nasty, banging around that will make Coa proud. I see him being beatable with a Grade 1 horse who is ready to roll.
Then again, I thought NYRA was a sure thing to lose the contract. So what do I know?
I would be interested in something though. If you don't mind sharing, what goes into your "work on the race"?

Like let's make it the "Office Max Saratoga Classic". Then everytime it gets mentioned you have to say the whole dam thing like with the Derby. No I think let's leave well enough alone. I hate it when they change names. It reduces the significance, trivializes history and tradition.

i stand corrected, i remember when alysheba set a then track record when he
battled forty niner down the stretch at belmont and just figured the race was always 10f:rolleyes:

Was there a jockey change to Prado that I'm not aware of?

Bid's Woodward was quite a race

And IIRC Prove Out ran the second fastest 1 1/2 miles ever at Belmont in the Woodward.

If Divine Park inherits the lead if what is supposed to happen doesn't happen that is if Leparioux takes a hold of Wanderin Boy early on, I believe Divine Park would be awfully tough to catch today. Divine Park has shown his ability to put himself into the right spots in races, Curlin is a great horse but I am not so sure his style is condusive to the Saratoga track. Seems like a good day to take him on, I'm making Divine Park a single on my pick tickets today and spreading the earlier races. The 8th is a spread race for me for sure.

Anyone catch Beyer today on DRF this morning? Anyway I am now including Wanderin Boy in the Pick 4. Either he or Divine Park will set the pace today which is the most likely way to beat Curlin.

I'd rate Wandering boy as the best shot to steal the win for the reasons mentioned. He should be out front by himself, but unless they lose touch of him and walk through a turf paced half mile, it's hard to figure how he or others make up open lengths on a fit Curlin.

Pass the Point went to the lead with Wanderin Boy tracking right in second. Curlin broke well but was floated out wide by Divine Park and in the process, took Out of Control out a little further. The ran in 22.89, 46.20, 1:09.61, 1:35.33. Curlin started making his move going into the far turn from about five back, Divine Park said "What the hell, we have to go around ANOTHER turn?" and packed it in. Pass the Point led into the lane, Wanderin Boy still second, Curlin making a nice move to move up along side but needing some encouragement to do so. The stretch run could have been timed with a sundial. Curlin, under serious urging finally made it past a stubborn Pass the Point and pulled clear to win by around a length of just under. The finished in 1:49.34 so Curlin ran his final 8th in around 14 seconds, proving yet again that while he's the best of this year's older horses, he's far from a great horse. This struggling victory was even less impressive than Big Brown's Haskell if you ask me and you'd have to think that Big Brown would have had an excellent chance to have beaten Curlin had he been there today. Wanderin Boy finished third.

Curlin is amazing!!!

Pass the Point is a nice dirt horse if you ignore his synthetic and turf efforts.

If this race was a handicap not a weight for age we may have had a totally different finish.