I can see Lukas trying the grass with Optimizer again and quickly going back to the Haskell/Dandy and Travers midsummer classics.

Can't wait to play against Optimizer on the turf. That horse is forever plug unless he switches barns.

Race #3 today was at the distance of one mile and won by Mineswept -- who was in for a $14,000 claiming tag.

They went fractions of: 22 4/5 -- 45 4/5 -- : 1:10 2/5

The year of Spectacular Bid's Belmont -- that seasons champion sprinter Star De Naskra (Won the 6f Bold Ruler by 5 lengths & wired the Carter over Alydar and Sensative Prince in his last two starts) battled with Darby Creek Road (still to this day holds Saratoga track record of 1:20.40 for 7 furlongs) at the distance of a mile.

They went fractions of: 23 4/5 -- 46 3/5 -- 1:10 3/5



You get the idea -- the track was MUCH slower on Belmont day in 1979.

Now compare the fractions between the '79 Belmont and this years Belmont:

'79 Belmont: 23 2/5 -- 47 3/5 -- 1:11 1/5 -- 2:02 2/5 -- 2:28 3/5

'12 Belmont: 23 3/5 -- 49 1/5 -- 1:14 3/5 -- 2:04 1/5 -- 2:30 2/5


Spectacular Bid (with Cordero in pursuit on General Assembly) ran 3.40 seconds (or 21 lengths) faster for six furlongs than did Paynter.

Meanwhile, Good Law (in for a $14,000 claiming tag today) set fractions much faster than the seasons Eclipse Champion Sprinter Star De Naskra.

Food for thought. When adjusted for track speed -- Spectacular Bid probably went 30 lengths faster than Paynter early on -- and he had to hold off a closer like Coastal (who ran Hall of Fame numbers his entire 3yo season) and Golden Act (a Grade 1 winner at 13 furlongs and winner of two Grade 2's at 12 furlongs)

Thanks.

Ramon rode a nice race. Was pleasantly surprised to get 6/1 odds. Hockey had a great day -- he almost killed them.

Can you believe that Baffert/Zayat finish 2nd in all 3 legs of the Triple Crown? And in all 3 legs they had clear leads in the stretch -- and with two different horses who NEVER even raced at age 2. Bode debuted going 5.5 furlongs in Mid Jan. Paynter debuted going 5.5 furlongs in Mid Feb.

There's a double 'what-if' to this years triple crown.

Trinniberg wired them today in the Woody Stephens. If he doesn't run in the Derby ... Bodemeister obviously runs away with the Derby and doesn't have to run gut-wrenching fractions.

Baffert, uncustomarily for him, kid gloved Bode into the Preakness. Would they have made the rail dead and the racetrack dull and tiring in the Preakness if the featured attraction was a speed-ball?

Could have easily been a triple crown on the line today with a different horse if not for the insane entry of Trinniberg in the Ky Derby.

possible yet speculative theory.

I.H.A. caught him twice, that's no fluke.

I thought Optimizer clearly ran like he needed the race. He should be dead fit for the next one...whichever graded stake for 3-year-olds is up in 2 weeks.