i agree, its mere speculation to assign the cause of his sub par efforts to a severe breathing problem. i don't pretend to know what the issue is but wouldn't a severe breathing problem more severely affect his performance? can a horse with a severe breathing problem still put up 95-100 beyers, or what ever it is that his recent efforts have resulted in? it would seem to me that if the horse couldn't breath right he either wouldn't run a step, or would run for awhile and then fade badly. he actually came on again late in the mile to get third, sorta like he dug in to hold on for third in the Belmont race. everything I have read from them so far is that they are totally perplexed by the performance and have not assigned the cause for his decline to any throat or breathing issue.

i wouldn't rule out that part of the decline is merely that he was just not able to handle real competition or adversity, like the off going. He was not a very proven individual, triumphing over adversity or top competition.

Yeah it's hard to believe that folks are breeding to Song and Forestry when monsters like Charismatic are in Japan or Turkey waiting for good mares. I will agree the Gaga over Forestry is mostly great marketing.

I doubt we'll hear anything negative about his physical condition now that he's retired.

That is about as likely as Indian Vale being able to open up 10 on Hystericalady in the first quarter mile.

The horse worked an effortless 57.46 while well off the rail in what was probably as impressive a workout as any ever.

He's better now than he was last year - when he was ripping out 114-to-116 Beyers - and running away from fields that included Invasor and Sympatico Bribon - as well Silver Train (who won that years Met Mile and Tom Fool with GIANT figures - and was a champion sprinter the year before)

Well, better now with one obvious exception, he makes tremendously hard work of it after half his race is over.

He had BY FAR the best trip of any horse in the Vosburgh and still couldn't reach triple digits - and his mother LOVED the slop so much she upset the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes going 10 furlongs at Saratoga in stakes record time and winning by a pole at 30/1 odds.

Even with the aid of the best trip of his entire life in the Vosburgh - and the sloppy track (he won the Jerome in a canter with a massive fig in the slop at three) - he couldn't run a triple digit figure.

Remember, I only picked him to finish 5th in the Dirt Mile - and not finish last - because that field was beyond awful. He would have been a great bet against in a typical allowance race. His Vosburgh loss underlined the fact that he still has a serious problem.

It's pretty amazing that anyone can have any doubt about something so obvious.

Slim Jim you are out of your league ..Let it go

He's better now with the obvious exception that he is no good.

Most any very fast horse can go 57 and change in a work.

I think he just peaked early. He wasn't given the chance to show it but I fully believe he would have been one of the all time great 2yos. Then he was still very good as a 3yo before tailing off as a 4yo. It happens to horses all the time.

OK thanks, it’s perfectly clear now, he’s better than ever but still has a serious problem. He ran the greatest workout of all time but got outrun early by Gotcha Gold and Wanderin Boy.

Things may be perfectly clear and obvious in your mind, but to others, including Discreet Cat’s connections and his rider, it’s not so clear. They did not draw any conclusions and are quoted as saying they are baffled.

i stand by my contention that whether or not he developed a problem, he was largely an unproven and untested talent due to his limited racing record.

You guys aren't serious.....are you?

Obviously he was supremely talented but a lifetime of a myriad of problems finally caught up to him. You can't honestly tell me you actually believe the Discreet Cat we saw last Fall would have run as poorly as he did recently?

Obviously he doesn't have anything close to an extensive resume of success but just as obviously he was monsterously good when right.

DC
 

Totally agree Scott. This horse ran some very nice races in 2006. His performance in the Cigar mile was unbelieveable. I thought the sky was the limit for him in 2007. Sad he couldn't stay healthy.

Al Quaida put the whammy on him in Dubai...Hopefully he can book based on BSF...I hope for his sake, that Account For The Gold will vouch for him

Horseplayers have a short memory. There was a time not long ago people were calling him a potential all-time great. A couple mediocre performances and suddenly he's garbage

He wasn't garbage but I never thought he deserved a ton of attention. He was good in the UAE, great in the Cigar and that's it. He did give 10 lbs to a bunch of plugs in the Jerome, but at least he did give weight and I give him points for that.

But to be considered as a potential all-time great? No way. Two Grade/Group 1 wins around one turn and no 2-turn wins is not enough.