US writers are convinced that Sh Mo has a single mindled desire to win the Derby at all cost. His buying horses like VH seem to confirm it. But what most of them don't realize is that his US buying/racing is small compared to his worldwide splurging. It's not just winning the Derby, it's winning his way, via Dubai. As long as he tinks he can do it, he'll buy horses and send them to th meat grinder at Al Quoz.

Had Midshipman, VH, RR and DP all stayed in the US with their original trainers he might have had an overwhelming shot. (This assumes that Midshipman and VH would have trained on.) Sh. Mo is more committed to his plan than to winning the Derby.

It's not like leaving the horses he owns over here with Eoin Harty gives him any better chance at winning the Derby.

Really? I must have missed Eoin Harty failing with a bunch of top 3YO prospects.

NT

Indeed, you have missed them.

That is, unless you are discounting the two year olds he wrecked before they turned three.

I really have less than zero interest in California racing so I don't know who they are. If you'd like to tell me, that's great.

NT

Any good baby he had for Darley/Godolphin was taken away and sent to Dubai. He did OK with those fillies a couple of years ago.

Been off the map for a few days - but a delightful read here.

For the person who said they hate Sheikh Mo and Todd Pletcher, but LOVE Sheikh Hamdan, I'm interested in hearing that rationale.

I still do not think you can deny that the preparations of Desert Party and Regal Ransom this year were the best of any previous Godolphin attempt. It wasn't enough, nowhere close.

I bet both of them, in a variety of fashions, and lost. But ANYONE talking about mocking others for whom they bet in the Derby...c'mon. Before the race - mock away. After Mine that Bird won? Really? Everyone I know who hit something in the Derby won because of hitting the "ALL" button or making a mistake (guy next to me meant to bet 'that Pop-Pop horse' aka Papa Clem, but hit the 8 instead - had the exacta for $2 as a result).

Call it what you will, but horse racing in Dubai is hot, and it's not just the weather. It might not yield a host of Kentucky Derby champions (and they will certainly try, although I believe the long-reported "obsession" is overblown), but Dubai is one of the VERY few places in the world where racing's influence is expanding, not contracting.

Godolphin has won a bunch of big races, they will continue to, and surely there will be some they don't get. Many, many big time horsemen have tried to land the Derby and failed. WinStar, Vinery, Padua, Phipps, Stonestreet, Zayat, Winchell, Juddmonte, Peachtree, West Point, Reddam, Melnyk, Wygod, Stonerside/McNair, Whitney, Shadwell, and Godolphin. Some will keep trying, some won't. For most all of the people who are in the position to buy these horses, they know that no matter what big races they win, they will almost always spend more money than they win. It is a sport of many losers and few winners.

We can't deny, however, that the money these big wigs flow through racing with their big-time purchases help keep the sport running. Like em or not, it's true.

There are few people who dislike seeing the "little guys" take home the big prize, at least in this country. It's a typical American story and position. As for Dubai, the home team has the biggest support. They are rabid for the success for Godolphin.

So - where does this leave us? Same place we started I suppose.

He ruined several prospects in Ky and NY, as well as Ca.

As for me telling you who, your apathy towards the whole thing has affected me too.

In NY over the last five years he's 7 of 51 with 2YO for an ROI of $0.84.

Below is a list of 2YO he's started on the NYRA circuit during that time:

Armament
Barbican
Barcola
Beholden
Bellevue Belle
Bemused
Chambermaid
Changing Weather
Desert Party
Dixie Lyrics
Elusive Schemes
Exotic Story
Golden Manna
Hatta Flower
Imperial Reign
Incriminate
Keep Thinking
Marietta
Maxey Boy
Media City
My Golden Opinion
Northern Pick
Positive Force
Reynaldothewizard
Rondo
Sahara Heat
Stormy Blessing
Sweet Ariette
Tates Queen
Testimony
Unification

It's fine if you think he has ruined 2YO I just would love to know who, my apathy for CA racing aside.

NT

Please , which of that list would have been legit TC candidates? About half were fillies. Several others were sprint or miler bred and unlikely to get 10f in G1 racing. Others appeared to be OK but many were taken away and sent to Dubai.
Several on that list were described to me as "not much" by people within the Darley/Godolphin training operations, so don't kid yourself into seeing all those horses as classic prospects.

As for Desert Party, he won a graded race at Saratoga before getting hurt in the fall. The brain trust at Godolphin took him to Dubai and planned out a schedule for him as a sprinter even though he's by Street Cry from a mare by a Belmont winner. They never really considered either RR or DP as Derby colts until the UAE Derby.

He was one of my favorites and then he got hurt and really sucked afterwards.

Linny, do you have a favorite porn site or type of porn?

He's now standing in Pa.

Any horse who has been defeated at Penn National with a Beattie training will not make a great sire imo.