I was thinking the same thing. People often think because of the distance that a late closer has the best chance but it's often a situation where a horse is up close and allowed to run along slowly and doesn't come back to them.

I think you miss my point of how much "better" it would be now IF she would have run in the Derby or IF she had'nt have run today.

Not taking anything away from her at all or Mine that Bird, just saying that the "what if's" are there.

Mike Smith rode a good race today, the main thing is his ride didn’t cost Mine that Bird the race. But to be accurate it wasn’t a great ride either. Anyone that looked deeper into the race by watching the replay, Mine That Bird had to check or atleast wait on heels when Smith split horses at the top of the stretch causing him to lose a bit of momentum, if he hadn’t RA would have probably still won but by a diminishing length, the result would have been much closer. To me the story of the race was John Velazquez riding to place in the race rather than trying to win it, he certainly wasn’t in a hurry today despite the honest fractions, a very safe ride I would term it, Big Drama pushed Rachel Alexandra but certainly didn’t break her.

The replay is up on U-Tube and he is at least 3 off the rail
sweeping the leaders out wide. Pretty ridiculous.
Maybe he just got pissed cause the horse reared
on him in the gate. Anyways, a destructive ride.

Could be, however the 3 wide is immaterial to me, let's just say JV will never be miscontrued for Jerry Bailey on Eddington. The only way Big Drama could win this race was to play catch me if you can, watching JV's arms for the first half it was obvious he wasn't going for it.

Right. It couldn't be that the horse he was on was skittish in the gate, stumbled at the start and maybe, just maybe was trying to get out.

Just saying, maybe.

He was all of those things.

So this means he wanted no part of the rail...
Was he trying to leave the track from the one hole
for a good part of the race
and JV merely kept him on the track.

I guess so...

If she runs in the Belmont,He will beat her.

Not necessarily if they go slow.

She was wide and right on a very rigorous pace
and survived. She ran a hell of a race and
so did he.

Really gonna have to wait and see how all
came out of this. I think the race was
much tougher on her based on Borel's quotes.

i tip my hat to MTB ! he beat me again. i figured he'a run a nice race but would be off the board. congrats to MTB and connections, he's a very NICE horse.

congrats to Musket Man also. he looks to be the consistant horse that will show up for every race.

RA is a freak, what else can you say.:tro:

Excuse me while I remove my tounge from my cheek...

ok, how long before MTB is sold?

Gelding. If he was intact, he would've been gobbled up in the last two weeks.

true

Mine that bird is still a piece of ****, who we will never hear from again. I would be surprised as hell if he won a race of any consequence ever again, I sure do see alot of 3rd and 4ths though

I agree, but thought he looked like a drunken sailor weaving down the stretch - hope he came out of the race okay, just tired.

Bob Baffert said it himself he needs to get POTN back to Cali to race on the Waxy stuff. There's lots of money to be made out West for the horse.

He beat you out of the exacta tri and super too huh?

nopers played a tri super with rachel and flying private on top, having same 2 along with pioneer, friesan fire, musket man, general quarters.

i like him in the belmont ,if he goes