Circular Quay the 2007 Kentucky Derby winner
 

its all over but the cryin now with Ravel out. Nice, to see JR and Pletcher finally get that Triple Crown race win.

Why did you have to do this to him?

I would be surprised if any of the other connections even bring their horses! What would be the point? Especially horses like Street Sense and Great Hunter. Why would their connections even think their horses could beat CQ? Of course, I guess the fact that their horses already did defeat him might be something to think about...............nah. Just let him win it in a walkover.
Give me a break.

There are other good horses out there. I like Great Hunter, in particular. Anyway, I think Doug O'Neill will smell the roses; It will not be Todd Pletcher. O"Neill has plenty of ammunition.

I love CQ, but it's a little early to make predictions.

One good thing is that CQ is so relaxed early, that an unfavorable gate position might not hurt him. He's going to be last through the first 1/2 of the race no matter what.

But I agree. It's impossible for me to toss out Street Sense, Great hunter and Any Given Saturday until after the next round of preps are completed in about a month.

I said the same thing about Bandini when he was 3

To win the Derby?

CQ will not even beat Nobiz in The Wood

That wouldn't prevent him from winning the Derby though.....

ok well since everyone is making predictions, he will not win the wood nobiz will and he will not be in the superfecta in the derby....i dont like his running style he will find trouble, and even if he dosent i still dont think he's good enough, i know his pedigree says he can go long and he'd be a classic race type horse, but i think he'd be a devestating miler type with his 1 big run, he could point to races such as the met mile, the carter and the new breeders cup dirt mile

Well, guess they can't all have as great a shot in the Derby as Bob and John, right?

You're probably on to something here...

For those interested, I just found out that CQ's horsehats.. hat.. will be available in a few weeks. BTW, should I pre-order one for you? ;)

You may be right about finding trouble, but saying he'll be out of the superfecta is pretty bold, especially considering his record. Throw out the Risen Star when the jockey was thrown right in front of him, and he's never finished worse than 2nd. I think he's almost a lock to hit the board.

untill the risen star all he did was win sprints, he never won going long, he just won sprints, then in the risen star he gets dream setup, ketchecan goes very fast early and gives him a perfect setup, i dont think he will make the superfecta in the derby, just my opinion

very few horses win the derby from well off the pace. it has been done, Unbridled was one, but it is rare. most derby winners are within 3 lengths of the lead on the first turn. this is not a favorable scenario for CQ.

Actually, a horse fell down in front of him in the Risen Star.

And how far is long prior to the Risen Star, Most of the horses on the trail were all doing 6f to a mile, not saying some didn't stretch to 1 1/16, but there are more that were in sprints than not i believe. btw, not predicting anything here, winners, supers...nuttin'!!

you mean LA derby,, right? I think did pretty well in his other attempts at going long before his LA derby win. He did finish 2nd in both the KY futurity (on poly) and the Juvy (2+ lengths in front of every horse but street sense) have his races set up for him? yes. but the derby usually has a fast pace, doesn't it? could he find trouble in the derby because of his style? absolutely. but, imo, i haven't seen a reason why he can't win that race based on his past performances. that's why the derby trail is great, we find different reasons to like different horses along the way.

I think that is already changing and will continue to do so as the trend to send frontrunning sprinters to the Derby if they can get the graded earnings continues. If it keeps up as it is I think it will become extremely difficult to win the Derby if you are within 3 lengths of the speed duel at first call. Even Barbaro was four lengths back at the first call.

Finishing second in 2 G1 routes hardly marks a horse as a "failure" at a route. No one was beating SS in the Juvie, but he was closest at the end. If a criticism was to be made it would be for the race at KEE, where so many closers held the adbatage and he was beaten by Great Hunter.

I like CQ but I'm not handing him the gold trophy quite yet. I don't think he's a closing sprinter though either.

How does Ravel being out help Pletcher win the big one? He is the trainer of Ravel. I think this helps O'Neill.

Agreed. And with more and more horses wanting that prime "stalking" spot will that not set more derbies up for the off the pace type such as not only Unbridled but Monarchos and Giacomo as well. I dont personally like CQ but feel he will be a part of SUperfecta mix

The key is that Ravel's defection from the trail does not affect my guarantee that Cowtown Cat will run 16th in the Derby, because I had already factored it in.
The more I look at it, the more sure I am. There is no possible way Cowtown Cat could finish any better or worse than 16th. It is a mortal lock.

No, but I want a Scat Daddy one. Seriously.

I think this will be the year of Doug O'Neill; I think he has very good chances with Great Hunter and Cobalt Blue. He has two other chances as well.

lol the year of Doug O'neill thats one of the funniest things ive ever heard, Doug O'neill will not do squat outside of southern california thats a fact

They are not. Dude you need serious help.

As Cardus posted on an earlier thread:

I just love threads with these kinds of titles.

I know that's why I stopped by.

Like moths to a flame...

Isn't it.....



..oh never mind.





Hey do you have any nu.....

...oh never mind again.




Oh..this is Andrew trying to look like Morty.

Nice seeing you Pam.

thou i regaurd quey as a as a pretty nice horse..and i would love to own em..he in my opinion will do no better than 5th or so....

Monarchos was at the rear, Charismatic was well back, Grindstone....I know what you are saying and I prefer somebody in the second tier, but it's not that rare. It's less likely that somebody wires the field.

HEre is the count I get from 1960 to present, 47 data pts, it seems:

23/11/6/7

Closer/stalkers/presser/front runner

Some notes: I counted FuPeg as a closer as he was 6 1/2 back at the 1/2 mile. I had to reclassify Charismatic as stalker as he was w/in 4 len. when he started passing all those horses on the backstretch. Smarty I have as stalker, although the Preakness I thought he pressed. Thunder Gulch reclassed as presser looking at the PPs. Barbaro stalker, although some think of him as a E/P...

I tried to base it on 0-2 lengths=presser; 2-4: stalker, 4 1/2 or more closer. It was not a completely uniform count, some based on a previous internet discussion some based on charts, some based on trips notes from the Ky derby site. BUt the trip notes are pretty good in that regard, if they say "well in hand" you can assume closer, if they say "never far away" assume pressing, etc. Also I didnt make it uniformly based on 2nd call, if it was a close call I tried to use best 2 out of first 3 calls. But in most cases, the 2nd call was descriptive.

If you think this is off, send me a PM and I'll send the complete list...

THe same sort of ratio goes back even to the 50s, here's the updated count, from 1947 to present, 60 data pts...

28/14/8/10

closer/stalker/presser/gtw

Based mostly on the trip notes. Notes seem to be pretty clear as to where the horse was running, not real sure on Tomy Lee, described as "snugged in behind the leader," calling him a stalker, could mean a presser..

Don't forget the Derby winners on or close to the lead who got the wet-track assist - like Go for Gin and Smarty Jones (the Monsoon Derby). Do they get run down on a dry track? Some believe so.

I don't think anyone was running down Smarty Jones that day on any surface.

Do you honestly think that a dry track would have let Imperialism or Limehouse come get that horse?

Thats what I think was funny after the Derby. The wet track thing popped up, and then the Preakness field was crushed. Good Lord look what the animal did at Belmont. He got pushed hard by two diff. very good horses and still barely went down. Smarty ran on any dirt you gave him.

CQ is gonna need a Giacomo set up and I dont see that happening for a while. Some lessons were learned in that burn up that have not had time to become a passing memories.

The setup that Giacomo got wasn't even as good as when Monarchos won. Remember, the pace in the 2005 Derby was so fast because Spanish Chestnut was entered as a "rabbit" for Bandini. Didn't really work out since the went 16th and 19th.

I'm not particularly a Circular Quay fan, but he is not nearly as much of a plodder as Giacomo. CQ basically took the lead at the 3/16 of the La Derby. I think more tactical speed may be found in that horse. It definitely can't hurt down the line.

And, yes, you're right, Smarty was going to win that Derby rain or shine. He had the perfect target in front of him who couldn't get classic distances.

NT