Digger?!?! Bad news for Hard Spun
 

http://www.drf.com/news/article/85475.html

Digger in Belmont since Street Sense is out
By DAVID GRENING

ELMONT, N.Y. - Like most racing fans, Larry Roman was hugely disappointed when he learned that Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense would not be running in the Belmont Stakes.

As a horse owner, Roman feels compelled to do something about it. So, he plans on running his newly acquired 3-year-old Digger in next Saturday's $1 million Belmont against Preakness winner Curlin and Derby runner-up Hard Spun. Digger, purchased by Roman about five weeks ago for $60,000 from William Wise, is a Maryland-bred gelded son of Yonaguska who has won 2 of 8 starts.

Digger, trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., was entered in Saturday's Spend a Buck Stakes at Monmouth Park, but Roman said the horse will be scratched out of that race.

While Digger has little chance to be there at the finish, Roman did say the horse will make his presence felt early on the race.

"We're going to be on the lead," Roman said. "If Hard Spun goes at us he's going to be going 44 [seconds] for the first four furlongs. He better take back and not move early like he did in the Preakness. It'll cost him the race. I have a lot of respect for Hard Spun, but I think it's a race we can control. Do I expect to win? No. Are we going to try? You bet your ass."

What a nuisance. . . No reason to enter this mule

Oops!

Haha wrong thread a-team. . . a little too much to drink tonight?

LOL, I was wondering why that post didn't show up in the other thread.

Actually, no drinks for me tonight. Probably just exhausted..

I just read...
I've got no shot but I can keep Hard Spun from winning?
Hard Spun can ignore Digger just like Commendable did with Hugh Hefner
I think

Ya after checking out his pedigree he should be back to last after about 6F. . .

Another egomaniac owner taking the spotlight off the horses.

If he had a good horse it would be great. Too bad he didnt own Ghostzapper when Silent Witness wanted a match race. I hardly think Digger is going to spice up the Belmont or take the place of a champion withdrawn.

He comes off as a genuine guy, like a good sport, and there arent many in the game who would have given IEAH their money back. However hes really taken a big swing and missed forcing Digger into the Bemont. On what should be one of the grandest days of racing, Mr Roman has decided he needs to pad his ego.

He's entered today against a weak stakes field at Mth and may have his hands full against this bunch today, let alone Hard Spun or Curlin.

i doubt this is bad news for anyone but digger.

no doubt they're hoping against hope for a placing, so they can pad his resume. good luck with that!

There's something missing from this story. I don't know this person but too many people have told me he's a good guy for the nonsense he spewed to be true. Was he being facetious? While it's unfortunate that Street Sense isn't running, and despite the kind of nonsense trainers spew these days, horses are entirely capable of competing in all three Triple Crown races and still running in races like the Haskell/Jim Dandy and Travers. However, unless Mr. Roman was joking to make a point, his comments are regretable and if they become actions they are borderline disgraceful. They are also untrue. If anyone actually thinks Digger will be blazing along with a half in 44 then I have a bridge to sell them. Most likely he will never even be a noticable participant in the race.

How exactly running a hopelessly overmatched horse in a big race does anything beyond draw attention to connections, at the expense of an innocent horse, is beyond me.

I'm glad you said that as connections at Delaware I see at the track in the early morning said exactly the same thing in casual unsolicited separate conversations.

Is it possible this guy was somehow misquoted??

It sounds like an news story from The Onion.
strange.

Well, unlike Pino I don't see Garret Gomez letting a hopeless longshot make him move early. :rolleyes:

This should be no problem for Hard Spun

Just make sure Gomez looks at the odds before the race and makes sure he knows Digger is at 50-1 for a reason!!!



Always good to have more than a 6 horse field tho

my initial thought too was that this article would have made a great april fools type of joke. but it's drf.com....lol

I think Hard Spun can rate, just think they are trying to fend off Tizzy with Digger. I think Digger will go out there with HS & ST right behind him.

I haven't studied anything yet, but that is what my gut is telling me as to why the heck Digger is in here. I think they want to see if Tizzy will rate and wait.

I highly doubt that their reason for entering has anything to do with Slew's Tizzy. . .

HA HA. You wait and see. :) Oh I am a crazy woman, what do I know?

As I understand it, Hard Spun needs to be covered up to rate. Isn't that what his connections said? When Pino moved him so's not to, in his opinion, be put in a bad tactical spot, Hard Spun took that as 'all signals go.' (*tongue in cheek*-->) Might be good if Digger does go to the front, gives them someone to put HS behind. If they think Gomez doesn't know he's gonna be anything other than horsewhipped for letting HS get into a speed duel they're insane.

This is highly unlikely, and considering Hard Spun has never been " covered up ", I'm not sure where that comes from. In all likelihood he needs to be in the clear, as he was in the Preakness and Lane's End, if he is to rate with any success. I may be wrong but I don't recall him eating any dirt in his previous races.

Sumwonlovesyou has a better chance of breaking on top in the Belmont than Digger does. I don't know if this horse can even beat Imawildandcrazyguy or Circular Quay to the six furlong mark. Slew's Tizzy is going to be way more of a nuisance to Hard Spun than Digger will be. At least Digger saves Slew's Tizzy the embarassment of a last place finish.

On a side note...anyone have any gossip about which Pletcher runner shows up?

No gossip, I believe Rags and Circular Quay work tomorrow and then there should be an announcement Monday. I'll be shocked if neither goes and equally shocked if both go.

Rags actually has a chance anyway.

I'm one of the biggest Circular Quay haters on the planet but think he may actually have a shot at 12 furlongs. If Curlin runs even close to his best and doesn't make an early move he wins. If not I think Tiago and CQ are the most likely to ration their speed into 24-25 second quarters the whole way which has been the formula to win the Belmont.

Circular Quay's best chance would be two six furlong heats. He wants a mile and a half about as much as King of the Roxy does.

I can see where you are coming from but I disagree. For what it is worth (nothing) he did pass everyone on the runout after the Preakness. That doesn't seem like a tired horse to me. Just a slow horse that needs 12 furlongs before the rest of the field comes back to him.

Now THAT's old skool. Like 1780 old school.

Dutrow would have entries for that event.

If CQ wins the Belmont I will strip down to my boxers and attempt to join Pletcher in the win photo! :p

How about just attempting to join Asmussen in the win photo if he runs second?

Even better, how about campaigning for the mount on Digger if CQ even runs?

Angel already turned them down. Go for it.

I think we've seen Circular Quay's last race.

If he doesn't go in the Belmont then they might as well. He is way too slow to sprint and will never see another pace setup like the pissing match speed duel in the Hopeful.

Have you heard that somewhere or is it speculation? I'm wondering because that is a bit of a common opinion.

NT

This entire situation is getting preposterous. I am not at all referring to Digger running and Street Sense not running. With the exception of this BB, I see people indicting, condemning and ripping apart Tafel -- he is ruining the business, he is not a sportsman, and the like. I also see people justifying running Digger and making the owner out to be the "true" sportsman.

The complete lack of class, the naiveté, and the out and out BS never ceases to amaze me.

Eric

Program Changes:
"Digger, 49 pounds over"

I can't imagine that Circular Quay would be unable to EVER find another fast-paced sprint race where the half goes in 44 and change and the front-runners start coming back to him.

NT

44 and change for 2yos in August at 7 furlongs at Saratoga is pretty suicidal. If they'll let him run against 2yos again then he might have a shot.