RAGS TO RICHES: Fever.. No Oaks..
 

A fever will keep Belmont winner Rags to Riches from contesting the Coaching Club American Oaks..

The Todd Pletcher trained sensation missed Sunday's scheduled final workout ahead of the anticipated start, with hopes that she would drill Monday. Little else was said from the Pletcher camp who had been planning to provide the entire field for the 12f Grade 1 standard, first run in 1917.

Writing was on the wall when she missed her work yesterday. Now we get to watch Pletcher's 7th, 8th, and 9th string fillies square off in a G1. I wonder if they will train up to the Alabama now or consider the Dandy.

I'm sure ESPN is thrilled they adjusted their schedule to carry the race.

I am thrilled because that means I might get to also see her run on when I am at Toga, along with Street Sense, huge fan

Did they delay the Monkey's work because of Rags, or did he come down with a fever as well?

I'm kinda doubting she goes in the Dandy so she will probably train up to the Alabama. The Test/Travers double would be a pretty cool achievement if they wanted to prove her greatness.

This is interesting after ESPN dumped Del Mar opening weekend for this race.

Bummer. I hope it really is just a fever.

is the race back up to 12f this year? the last couple years it was 10f, but before that it was 12f, but before that it was 10f, but before that it was 12f.
i'm not kidding. they change it every couple of years: http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.p...ld=view&id=932

It is ten furlongs this year.

NT

I wouldnt be surprised if we never get to see her race again. Dont think that will happen, but I wouldnt be surprised.

These owners are fans, I think we will see her through this campaign.

looks like it's she'll train up to the Alabama then point to the BC.

The Test would be an utter impossiblility.

To make a five furlong cut-back with an A.P. Indy offspring, exiting a very slow paced marathon, would be all the makings for a big upset loss. Where she is at right now, that race is simply way too sharp for her.

It would make a good betting race if she went in :D

Sometimes I wonder about these kind of things.

If I was in Pletcher's position...after the Belmont Stakes win, it would have been very tempting to use some gamesmanship, and say Rags to Riches next race will be the Coaching Club. With the race being 10 furlongs at Belmont, he can basically scare off horses, forcing some decent ones who could have impacted the outcome to not even nominate, let alone not point for the race.

Which ever one of the five other Pletcher horses nominated to this race that runs, will probably have an easier go of it now that some of the other competiton has been scarred off.

I completely agree...especially considering a horse like Dream Rush could be eight lengths in front of her when they straighten away.

NT

Octave is most likely going to be one lucky filly.

No doubt that she would have to be as great as people are making her out to be to pull it off. Would be a lot more fun to see than the Alabama will be.

Folk worked Sunday and she is one of the few nominated that didn't run over the weekend.

Disagree to an extent, while I understand your angle Society Selection (a certified Toga freak) pulled off the CCA run-Test-Alabama, and while SS was a top quality filly I'm positive Rags is better than her (and is competing against a weaker crop, for that matter.)

Very possible. But then again, she might just have a fever.

Humble Janet is also nominated. Wouldn't that be something?

Octave, Folk, and Lady Joanne look to be the only three possibles that can pass for a G1 horse. And who knows if any of them will be ready.

I wonder if Pletcher would be real gutsy and enter Panty Raid? Although she hasn't posted a work since the American.

Society Selection wasn't coming out of a race like the monumentally slow paced Belmont Stakes, and she is FAR better suited for sprint races than Rags to Riches.

SS was out of the brilliant sprinting dam Love That Jazz (a half to Sea of Secrets), and I believe she won her debut going 5 furlongs at Saratoga.

Rags To Riches is simply not bred to be a sprinter, and acts nothing like a spritner. I said she'd win the Kentucky Oaks after her 7 furlongs MSW win because I felt she looked pretty nice winning that race, and it was painfully obvious she would improve her form tremendously with more ground to work with.

I would bet against her with unbridled enthusiasm if she did run in the Test. Which obviously won't happen.

Agree completely that SS was much better bred for 7f than Rags, and she did win going short at 2 at Saratoga (I was there that day, she was 31-1 and charged down the center of the track through the slop), but the truth is she might be good enough to win outside of her optimal distance. She won the Las Virgennes at a mile already this year.

He has been showing his poetic side lately.

Ever since I came back from the dead.

Insert Frankel for pletcher and its a common ploy

Frankel is as slick as they come.

Even though Rags to Riches has been withdrawn from the Coach Club American Oaks, ESPN will not be covering Saturday's Grade II, $300,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar.

Are you sure? Del Mar's website is saying they will cover it live.

How about the 1 1/8 Go For Wand (28th) against older which is the day before the Jim Dandy? Would give her three weeks til the 'Bama and four til the Travers. The GFW might come up pretty soft with the Del Hcp having just been run on Saturday.


Aw, what the hell, put her in the Whitney on Dandy day.