Bounce 'this! ; The Florida Derby was Quality Road's best race yet.
 

Maybe I view races much differently than everyone else?

The Florida Derby was Quality Road's best race yet. The Fountain of Youth was faster but it is just a mile. Who really cares who the fastest 3yo miler is ? A mile is a cheaper race. The goal and the ideal is a 10 furlong race on May 2nd. War Pass, Tale of Etaki, Pyro... they are really nice horses, but they aren't "classic distance" horses, and for me those types aren't eligible for the highest class. It's almost meaningless when I see a 3yo run a fast race at 6 or 7 or 8 furlongs. The only thing I really do with that is ask whether or not they can stretch out.

Quality Road's Florida Derby was the best 3yo dirt prep at 1 1/16th or farther this year. I don't think I Want Revenge or Friesan Fire could have beat him. Quality Road rated like a patient racehorse, it was a monster race. You see a lot of people talking about a bounce or regression... No way. That was an improvement. I think he rated better in the Florida Derby, and he ran a farther distance. He appeared to be going at a slower pace and showed a more distinct response when shaken up. In the Fountain of Youth it was less distinct, he basically just ran everyone off their feet in a race that featured a fast pace. The FOY was the best 1 turn mile probably by any horse in 2009, but it provided more questions than answers about Quality Road. The Florida Derby showed that Quality Road can rate and is a top contender to win the Kentucky Derby.

Thank God this has been cleared up.

did he regress ?

I don't think it's possible for you to regress.

when you do this it makes the followers hesitant to discuss the concept

No need to butter me up.

No, the posters that follow blackthroatedwind.

Obviously everyone is entitled to enjoy whichever aspects of this sport they choose to enjoy, but I can't understand your logic exactly. Just to be clear, are you really saying that Housebuster's entire 3yo campaign (which included something like 7 or 8 graded stakes victories, and a second in the Met Mile behind Criminal Type and in front of Easy Goer) was meaningless? Holy Bull winning the Met Mile in '94 was meaningless? Or even a couple of performances a few years ago from colts like Henny Hughes or Discreet Cat? I could go on and on.

By your logic here it seems that races like the Met Mile, the Vosburgh, the Kings Bishop, the Riva Ridge, and a host of others are simply meaningless for you. Everyone gets to decide for themselves what races interest them, and each individual obviously has a specific type of racing that interests them most, but I think discounting all 3yo racing under 9f as meaningless means you are missing out on appreciating some really good races and some really good horses.

I follow Danzig and Sumitas....Screw BTW and DrugS.:o

lolz


"Almost meaningless" was a poor choice of words. Horses like Housebuster deserve credit. He repeatedly proved himself to be a top sprinter/miler. I just don't rank Housebuster's 3yo campaign as highly as Unbridled's.

I enjoyed watching Henny Hughes and Discreet Cat... I just don't rank them in the same class as Bernardini or Barbaro.

If Housebuster had won the Breeder's Cup Classic in 1990, I would have to at least strongly consider it as the best race of his 3yo campaign even if it wasn't as brilliant as his Jerome or King's Bishop.

In the words of Todd Pletcher "I would have sent my horse to NY, if I knew the track would be so Fast" . Is this the same guy who sent out Left bank?

Sometimes it's not a good idea to run your best race 5 weeks before the Derby. He will need everyday of that 5 weeks to come back. O yea, that dam draw. 20 post, help?

I think we still have a prep race left, and I don't think the winner will need any triple numbers to win. How nice it would be not to run your best to win this one.

is that 1,000 play along thread still going..or did you finally go bust..

bust. It's funny that you could think that you can hit something at will, and be paranoid about it, and now 2 months later you are trying hard to keep your head above water.

hey bob all i asked is if you still had that thread going..your ramblings here and on another board are comedy at best. keep up the good work and where can i sighn up for your show betting course.

You will get all the winnings you deserve with your 'hooves plays'.

Oh Kayyyyyyyy.... :rolleyes:
Last chance for on-topic discussion

Did Quality Road regress in the Florida Derby?

My stance again is no, I thought it was his best race. I cited his improved rating, and his distinct response when shaken, and the professional manner that he handled 2 turns and the added distance. I said that the FOY was basically running his rivals off their feet in a fast paced race.

thats the funny thing bob.. i make money betting also.. not spewing pace drivel about a clear cut winner..q r was best again.. why the big deal about it
and it was not his best race to date..

I know you're trying to be clever but it really isn't funny.

Take a hike, brother.

o
m
g

:wf

why do i get the feeling i should NOT feel flattered....

........i hear it, prior to the 1st saturday in may.

my two cents$
 

i listened to the replay with haskin& stitch, and i respect their opinion, and they have forgotten more about horseracing than i'll ever know ,however the galloping out 5 lengths better than QR,and running fast 3 consecutive 1/8th miles and this that and the other, doesn't mean anything if you don't win the race. next time means nothing, or boy watch out for dunkirk if he gets in derby. Dunkirk might get in and win and go undefeated the rest of the year who knows, but until he beats a horse or horses like QR then he's just a pretender. I don't want to hear about pace set-up ,rabbit in the race.\ jacked-up speed track or excuses of anykind, no matter how fantastic of a move a horse makes, if he or she doesn.t win who cares. Curlin made a similar big move in BC and got trounced in the stretch, the most important spot on track after the break. Pace who can really figure it out? he galloped-out 5 lenghts past QR because he needs new brake shoes.....lol

qr has a higher cruising speed and his breaking ability makes him a dangerous
horse.he can make the lead save ground and still take off late..dunkirk is kind of lazy and needs to be rousted . even when he came along side qr he should have blown by him ..he did not and qr just dug with little urging. im sure they wanted to win the race but qr wasnt all out saving him for the derby.imo

that is what impressed me most.
I wasn't sure QR had that ability.
Supposedly that 7 furlong work coming up to the Fl. Derby was 1:25 and clocked finishing in 23+change.
I believe it now.

I can't wait until Sunday evening when we have a new round of preps (and horses) to talk about.

Well at least we have a bit more variety this year verses to last year's "Big Brown this, Big Brown that..."



and "yes" I do admit to being one of those people :p

that two cents is worth a million. i'll laugh if dunkirk gets in, is bet at a lower price and gets his a$$ handed to him again by quality road. at this point i can't see that horse beating quality road, for all the squawking the race was not even close.