4/2-3 (OP): Fantasy S. & Oaklawn H. (G2's)
 

10th (5:47) Fantasy S. (G2)

1 1/16 Miles | Fillies | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $300,000

1 All Due Respect Gomez G K 117 L
2 No Such Word Thompson T J 121 L
3 Tidal Pool Borel C H 117 L
4 Blind Luck Bejarano R 121 L

Win betting only?

wow... I continue to be amazed that they can't get more horses for this race. If I remember correctly, the year Eight Belles won the Fantasy it was a solid 3 horse field and I think Rachel only beat 3 or 4 horses last year.

You think there would be more owners that would want to back themselves into a G2 placing.

$2,000 to pass the entry box and $2,000 to start = $4,000.

$180,000 1st
$60,000 2nd
$30,000 3rd
$15,000 4th
$9,000 5th
$6,000 each thereafter

Now arguably, why should anyone with a nice forward-moving allowance filly go up against the four that line up here? What's the upseide? A lot would need to happen 'right' for you to get third ("black type"), and you may well have missed a softer spot, even a stake, elsewhere.

Too many stakes?

and that is the type of attitude that makes racing boring right now. I'm not saying I blame the owners, cause I understand WHY they would want to find a softer spot.. but it really hurts the sport.

Absolutely...

they only got 8 for the Ashland, so between the two most logical Oaks preps (at least in the Midwest) we've got a total of 12 horses. that's kinda scary in and of itself...

You know, I'll add another factor, and it contributes to the deleterious synthetic surface 'effect'. Why run your 'slight cut below' horse in a spot on dirt, where she may be simply too slow to compete, when you can now look ahead for a spot at Keeneland or Arlington where your horse's lack of quickness is mitigated by a surface that lends itself to their more modest ability?

Good point, sir.

Now they can wait for Dubai as well

I'd say the FG Oaks, which had 11 starters, is a pretty logical KY Oaks prep, considering that four of its last five winners went on to win the KY Oaks.

SATURDAY 10th (5:31) Oaklawn H. (G2)

1 1/8 Miles | Open | 4 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $500,000

1 Duke of Mischief Coa E M 115 L
2 Delightful Kiss Gryder A T 115 L
3 Win Willy Berry M C 117 L
4 Jonesboro Court J K 114 L
5 Follow the Leader Quinonez L S 114 L
6 Prom Shoes Thompson T J 112 L
7 Dakota Phone Garcia M 116 L

Now that is fantastic.

OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG This is easily the worst group I can remember.
Where is Misremembered? I thought he was running here?

Its not? Whats your opinion of it?

Sorry. I misread your post as saying one of the worst group 1 you had ever seen.

You, of course, replied in the 3.5 seconds it took me to delete it.

But yeah man, that field is friggin awful.

I said groups I can remember, not group 1. This would be a shitty allowance race.

Santa Anita Handicap winner Misremembered will skip the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 3.

"He hasn't really snapped back like he was before" the Big Cap, Baffert said. "I'm waiting for him to show crispy-ness."

Baffert said Misremembered will target a race after "we get him right."

I think The Fat Man's blood pressure just spiked.

4/3 (OP): Oaklawn H. (G2)
 

10th (5:31)
Oaklawn H. (G2)

1 1/8 Miles | Open | 4 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $500,000


Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML
1 1 Duke of Mischief Coa E M Fawkes David 115 L 10-1
2 2 Delightful Kiss Gryder A T Anderson Pete D 115 L 8-1
3 3 Win Willy Berry M C Robertson McLean 117 L 8-5
4 4 Jonesboro Court J K Morse Randy L 114 L 10-1
5 5 Follow the Leader Quinonez L S Whiting Lynn S 114 L 4-1
6 6 Prom Shoes Thompson T J Fires William H 112 L 15-1
7 7 Dakota Phone Garcia M Hollendorfer Jerry 116 L 2-1


First Half Late Daily Double / Exacta / 50 Cent Trifecta / 10 Cent Superfecta

(Didn't see a thread for this and it's such a nice field. I think so anyway...)

Used to be a great race...you would think with all the synthetics in play this race would attack most of america's current dirt stars.

Where are the current dirt horses racing for 500k in March/April/May?

Nice win by Blind Luck, though a bit green maybe.

The Fantasy is turning out to be a nice race lately.

D'oh.

NT

Both the top two look like really legit horses...they powered away from the back markers. I was really impressed by both Blind Luck and Tidal Pool and those two have to be considered the clear top 2 going into the Oaks in a month.

I recall you telling me you did not like Blind Luck.

Tidal Pool part of a clear top 2? She pretty much had things her own way and yet offered no resistance when Blind Luck came at her.

Surely Devil May Care rates a bit better than her.

I don't think Tidal Pool needs a perfect trip to run her race...I think Borel took advantage of the race scenario today to give her a good trip on the front end, but I expect her to revert to more of a stalking type of role in the Oaks with more speed and more horses signed up. I think Tidal Pool can work out a good trip no matter where she ends up being placed in the Oaks because she doesn't need the lead and Blind Luck at least on dirt might just be that good.