Derby '12: Did We Learn Anyhting?
 

I learned Scat Daddy's don't get the distance, and Trinniberg, although we knew he wouldn't....he's a hell of a horse and he finished ahead of some good ones

I learned you like horse psychologists and you have trouble spelling.

We learned pace makes the race.

Spelling error corrected....Thankx yew

Yes and no. The two best horses ran 1-2 and they would have run 1-2 even if the pace much much slower. Bodemeister would have obviously beaten the winner if the pace was slower, but those two would have still run 1-2.

If you corrected one, it is one I didn't notice.

No big whoop anyways. If there is one thing I wouldn't want, it would be to be known as a fraudulent spelling/grammar nazi.

You don't aspire to be like Justin?

Dare to dream to be like the Real Justin Dew.

That would be ohgazmic.

Is this true? Or do they like synthetic/turf better.

Seems pretty conclusive to me, since his progeny are 0 for 2 with a DNF at the distance.

hopefully i've learned to pay attention only to the horse, not whether i like the connections. need to make sure my personal preference doesn't get in the way of who should get bet.

Learned Union Rags is more sizzle then steak.

You should always bet on horses owned and/or trained by people that you personally know and don't like.

There isnt enough money in circulation for me to follow this advice.

Hopefully a few jockeys learned that letting your horse run its race and letting the chips fall where they may is a much better strategy than rating them into submission thereby giving them zero chance of success.

On Santa Anita Handicap day I let Doug beat me out of the pick 4 by not using willyconker. I swore that I would not let him beat me again - I even wrote it in the stakes thread on this site that day.

After DLL and Trinniberg, I'll have another was my next toss.

When Aruna scratched, I singled Hungry Island which allowed for pretty deep coverage in the Derby. I was sick to my stomach after the race for quite a while as I was still alive in the pick 4 with six horses.

So, I learned that I should take my own advice and pay attention to past mistakes.

Amen to that.

and here's hoping that hansen the owner learned to stfu.
that trinnibergs owner and trainer didn't screw their horse up too badly and will keep him where he does best.

:tro:

I think the good doctor believes he knows everything already..this thread isn't for him

I learned to ditch the person I normally go to the track with. Wackjob.

:rolleyes:
:wf

What does Riot have to do with this thread?

New name, same lame jokes, huh Casino?

That's him? What happened to the El Padrino guy...I thought that was also Casino?

It seemed like every single person who knocks speed figures because they have no understanding of them -- be it on a message board, working in the media, or working as a horsemen -- somehow every single one of them LOVED Union Rags to win the Derby.

It would have been hard to stomach if Union Rags won the race yesterday.

The BAD NEWS is that the Union Rags Lovefest is not over yet...now it's the jock's fault cuz he had him 18 lengths back going into the CH Turn instead of the desired 6...or that he got "unlucky" and was unable to get into that "big beautiful stride" until it was too late.....why ? Cuz he's just not fast enough !!! The whole UR team from the ol lady to Matz to the fans just cant believe that the darn horse is just not fast enough.

Even if they don't believe in speed figures.....shouldn't they believe their eyes?

I was no fan of UR, but Leparoux has an uncanny ability to take the speed out of any horse he rides in the big races.

Leparoux's and easy goat to blame but Castellano didn't exactly set blazing fractions when he rode him either...This time it's the horse, not the jockey.
(Note I said THIS time)

Probably the trainer too. This horse seems to have had the speed trained out of him.

If Union Rags' odds were a bit more fair, I'd be willing to try using him. I have no faith that I will ever get decent odds on Union Rags though, not with his large fanbase.

Yep.

Leparoux is a passive jockey -- but Matz might have also done too good of a training job with him.

Union Rags went an unblinkered 1/8th in 10.20 at the nations premier 2yo sale. He was the fastest unblinkered male horse at that entire sale. Union Rags went wire-to-wire in the 6.5f Saratoga Special 2nd time out after setting a 21 3/5th first quarter.

Union Rags was one of my absolute highest rated 2yo's from all the 2yo in training sales last year ... and those type of horses are much better sprinters 99% of the time. As much as I don't like to admit it -- Classic distance horses don't ever make that list of mine. Officer and Eightyfiveinafifty types do.

Union Rags is obviously a cool customer and Matz has him so relaxed that he normally breaks slow and looks awfully comfortable rating behind the pace.

Guys like Bill Mott and Neil Howard would have been proud of this training job. It's been a masterpiece of training and horsemanship by Matz.

So good in fact, that's he turned a horse who probably could have been an elite sprinter/miler for most people, into a Dollar Bill type of horse who doesn't break well, relaxes, finds trouble, and doesn't run fast...but always finishes up nicely.

I happen to think Matz trained this one way too good. The Union Rags that I first got to know -- before he was even raced -- looked pretty friggen fast to me.

Yeah...I don't think Matz is doing UR any favors....Barbaro is the big elephant sittin in that barn, whether anyone admits it or not, and that alone gotta account for a big % of his fan base

I hear over & over..."He knows how to get a horse prepped to win the Derby"....No, he knew how to get Barbaro prepped to win the Derby...

Maybe he'll win another down the road but right now, that barn is goin in the wrong direction..

Let the hate mail begin, eh..

I'm not even sure about that. The horse was just that good that it didn't matter.

I learned that my mother in law, at 86, can drink with the rest of them.....and me!

I didn't want to say it, but since you did....I have to agree

If we take away the Barbaro factor....we take away the plane crash deal....we take away Matz's Equestrian medals...we take away the ol cigar-smokin lady in the scooter......Does Union Rags odds go from 9/2 to 10 or 12-1? Seems strange but I thiink they do....and none of those things has anything to do with Union Rags....it all seems strange to me

Derby '12: Did We Learn Anyhting?
 

I learned that there's not gonna be a TC winner this year again. Baffert will have to settle for 2/3 like he did with Real Quiet.

I learned I need to read boards less during the triple crown.

Union Rags got bet because of Michael Matz' medals?

You wouldn't have learned about the handicapping exploits of the Dr. Phil Horsey Psychiatrist

Exactly!

I thought the only way Barbaro would lose the Derby is if his trainer got him beat.

That horse was a lot better than most people realized.