no love for ravel
 

surprised i havent read anything about this horse, i know it was the typical 6 horse field we always see at santa anita but this horse ran about the same as the 4 year olds later in the day (strub stakes) 48 and change i believe..... could be any kind, plus he looked like another quater is right up his alley. i think i might get me some in vegas.....

I didn't see the race as it happened but I just watched thre replay and I think it was a very good performance. I think he's going to be everyone's hot Derby horse this week and you will see low future odds on him over the weekend. .

NT

I think I read somewhere that Ravel got a higher Beyer Speed figure for his win(102) this weekend than NoBiz got (98) for his Holy Bull victory. He's certainly worth keeping an eye on.

you might be right, i belive bob and john did the same thing in lasts years sham and things havent turned out so well.

Is he a hothead like FuPeg was?

didnt seem to be, he looked like a seasoned pro and basically cruised.....

The HRTV crew is pretty high on Ravel right now -- might be the kiss of death. Wonder what the plans are for him? Looked good for sure but the field was short and weak.

Good time of year as some of the 3 year olds start throwing in strong performances. Interesting races nearly everywhere right now.

Ravel deserves to be on Derby watch lists imo. His races have shown a nice progression, he finishes strong, and he runs in a profeesion manner as others have pointed out.

I still like Liquidity better.

Let's see how many weeks it takes Ravel to come back from that race. If he is back in four weeks for the Robert Lewis then I like his chances. If it takes him six or nine weeks to be ready for the San Felipe or Santa Anita Derby then I really hope he has nothing to do with the Triple Crown. For some reason I have a feeling he is going to wind up going to the San Felipe off six weeks rest and then to the Derby off seven weeks rest.

I have a feeling Ravel shoots up the Dispatch Derby Poll later today. I voted him high, I was super impressed.

Has Bandini written all over him, same exact pattern also. Debuted fast, got faster, will win one of the big preps and then poof, runs 14th in the Derby

All I said was he should be on watch lists, not that he should be the only one people watch.

If you want my opinion on the comparision between the two, Liquidity has shown less in more starts than Ravel. Ravel handled him in only his third start. Ravel finishes his races stronger than Liquidity.

They're still both relatively lightly raced and things could change down the road perhaps, but for now I give the edge to Ravel.

I really liked Ravel's performance because he does seem to have his head screwed on straight and IMO will have no concerns going 1 1/4. I think the time being the same as the Strub says more about the Strub than it does Ravel. I wasn't real impressed with that group.

I wasn't downing your opinion... just stating that I like Liquidity over Ravel. :p Liquidity has a nice way of going and he seems to be very consistent. I like that.

1:48 and 2/5 is a pretty good time for a mile and a furlong no matter where you're racing. I think the Strub and Sham were both good races.

NT

i know, and i'm not downing your support of Liquidity either. It's too early to have real hard and fast opinions on any of them imo. and i assumed that we are talking about liking them in the sense of the Derby.

consistency may not be the thing to look for right now when considering derby contenders. I actuall look for some forward movement including winning a race or two here or there. Liquidity has found it hard to reach the winners circle since his maiden win. Other than a horse like giacomo, the derby winners usually win a lot, and often by nice margins. Not always but more often than not this is true.

I think that in order to be a really top horse, u have to have the ability to "turn it on" at some point in the race and I just don't see that with Ravel. I will be surprised if he's a threat in a race like the Santa Anita Derby and especially in the Kentucky Derby. Of course, he's still got time to develop and could show me something more in his next race but what I've seen so far, I don't see what there really is to like about him.

Steve Haskin's new derby trail article is up, and he has him listed #2, which is a surprise.
Nice horse, and I planned on betting him last weekend, but missed the race.
Still, there wasn't much in that race, other than Liquidity.
It will definitely be a test if they bring him back in the Robert Lewis, as that race should be fairly loaded.

Possibly, except Bandini had to run huge in the Bluegrass Stakes to get into the Derby due to a lack of earnings, thus Todd had him cranked up; then he lost his cookies in the post parade in the Derby...........i did think that the 102 beyer was high for the race and I wasnt awed by his race-seem like a good effort, nothing spectacular.

Nice point about Bandini needing earnings. Ravels effort was good, but have been tricked by this kind of thing before. WIll be skeptical for time being. Anxiously awaiting return of CP West who I thought was impressive but immature in Futurity last fall, and just read in Haskin article wrenched ankle in BC Juvenile. Maybe a possibility to follow on trail this spring

I agree that it was a pretty good time and as I stated earlier I like Ravel quite a bit. Although they are older horses, I don't believe comparing it to the Strub is a great measuring stick. I think the horses in the Strub are 2nd level handicap division horses at best.

#1 on my Derby list, the best runner of this year so far (of the 3yrs.)
let's hope he isn't like Bandini!

Ravel looks like a nice horse.Right now,most people would certainly take him over Liquidity,but I like the versatility,and competitiveness of Liquidity.He is starting to get reliable good position in races.He gives himself a chance.A lot of good horses in the Derby get lost.They just see nothing but horses everywhere.They can't see the leader.They get in tight..etc.etc. Remember,there will probably be 15-20 horses.There is something to be said for a competitive horse who will break well,and be top 4 into the 1st turn.He is getting beat,but I wouldn't rule him out just yet.

Ravel is getting his love.......

When I say turning it on, I like to see a horse that has the ability to, at any point in the race, throw in a quarter-mile fraction of around 23 seconds. Watching Ravel, he went in 23.57, 24.69, 24.49, 23.92, 12.24 in that race (approximate fractions). That is just running evenly throughout. Nothing necessarily wrong with that but I like to see a little quicker turn of foot at some point and I didn't see that from him. I didn't see him closing into the pace at all as much as I saw the leaders giving way and Ravel just keeping his pace. I think that's what fools a lot of people into thinking a horse closed when he really didn't. He just didn't lose as much speed as the others that were dropping back faster.

The late great Bam Bam Bigelow...another forty something wrestler who died much too soon! :(

He's this year's Jazil....He'll spoil No Biz Like Showbiz's Triple Crown :rolleyes:

Wait, the big dude with all the tattoos in my avater is a now dead wrestler?

I could have sworn he was the former chairmain of the RNC....and Gerald Ford's old secretary of health and human services.

He lived in my town...He was a trainwreck. Almost killed himself and his girlfriend in a motorcycle accident back in the fall...Unfortunately, it was a matter of time:



WWE.com has learned that former WWE Superstar Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow has passed away in Florida.

Kevin Doll, the Public Information Director for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Bigelow was found dead early Friday morning in his home in Hudson, Fla.

"We can confirm that Scott Bigelow was found in his home this morning. At this time the cause of death is unknown," Doll told WWE.com.

Doll also confirmed that the Pasco-Pinellas Counties medical examiner has taken the body and an autopsy will be performed.

Bigelow, 45, worked for WWE, ECW and WCW extensively throughout his 20-year sports-entertainment career. A former ECW Champion, ECW Television Champion and WCW Tag Team Champion, he is perhaps best known for his rivalry with Lawrence Taylor that culminated in the main event of WrestleMania XI in 1995.

He used to wrestle at a local bar on tuesday nights for beer money...Sad.

Fupeg isn't one of my favorite sires out there, but there is no denying he can get a real fancy looking one:

Ravel:
http://www.horsephotos.com/watermark.jsp?photoID=52899

Time Squared:

http://www.horsephotos.com/watermark.jsp?photoID=52903

Neither seemed particularly naughty in the paddock or post parade (at least during the coverage by HRTV) although TS doesn't seem particularly interested in running either.

I really don't like FuPeg, but he throws some gorgeous babies.

He did have a 23.57 and a 23.92 Those were basically 23 3/5 and 24. I know it's nitpicking but I want to see a little faster. Because of run-up distances, I don't place too much value on opening quarters. And personally, considering how the pace was allowed to run early (I will admit that it's good to see a horse relax when the pace is slow like that), I would have expected a come home 8th in the range of 11 2-3/5. In retrospect, the race wasn't a bad one. There was nothing wrong with his effort. I just didn't see the things that I like to see to have them "jump" at me and get excited about.

I think you are nitpicking a little. The race was fairly fast, 102 Beyer, and the horse finished strong. For the third start I don't think you can ask for much more. I don't think anyone is saying that the performance necessarily jumped out at them and was overpowering. I would just call it a very solid performance and will be watching this one closely in upcoming races.

the ones that I had the pleasure :rolleyes: of working around were .... well ... they were pretty....