5/24-26 (BEL): Sheepshead Bay; Vagrancy; Met Mile
 

9th (5:15) Sheepshead Bay H. (G2)

1 3/8 Miles (Inner turf) | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $150,000

1 Leap in the Sun Maragh R 114 L
2 Hostess Velazquez J R 117 L
3 Ochre Hill C 113 L
4 Herboriste (GB) Gomez G K 116 L
5 Rising Cross (GB) Prado E S 115 L
6 J'ray Coa E M 118 L
7 Flawless Treasure Castellano J J 115 L
8 Mauralakana (FR) Desormeaux K J 119 L



9th (5:30) Vagrancy H. (G2)

6 1/2 Furlongs | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $150,000

1 Bedside Story Desormeaux K J 112 L
2 Sangrita Prado E S 115 L
3 Dream Rush Coa E M 120 L
4 Any Limit Velasquez C 116 L
5 Looky Yonder Gomez G K 115 L
6 Baroness Thatcher Velazquez J R 117 L

would love to see if f t can get er done..

10th (5:49) Metropolitan H. (G1)

1 Mile | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $600,000

2 Lord Snowdon Velasquez C 114 L
3 Global Hunter (ARG) Berrio O A 115 L
4 Divine Park Garcia Alan 117 L
1 Z Humor Morales S 108 L
5 First Defence Castellano J J 115 L
6 Kiss the Kid Maragh R 115 L
7 Council Member Chavez J F 113 L
8 Commentator Velazquez J R 122 L
1A Premium Wine Desormeaux K J 114 L

A-Coupled: Z Humor and Premium Wine

After the BC Sprint - who would have thought Commentator would be the highweight for the Met Mile by 5 lbs?

Good thing Happy Boy is in Europe.

Where have all the good horses gone?

With the Met Mile having the reputation of a "stallion making" race and given their form on conventional dirt, you'd think the CA connections of any one of Surf Cat, Tiago, and Heatseeker might have bailed from a planned start in the declining Californian next week to start here. Especially when you know one of those trainers is gonna fold under the pressure and cop out of the Hollywood race.

Can't have two good horses show up in the same event, much less three.

Tiago at a mile?

Actually, I was a bit upset that Shireffs didn't put Tiago in the 7f Malibu opening day at Santa Anita in December. Tiago, in his only sprint, was a good 3rd after showing some tactical speed in his career debut. His mother, Set Them Free was a sprinter and his sire, Pleasant Tap, best known as champion older horse of '92 after wins in the Suburban and JCGC was an accomplished sprinter. He was 4 for 5 going 7f in his career and was 2nd in the BC Sprint. Pleasant Tap himself was also 2nd in the Met Mile. Tiago isn't an out-and-out plodder the way Giacomo was.

I would have. I do not see Commentator as a sprinter at all and think that at distances from 8-9f, he's the best horse in the country, Big Brown and Curlin included.

I would have loved to see Surf Cat here but never expected it. Headley. I also don't see Tiago as a horse who would have liked this race, with it being only 8f and only one turn. Heatseeker may have been a good one for it.

Tiago couldn't even beat Air Commander and Johnny Eves at 8.5 furlongs :( I think he needs at least 9.

Didn't those two, in a light pace scenario, have the run of the race, sitting 1-2 throughout?

With a fast pace in front him, Tiago could easily make noise in the Met Mile, particularly when the prime speed is an all-or-nothing type like Commentator. I guess a lot of it would depend on Smith's ride, too, as the horse has shown in previous starts that he doesn't need to lag too far back to get the job done.

Divine Park
First Defence
Commentator :eek:

I think the good Commentator will show up - and if he does - it's all over. . . Also thinking Divine Park might come back down to earth so hopefully I can find a price horse for 2nd. . .

Devine Park ran a superb race on opening day. He also had a perfect setup to run perform that well. I don't believe that running a great race and having a perfect trip are mutually exclusive. He's not going to be facing the same fast speed who lacked the quality that the m/l favorite has.

I've been looking at this race and I can't find anyone who can give Commentator the necessary early pace pressure to make him vulnerable when they turn for home. If he can get anything over a 22 first quarter and if he is doing it on his own without anyone running step for step with him he'll be tough to beat.

He's usually on top at first call and the only one I can see outting any kind of pressure on him is First Defence but if he does that he'll lose the battle and the war too.

I can't see Commentator losing this race. If anyone has a different outlook please post. Betting heavy chalk is not fun.

I'm thinking Global Hunter could run underneath at a big price. . . Ran ok last time (first in U.S.) and he might appreciate the slight cutback and surface switch. . .

Dream Rush absolutely crumbled.
Jeez.

Interesting when Commentator and Devine Park do not run their races, they are usually very bad races.

Saying that I really liked Devine Park's last race, he ran by Grasshopper as was standing still.

I never thought I would have seen the day that more turf races were carded on a US track(Belmont) than dirt races. I like this!

Not the classiest Met Mile in history, but it is interesting.

Will not wager on this one. Will just watch and see them chase the fav.


Can any of these even get into a duel with Commentator?

Frankel has put a lot of love into First Defense. Commentator just seems a step quicker than Defense or the extremely game Kiss the Kid.

Another sub-par jockey assignment and over-his-head spot for Kiss the Kid. Seems like Luzzi would have been the natural jockey assignment for Kid's style.

Divine Park is in top form, but should need one of the speeds to duel with Commentator.

Will be fun to see what scenario plays out.

When Commentator and Divine Park run sub par races they usually run off the board...I always like First Defence but he always seems to dissapoint me. However if the top 2 don't run their races First Defence is salty IMO.

If Divine Park runs back to his last I think he is the one to beat and not Commentator.

I will be rooting for Kiss the Kid.