Congrats! You now train...
 

El Gato Malo.

His last win was on 9/9/09 and, to be fair, he was injured (although I'm not sure what the problem was) for most of 2010.

He raced 7 times since that last win... the 7th being on 11/11/11 (he was 3rd).

The chart and pp's are here under R7 @ Hollywood (under Tweebster and Racing Aptitude)...

http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...99/summary.htm

This is how he looked winning the San Rafael...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOy_mGBlW9I

... and the Lone Star Derby...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zh8R...eature=related

Why can't he win?

I didn't play that race last weekend but, to be cliche, thought he'd have made mincemeat out of that field.

What would you do with him? Where should he be pointed?

He's yours now. Tell us the plan.

Why would you think that an early 3yo who didn't progress through the spring, would be any kind of factor, in any race of consequence as an oft-injured 6yo?

Realistically, he should be targeting the high-priced claiming levels (if there are any left in CA). But ideally, West Point will retire him from racing rather than expose him to the slow descent down the class ladder.

That's one of my problems... not being able to or rather having a hard time looking realistically at a horse I thought highly of. My reality can get cluttered with what-ifs which is one of the reasons I sometimes choose to ask people like you... people who can set me straight and show me what the reality is and if there's an approach that might work. An answer.

I wasn't a huge fan of his but I thought he was crazy fast and it's always a little sad seeing them go down down down.

I look for hope, Mr. Tomasi.

Here is his career pp's:



I'd find a nice protected (non conditioned alw or overnight stake) race at GG or Turf Paradise if I was convinced I wanted to keep him, or run him two turns for clm 50000 at Hollywood. And be happy I got 50k for him.

That's awesome. Thanks for posting them, Rudy, and for your answer!

He was never really fast. He's by El Corredor. He was always destined to be no more than Grade 3 calibur. If some goon outfit was campaigning him, his career would have hit rock bottom a long time ago.

I just watched Drosselmeyer win the BC Classic. Anything can happen. There used to be a time when you could easily tell who the grade one horses were and who the claimers were. I've never seen that line as blurry as it is now. What do we have coming back next year? I'd keep sending him out there in grade two/three races and wait for his turn to come up. Be clear though. The horse is a pig now.

So pig comment and all aside, you do think he's capable of winning a stakes race Kingie?

Was he ever good? I never liked him.

He was a good 2 - early 3yo who was versatile in distance and surface ... He just never progressed... He's always been a typical one-run type that needs a boat load of things to go his way to win. And now he isn't quick enough to get into a position to make his move, which is also waning ... I covered him horizontally in the Yo Eleven Friday night, but didn't care for him at all in that spot (7.5f with a blazing pace). At this point, he needs 2 turns and a moderate to slightly quick pace which would put him in the 40-50k range at Hollywood. they can keep running him and he can still grab a suck up board hit on occasion in these stakes, but it's not really Irwin's MO... I would guess they drop him for a tag next out.

Congrats you now own this dopey horse for Westpoint Pepper Mill and you have earned 600k in purses and the partners STILL aren't even..How do you get these dopes who gave you money in the first place to reinvest in some other rat

I wouldn't run him at less than a mile, and I wouldn't enter him for a tag. He's had a few Beyers in the mid-90s this year. He could still get some wins in allowance optional claiming or handicap races.

I actually think he could move up slightly by cutting back as a late-running sprinter. He's only sprinted a handful of times, and half of them were down-the-hill at Santa Anita on the turf. I think those can be ignored. He was also 4th as the favorite in a sprint at HP way back when. That was off a long layoff and he ran into eventualy Grade 1 winner Gayego. His other sprint was his debut, where he absolutely crushed a maiden special weight field.

He's been fairly competitive in most of his races this year, but has a habit of losing ground down the lane. I'd like to see what he'd do at 6.5f on the main track.

Incredible this is the horse Flores chose over Zenyatta way back when.

Yep -- April 5th -- Flores had to choose between riding this horse in the SA Derby or Zenyatta in the Apple Blossem.

He took El Gato Malo in the SA Derby -- Mike Smith picked up Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom and that was it.

EGM was favored in the SA Derby -- Zenyatta was not in the Apple Blossem. Everyones most hated horse to ever live -- Ginger Punch -- was a clear-cut favorite over Zenyatta that day.

I mean it makes some sense. Derby prospect over a lightly raced filly who may not dirt. But still as a rider your supposed to feel at least some kind of difference in horse power there. I'm sure it still haunts him.

I agree with this avenue for EGM.............there are plenty of 7F to 1M races all over to make lots of $$$ and still not risk losing the horse. If Caleb's Posse (who I like) can go this route why not EGM.

This is what he's been up to...

http://www1.drf.com/workoutsForHorse...o?rNo=05002386

Where do you think he goes next? Where should he go?

What should happen next? Where should he go?

Ideas?

http://www1.drf.com/drfPDFChartRaces...=20120205&RN=7