[ELA]

He gets by, he doesn't get by . . .

I watched the race -- numerous times, very closely. Taped it, watched it on replays, etc. I am not a trainer -- and I am waiting for a few of the resident trainers to give their opinion -- however, I think there are a few observations here, and maybe they can go either way. Did this colt improve off his previous performance? Forget about the #'s and don't get fanatical. Tagg had some issues that needed to be worked out, and he certainly didn't want this colt running some monster, super impressive race with a freaky # (we've seen those colts before, that's right, not after finishing up the track in the Derby). The colt improved vis a vis his issues. Tagg is an excellent horseman -- and that's some of his peer's opinions. He knows how to and wants this colt to be ready for the great performance in the Derby.

On the other hand -- was this a picture perfect, 100% problem free performance. To me, and I hate sounding like an internet or arm-chair trainer, but that colt did not look at all comfortable down the backstretch. They were fighting each other there and the colt never really got settled. By the time he might have been ready to settle, it was too late -- it was time to go! As much as I've liked this horse from day one, my knee-jerk reaction/feeling is that you have that kind of horse, going that way, in the Derby -- well, it doesn't play out well. I think Tagg still has some work to do, or it just is what it is perhaps. I don't know. Hopefully this colt can relax and be more managable.

Eric