[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Kasept

First off, I refuse to get into this much further until you spell the horse's name correctly..

Spelling smack. How fresh!

Did you pull that one out from deep in the back pages of your posting playbook?

Originally Posted by Kasept

It's remarkable how trip cappers conveniently downgrade performances on the basis of 'set up'.. And conversely, any loss is explained away easily as 'up against race flow'.

Pidgenhole me as a trip handicapper all you want. It's not like a race can even be watched correctly unless the person watching it has a strong understanding of all other factors in the handicapping process.

This is a very weak angle you are rolling with.

Originally Posted by Kasept

Think like a hardened gambler? You mean the approach in one's own mind justifying any opinion as having been correct no matter what the outcome of the race...?

Ok, you either think you are talking to King Glorious - or perhaps ARL Jim stole your login...he loves sparring with me on this sort of thing.

Originally Posted by Kasept

The approach that has you saying Sierra Sunset "ran the better race"? Here's a tidbit... He didn't. He lost. The horse that won ran the "better" race.

Either you are making a statement and not supporting it with any real evidence other than the result - or you are saying that the horse that won always runs the better race.

If it's the former, mix in some evidence to make your case - if it's the latter, you should probably just quit while you are behind.

Originally Posted by Kasept

When does a horse just get credit for adjusting to situations and winning under the circumstances as laid out? The Southwest scenario is laughable. What 'other' way was Denis of Cork SUPPOSED TO WIN THE SOUTHWEST? That was the way the race laid out. He gets points against him because Albarado DIDN'T move too early? Ridiculous. It set up for him positively, yes, but that hardly says that had the pace been slower he couldn't have adjusted and won as he did in the FG race....

As for your first question, DoC has getting A TON of credit for doing that. You think Turf War or Riley Tucker will be favored over him anytime soon? He won't be paying $11.60 against the likes of them anytime soon.

My opinion is that he's being given too much credit - and his performance wasn't much better than his prior two slow figure efforts.

I think you are failing to realize how often horses with his style run their ceiling figure - or 'best possible figure they can run' when they get great paces to close into like he did.

Originally Posted by Kasept

(And by the way, you know that I loved what had been happening with Sierra Sunset and am very unhappy that he won't get a chance to compete this spring...)

I know you did.

But if you are fishing for me to regale the board with my pre-race opinion of the Rebel again - I'd love to....much as it may cause a certain lurker to overreact for a 3rd time, and much as it may make me look like a diva who acts like he's never found the endzone before.

Originally Posted by Kasept

Denis of Cork ran faster around 2 turns than most of the crop has, in his third career start, and has shown a professionalism that few of his potential rivals have shown. He has developmental upside; is bred to continue to improve with added ground; and is in the hands of a hands-on horseman that is familiar with a classic-intended runner.

I pretty much agree.

But that doesn't make me wrong for saying he's run no race remotely good enough to put him in the Derby winner circle.

The whole "what more could he do?" arguement is a weak one. As I said, the same arguement applies to Big Brown - and atleast Big Brown has a big race.