Early Notes
1. Sinister, tardy start, perfect setup, up wide with hard drive Leparoux. Terrible premature ride on Cape Romain. Like that Sinister closed over the keeneland track 2back. + He actually won a race with sterling! May struggle at this class.
2. War Ruler. tossing all but last. A.Smith/Kee/Turf...6fMC <70seconds That is the way you are supposed to enter the stretch! This may be a real race horse. Something I didn't like about his left front. Very minor stride abnormality. 32 days isn't alarming, and i get the feeling that Wilkes has em' pain free, and carefully spotted (he would rest were there an issue). Works give no clues with this one and guess is that in the morning he has been starting slow and finishing with energy. win Contender
3.Coach Ryan. 2nd race under Amoss showed much improvement. Respectable time (95.54). He was much better than his opposition. Borel kind of peeked a nose in at the rail / swung 5 wide behind trafic to easily draw away when clear. I like that Borel is aboard here, and I like that he started in Special weight before the change of hands moved him up. Contender, but you get the feeling that he is simply going to run solid and not spectacular.
4.Niorbara = showed he could run half decent in the war ruler race, and then showed he could do it again next out in a slightly weaker MC.
5. EZ Phone Home - Romans can't get him right. Horse has a ton of speed and good talent. Chavez had it right- if they aren't going to train him, then get him 5 clear entering the stretch and maybe he doesn't stop breathing. LOL @ the exclamation point after "tired" in the bris PPs. wouldn't completely shock if he wins, but you want 8 or 9-1 on this guy and you probably get 9-2 or worse.
6. Dr. Nick - will have to prove he can return with same talent and overcome his problems. Dr Nick must be seeing Dr. Nick and being trained by him. dr nick rides (Hebert up).
7. Knock Out Cat= was so green in his debut. Shied away from rail opening. had to be swung out. Was still much the best. 4 works since and you get the feeling that Asmussen will have him much more relaxed off the pace. Closing today. He has the look of one of those crazy looking greys that absolutely bolt home in the stretch at 6 or 7f. Maybe he hasn't shown his real kick yet, being so green and closer to the pace than he will be today? Expect the increase in maturity but it isn't a guarantee. A mature K.O. Cat may draw off, a green one should be competitive.
8. Sienna Canyon - not a bad horse. Jockey of IamBoomer saw that Sienna Canyon was passing, so he swung out and fouled him. Trainer Baker is hot and this horse has two decent races. Sterling is a bad one, but this guy could go off long odds again and get 3rd or something.
9. Fit For A Fight- hey this bastard isn't by Fit To Fight??, speed horse, a little cheap, fell apart and was all over the lane in 1st try for Nihei/CD
10.The Darp - has sure been in a lot of races that he had no chance to do what he was asked. In the 2 races he was given a reasonable task, he was 2nk and 1st9.25. Still you have to think they were over-excited off the weak maiden company trouncing to enter in the Lecomte. After seeing where they really were and having time to reflect =Maybe they just wanted to have a horse entered in the Risenstar?
but was it really Werner that thought a 2nd try at Keeneland was a good idea? He didn't know by then that 7furlongs on that poly was too much to ask? I wouldn't be surprised if this guy quits today or if he runs a "game" 3rd or 4th. Doesn't look like a win contender to me.
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