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Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER
I've seen no effort at all made to get this horse to relax. They're engaging the leader going into the turn,
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Silver City is a 700K yearling who had run back to back triple digit Beyers in just career starts #3 and #4 going into these two prep race - he was the only competition for Old Fashioned on paper in both races ... and you don't let the only horse that can beat you lollygag on a totally uncontested lead.
Jones took Hard Spun back off of the pace in a prep at Oaklawn, also 2nd off the layoff, and would up finishing 4th with him beaten by the Jamie Sanders trained Tufelsburger.
I think a combo of Dominguez's fear of letting Silver City have it his way - and Jones remembering the egg on his face after Hard Spun was taken back in the Southwest - might have been a big reason why he was surprisingly sent leaving the gate. He also didn't look very comfy taking dirt in his face in a still picture of his lone work for this race.
If you look at Larry Jones three Derby males - they have a lot in commen.
- Debuts at Delaware Park
* 85 Beyer in closing victory for Old Fashioned
* 84 Beyer in wire-to-wire win for Hard Spun
* 81 Beyer in on-pace win for Friesan Fire
- Start to Start improvement
* Friesan Fire: 2nd with a 77 Beyer in a FG alw first off the layoff, won a trio of stakes with a 93, 96, and 104 in his next three respectively.
* Hard Spun: won the Lecomte over Izzy's Halo 1st back, beaten in the Southwest 2nd back, won the Spiral 3rd back, and strong on-pace 2nd in Derby 4th back.
* Old Fashioned: Improved figure from 93-to-98 from start 1-to-2 despite only having a single work in between starts.
His fillys like Proud Spell and Eight Belles also both debuted at Delaware - and got much better as 3yos - Eight Belles never did have a layoff though - and Proud Spell actually went backwards in her final Ky Oaks prep ... which was at Keeneland over polytrack.
It was probably pre-mature to say that Friesan Fire isn't a Derby contender even after he lost the alw race to Uno Mass and was a confirmed bum as a 2yo. He's a Jones horse.
It was probably pre-mature to say Eight Belles wasn't a Derby contender after her lovely 1-for-6 2-year-old season - where her top Beyer was 78 and she ran several horrific races. She's a Jones horse.
It was probably pre-mature to say Hard Spun wasn't a Derby contender just because his top 2yo Beyer was only 87 after three races - and he had just run 4th to Jamie Sanders in a prep. He's a Jones horse.
It's also pre-mature to write off Old Fashioned right now. He - at least - managed to run fast at Delaware as a 2yo...and in a route no less. Oh yeah, and he's a Jones horse.
Where are all the halfway decent Jones horses that go backwards??
Island Sand? She wasn't that much for Tony Dutrow .. transfer her to Jones and she almost wins the Fantasy and runs 2nd at a big price in the Ky Oaks - and takes the Grade 1 Acorn next out.
Where are any of them?