Quote:
Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS
He got an 86 - and that's not a projection it was his actual figure.
Getting nipped in a debut sprint is no big deal - A LOT of great horses failed to win as first time starters.
Your recent favorite horse - Bernardini - was soundly beaten by several lengths in his debut at 6fs. He wouldn't lose again till Javier fixed him up with a masterfully timed ride in the BC Classic.
Easy Goer was a powerful finishing router - and often a green and erratic one. Getting nipped in a 6f debut sprint to a 4th time starter who was subsquently three times stakes placed at age 2 is no big deal. Lorenzoni also won an ALW race at Keeneland by 12 lengths prior to running 2nd in a Grade 2 his freshman year.
|
Easy Goer's debut and subsequent monster juvenile year drew parallels to Secretariat, who also disappointed in his debut (infamously portrayed in a meticulously realistic fashion in the Disney movie).
One hyped unraced CA colt from the '90s that also had a disastrous debut was the Naskra colt Olympio for Verne Winchell and Ron McAnally in '90 at Oak Tree. He missed the break and made up untold buckets of ground to finish IIRC in a blanket finish (he only got 4th). Next out he crushed before winning a quick edition of the Hollywood Prevue.
Best Pal and two turns derailed his move for the top of the division in CA, but he was good enough to make the Preakness later on, and had a 3yo year to rival the great Lost Code.
Can you dig up his PPs?