Dick Jerardi's Wise Dan soapbox

[Merlinsky]

http://www.drf.com/news/dick-jerardi...m-shortsighted

Thoughts?

[Calzone Lord]

I did not read much about the recent criticism of Wise Dan’s 2013 campaign, but I did hear about it. I was not shocked. It is the 21st century way, where everybody has an opinion and a forum to express it.

He might want to crack a history book or read some old racing forms.

The pressure to campaign top horses in a most challenging fashion was ALWAYS much, much, much, much, much greater in the past.

And the criticism would always come colorfully and heavily from the best turf writers.

Other than Pat Cummings, I don't know a single person (myself included) who has criticized Wise Dan's campaign, now or anytime before that.

Has anyone here?

Has anyone on Twitter? ... where I suppose I must not be reading enough tweets?

I guess Dick Jerardi is nostalgic for the syrupy drivel of the late 1960's, 1970's, and most of the 1980's ...

Mr. Morton Fink's remarkable gelding Wise Dan and his intrepid trainer Charles LoPresti choose to brave the weather and spotted Brobdingnagian weight spreads ranging from 11 pounds (to Mr. Adele B. Dilschneider's Lea, a recent winner of an Optional Claiming race) to 13 pounds (to Mr. Roger Braugh Jr.'s gelding Ol Army, a recent winner of an allowance race at 14/1 odds at Indiana Downs) to his four ferocious challengers.

Other than Pat Cummings, no one really cares where Wise Dan is campaigned. We know his trainer is as cautious and judicious as they come. Even though he's a gelding... no one is expecting him to be campaigned like Kelso, Forego, or John Henry.

Just as no one should expect Wise Dan to be revered like they were.

Jerardi was obviously fond of the worst period of horse racing coverage in America. Great horses and great racing happened in that era, great writers as well, but the way those great writers went about covering that great racing was dull, boring, lame, and often lacking strongly in opinion, insight, or gossip.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

He might want to crack a history book or read some old racing forms.

The pressure to campaign top horses in a most challenging fashion was ALWAYS much, much, much, much, much greater in the past.

And the criticism would always come colorfully and heavily from the best turf writers.

Other than Pat Cummings, I don't know a single person (myself included) who has criticized Wise Dan's campaign, now or anytime before that.

Has anyone here?

Has anyone on Twitter? ... where I suppose I must not be reading enough tweets?

I guess Dick Jerardi is nostalgic for the syrupy drivel of the late 1960's, 1970's, and most of the 1980's ...

Mr. Morton Fink's remarkable gelding Wise Dan and his intrepid trainer Charles LoPresti choose to brave the weather and spotted Brobdingnagian weight spreads ranging from 11 pounds (to Mr. Adele B. Dilschneider's Lea, a recent winner of an Optional Claiming race) to 13 pounds (to Mr. Roger Braugh Jr.'s gelding Ol Army, a recent winner of an allowance race at 14/1 odds at Indiana Downs) to his four ferocious challengers.

Other than Pat Cummings, no one really cares where Wise Dan is campaigned. We know his trainer is as cautious and judicious as they come. Even though he's a gelding... no one is expecting him to be campaigned like Kelso, Forego, or John Henry.

Just as no one should expect Wise Dan to be revered like they were.

Jerardi was obviously fond of the worst period of horse racing coverage in America. Great horses and great racing happened in that era, great writers as well, but the way those great writers went about covering that great racing was dull, boring, lame, and often lacking strongly in opinion, insight, or gossip.

I was thinking the same thing. Where are all these Wise Dan critics?

[pointman]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

I was thinking the same thing. Where are all these Wise Dan critics?

Probably with all those east coasters who think that west coast horses are inferior simply because they are based in the west coast.

[Merlinsky]

Someone had to break it to Pat Cummings on Twitter that Wise Dan was a gelding. He made some comment about a G1 on dirt maybe helping his stud career.

Lisa Danielle's 5 colts have all been gelded. I'm sure there was a reason, and it's not like they had super commercial pedigrees, but maybe they'll try to keep the next colt intact. She's no spring chicken. She's in foal to More Than Ready though and any colt by him would have to deal with competing with both MTR and Verrazano for mares. Probably best if this one's a filly.

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Someone had to break it to Pat Cummings on Twitter that Wise Dan was a gelding. He made some comment about a G1 on dirt maybe helping his stud career.

Lisa Danielle's 5 colts have all been gelded. I'm sure there was a reason, and it's not like they had super commercial pedigrees, but maybe they'll try to keep the next colt intact. She's no spring chicken. She's in foal to More Than Ready though and any colt by him would have to deal with competing with both MTR and Verrazano for mares. Probably best if this one's a filly.

Ha. I was just told about this.

If anyone seriously thought that I didn't know Wise Dan was a gelding...

[PatCummings]

This was too much of a gem to let slide...

"I don’t want to do anything to devalue him"

The gelding, Wise Dan...devaluing a gelding...I didn't say it, or think it...

http://www.drf.com/news/wise-dans-ow...icism-campaign

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

Ha. I was just told about this.

If anyone seriously thought that I didn't know Wise Dan was a gelding...

Well...

Teresa Genaro ‏@BklynBckstretch 30 Jun
"I think if we could win a Grade 1 on the dirt & keep him undefeated, he doesn’t necessarily to need to run in BC Classic" LoPresti in DRF

Pat Cummings ‏@DubaiRaceNight 30 Jun
@BklynBckstretch A G1 dirt win would definitely help his stud value.

Andy Robinson ‏@Andycapper24 30 Jun
@DubaiRaceNight @BklynBckstretch he's a gelding......and to put odds on him being hurt is only something a sick individual would do.

Pat Cummings ‏@DubaiRaceNight 30 Jun
@Andycapper24 @BklynBckstretch Wise Dan is a gelding?

Teresa Genaro ‏@BklynBckstretch 30 Jun
@DubaiRaceNight @Andycapper24 http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Res...682&registry=T …

Look, if you were being sarcastic, nobody else got it since at least two other people corrected you, and you never clarified it if you knew he was a gelding. Whatever. Claire Novak accidentally forgot Flat Out wasn't a gelding in the last month or so. It's an easy mistake to make with older horses since some stallions are racing later.

Originally Posted by PatCummings

This was too much of a gem to let slide...

"I don’t want to do anything to devalue him"

The gelding, Wise Dan...devaluing a gelding...I didn't say it, or think it...

http://www.drf.com/news/wise-dans-ow...icism-campaign

Wow, that's...an interesting reason to keep him undefeated this year. Mares or stallions trying not to lose, I may not like but I get. A gelding? Bizarre. He's not even undefeated, it's just this season we're talking about, and it's not like that's enough to get him HOY. Other people come to the dances and one of the viable HOY contenders wins the Classic, they get the big trophy.