George Washington

[Hwjb]

For all that the winner was impressive and that the race was probably a weak renewal, I felt that George put up a fine effort, clearly failing for stamina rather than anything else.
Kinane gave him a good ride, and George seemed not to appreciate the bump he took on straightening up, his head going up, but that's by the by as his effort was petering out at that point. He travelled beautifully on the surface until the stretch where he found the additional two furlongs beyond him.
In my mind his performance confirms that he acts fully on dirt and probably justifies the commercial gamble Coolmore took by running him in the race.

[ninetoone]

Wow, I saw it quite differently...I also thought he had a decent trip until the stretch where he was between horses and got absolutely hammered by a fading Lawyer Ron. He was done at that point. I think he had some run left in him, but we'll never know....it's all about the trip & he sure didn't get it yesterday.

[Danzig]

i thought he ran pretty well, had a lot of new things thrown at him all at once, and handled the race pretty well. classy horse. the one i was surprised about was david junior.

[Cannon Shell]

Yeah he'll be a great dirt sire just like Swain

when a trainer like A. O' Brien makes a staement like he's the best he's ever trained...well, you're expecting a little better
can you ever tell a trainer they're wrong?
like Pat Riley said DWade was the best he's ever coached
can you go up to him and say "Magic Johnson, you dimwit"?
I'd have go up to Aiden and say "Rock of Gilbratar"
but not this GW horse...

He was much better than i thought. He handled the dirt ok.

[Hwjb]

Originally Posted by BellamyRd.

when a trainer like A. O' Brien makes a staement like he's the best he's ever trained...well, you're expecting a little better
can you ever tell a trainer they're wrong?
like Pat Riley said DWade was the best he's ever coached
can you go up to him and say "Magic Johnson, you dimwit"?
I'd have go up to Aiden and say "Rock of Gilbratar"
but not this GW horse...

George Washington is a better miler than Rock of Gibraltar, by several punds too. Off the top of my head the only horse O'Brien has trained who was rated higher than George Washington was Hawk Wing, although Stravinsky may have been close.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Hwjb

For all that the winner was impressive and that the race was probably a weak renewal, I felt that George put up a fine effort, clearly failing for stamina rather than anything else.
Kinane gave him a good ride, and George seemed not to appreciate the bump he took on straightening up, his head going up, but that's by the by as his effort was petering out at that point. He travelled beautifully on the surface until the stretch where he found the additional two furlongs beyond him.
In my mind his performance confirms that he acts fully on dirt and probably justifies the commercial gamble Coolmore took by running him in the race.

I agree with this. It wasn't the dirt that got him beat. He wasn't disgraced at all. He finished sixth but beat some pretty decent American dirt horses in Lava Man, Perfect Drift, and Lawyer Ron and he was only beaten seven lengths total. Not as good as I expected but not as bad as many think.

Originally Posted by Hwjb

For all that the winner was impressive and that the race was probably a weak renewal, I felt that George put up a fine effort, clearly failing for stamina rather than anything else.
Kinane gave him a good ride, and George seemed not to appreciate the bump he took on straightening up, his head going up, but that's by the by as his effort was petering out at that point. He travelled beautifully on the surface until the stretch where he found the additional two furlongs beyond him.
In my mind his performance confirms that he acts fully on dirt and probably justifies the commercial gamble Coolmore took by running him in the race.

Actually, he was trying the final eighth of a mile....personally, I think it was clearly the surface he wasn't handling moreso than the distance....If you watch the replay, his action - while trying and reaching out - was HORRIBLY sloppy...he was a fish out of water on the dirt....he was climbing and just never got the surface - which was expected.....I thought he actually showed more stamina than I thought he would....

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

Originally Posted by Cunningham Racing

Actually, he was trying the final eighth of a mile....personally, I think it was clearly the surface he wasn't handling moreso than the distance....If you watch the replay, his action - while trying and reaching out - was HORRIBLY sloppy...he was a fish out of water on the dirt....he was climbing and just never got the surface - which was expected.....I thought he actually showed more stamina than I thought he would....

he got beat by the tap and geeacomo!!!..not the best...david junior was a also ran ..with the right breeding..

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

he got beat by the tap and geeacomo!!!..not the best...david junior was a also ran ..with the right breeding..

Yep...

I thought for certain that DJ would handle the surface better than GW (or at least have a better shot at it based upon his breeding)... was I wrong or what?

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

he got beat by the tap and geeacomo!!!..not the best...david junior was a also ran ..with the right breeding..

David Junior was my EX partner under Bernardini.....then I saw him train Wed and Thurs on the dirt and that is when I got off of him....he is a neat little, small bodied horse, and while he throws his legs straight out from the shoulder instead of picking his knees up like most turf horses, he was a real flat horse and clearly looked like a turf horse to me.....he obviously was eased because he hated the dirt....I'm sure there was a point in time down the backstretch when Jamie had to pul hard on the right reins to keep him from jumping the rail and running onto the turf course

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Cunningham Racing

David Junior was my EX partner under Bernardini.....then I saw him train Wed and Thurs on the dirt and that is when I got off of him....

I must have missed that post. Feel free to reprint it.

[ninetoone]

I thought he was handling the surface pretty well....the fact that he got obliterated by Lawyer Ron in the stretch (chart called it a "bump") was the reason he finished where he did.