DOGWOOD: Nafzger/Borel Tops at Downs..

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Kasept

DrugS,

Did you do Girls Pearls' ALW score? She was the easiest kind of winner that day sitting well off a contested pace and then swooping around in the stretch and drawing off. I spoke to McPeek last week and he said exactly what you do above: Girls Pearls was in sharp form and he ran her back on 11 days to take advantage.

Your plan for Sumwon is pretty much dead on, though there isn't anything in the CD book for her in the near term. The minor stake at MTH 6/23 looks like a spot to try...

My betting focus lately has been on national stake races and early season 2-year-old races throughout the country---and not on traditional racing circuit handicapping like it always has been in the past.

Looking at Girls Pearls ALW win, it looked really legit. She tripped out ok, and the pace was contensted like you say...but it really wasn't all that fast of one. She did run an excellent race, and nicely beat some horses who were certainly very well thought of at age 2 anyway. The 2nd place finisher was 2/1 in a Grade 1 stake (albeit perhaps the worst running of the Frizette I've ever seen) and the 4th place finisher was a $2.4 million RNA at KEE April '06. Girls Pearls could certainly outrun her odds in the Dogwood.

I've really been tremendously impressed with how well everything has worked out with the partnership. I really liked the reasoning you gave for buying this horse...and thought she was just an excellent choice by you guys. Although, I really have to admit, that I thought if she was going to be competitive in Churchill Downs allowance races...they'd have been turf races off the pedigree projection.

I've really enjoyed watching her develop in her races anyway....and watching everything pan out so well for the stable.