6/19-20 (BEL): New York S. (G2); Mike Lee S.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

Im not so sure about going long. If he was my horse I would go Amsterdam next. I am not nearly as high on him as some others, and I loved General Maximus yesterday, but Friend or For did all the dirty work and was strong late.

Nothing personal, but your opinion of his talent is irrelevent.

The reason you run him in the Jim Dandy, and not the Amsterdam, is that if he fails to answer the distance question you can always turn him back for the King's Bishop.....while if he answers it positively you can shoot for the Travers, which is especially inviting this year given the crop. If you run him in the Amsterdam, while you may answer the talent question, you don't answer the more important one. Given the way he has already run, he has already shown he has the prerequisite talent.

The payoff in winning certain races is not the purses. It is partly the prestige but mostly in creating a sire. In this horse's case that not only has the obvious financial rewards, but also as a homebred, it has great cache.