Early HOY predictions

Originally Posted by 2Hot4TV

Gander, I recall someone saying he didn't care who was in the race that a Grade 1 is a Grade 1........................ So I guess that a Grade 1 really isn't the same if it's in California and the purse money doesn't mean squat. Well if they are really that good they can come and get the easy Lava Man as they prep for the BCC. Right now it's LAVA MAN. Flower Alley needs to come out running and winning, again and again and again to win HOY. If all goes well he will have some Lava Man along the way. May the best horse win.

Sounds good Holy Bull, glad you found your way over from ESPN, I thought you were still sore over USC being embarassed like they were, glad you have gotten over it and moved back into society again.

Originally Posted by Betsy

I don't think Bernardini will run in the Haskell, but your point is well taken, Cunningham. To be honest, I'm getting very frustrated because it seems as if Barbaro has the 3 year old Eclipse wrapped up before even half the season is over. Writers like Steve Haskin (who loves Bernardini) are saying that Bernardini will have to win the Travers (agreed), a big fall race (Jockey Club?) AND the Classic in order to win the Eclipse. IMO, that's unfair and I don't get it. If Bernardini wins the Travers and a race against older horses and say, runs well in the Classic, how has his year not been better than Barbaro? Right now, Barbaro has won the Holy Bull, Florida Derby and KY Derby. Bernardini has won the Preakness and Withers. The Withers/Holy Bull cancel each other out, so Bernardini is one grade 1 behind Barbaro. The Travers is more prestigious by far than the Florida Derby, and races against older horses speak for themselves. I agree that Barbaro has the edge now (Bernardini still has to do it on the track, no matter how confident I am in his ability), but I think it would be a travesty for Bernardini (for example -but same applies to, say, Jazil) to lose the Eclipse because of sentiment. The voters are human, though, and they love Barbaro.

Nice post...I couldn't agree more...I have never had a vote in the Eclipse ballots but know dumb media that has and have been APPAULED at some of their votes and agendas behind their votes at times......it can be a joke....there have been MANY Eclipse winners in the past few years that were the wrong horses/people IMO...

[Betsy]

Originally Posted by Cunningham Racing

Nice post...I couldn't agree more...I have never had a vote in the Eclipse ballots but know dumb media that has and have been APPAULED at some of their votes and agendas behind their votes at times......it can be a joke....there have been MANY Eclipse winners in the past few years that were the wrong horses/people IMO...

Thanks, Cunningham. I know I'm biased towards Bernardini because I personally love him. At this point, I've decided that it's too early to get aggravated. If Bernardini performs as expected, he'll win many big races and will get the credit he deserves; that's really all I can ask for. He's still not getting (on other boards) the respect he should get even for his Preakness (he only won because Brother Derek and SNS were injured/tired/over the top), so I can't wait until Saratoga (or the Haskell, wherever he goes) and he gets to prove himself all over again.

[Gander]

I cant think of too much opposition Flower Alley will have to contend with in the Whitney. Maybe Suave, Perfect Drift, Seek Gold, possibly Buzzard Bay.

Its his home track and he'll be 3/5 and he'll probably romp like he did in last year's gerbil infested Jim Dandy.

What will that prove? Why is this anymore important than Lava Man beating a couple of past grade 1 winners on the turf, who werent at the top of their fomr cycle? Because its a race rich with tradition? Please. What does the history of the Whitney have to do with identifying this year's HOY?

We will see who comes and takes on Flower Alley in the Whitney. Then we will see how Lava Man does out West.