2/16 (OP): Southwest S. (Gr. III)

[packerbacker7964]

so who won?

Old Fashioned. 45.9 and finished in a 1:37 and change.

Horrible race.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Old Fashioned. 45.9 and finished in a 1:37 and change.

Horrible race.

I think it would have been pretty unrealistic to ask for a performance any better than that.

I realize he is the clear cut early Derby Future book favorite ... but more so because of the faults of other prospects than anything else.

Silver City is a very nice sprinter - he got the lead without a great deal of pressure over a track that was kind to inside speed today - and he was no match.

If you look at Old Fashioned's Remsen win .. he was crawling on an uncontested early lead through absurdly slow early fractions. He ran the fastest final 3/8ths in the Remsen since Alydar.. so he made the best of the soft trip and pace and can't be knocked too much.

It was certainly a better performance than Hard Spun's 3yo debut... and this is a Larry Jones horse ... he's a mystic and this horse will almost certainly go forward and get better.

[packerbacker7964]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I think it would have been pretty unrealistic to ask for a performance any better than that.

I realize he is the clear cut early Derby Future book favorite ... but more so because of the faults of other prospects than anything else.

Silver City is a very nice sprinter - he got the lead without a great deal of pressure over a track that was kind to inside speed today - and he was no match.

If you look at Old Fashioned's Remsen win .. he was crawling on an uncontested early lead through absurdly slow early fractions. He ran the fastest final 3/8ths in the Remsen since Alydar.. so he made the best of the soft trip and pace and can't be knocked too much.

It was certainly a better performance than Hard Spun's 3yo debut... and this is a Larry Jones horse ... he's a mystic and this horse will almost certainly go forward and get better.

Great post but what did you do with Drugs because he's never posted something that was this good.

[Kasept]

0:22.4 -- 0:22.2
0:45.4 -- 0:45.4
1:11.1 -- 1:11.0
1:37.2 -- 1:37.2

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by Kasept

0:22.4 -- 0:22.2
0:45.4 -- 0:45.4
1:11.1 -- 1:11.0
1:37.2 -- 1:37.2

Freaky!

Originally Posted by Kasept

0:22.4 -- 0:22.2
0:45.4 -- 0:45.4
1:11.1 -- 1:11.0
1:37.2 -- 1:37.2

Yes that's nice and whatnot..

at the time Smarty's Southwest was panned and it was miles better than this race in overall quality. You had 4 out of 9 horses in that race that showed ability.

The race today was a snoozefest match race between unbridled song's seeds.

I'll hold off on annointing this horse the next Smarty Jones.

[Travis Stone]

I'm not sure what people were expecting today, perhaps he was hyped a bit too much. But this was an solid effort to kick-start his 3-year-old season. He chased a face pace, finished well and is primed to move forward.

I don't think we were looking for an effort that would win a 10 furlong race in May on a February afternoon.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Yes that's nice and whatnot.. at the time Smarty's Southwest was panned and it was miles better than this race in overall quality. You had 4 out of 9 horses in that race that showed ability.

The race today was a snoozefest match race between unbridled song's seeds. I'll hold off on annointing this horse the next Smarty Jones.

Not trying to annoint him a new Smarty Jones. Pointing out that there oddities about the splits at Oaklawn. It ALWAYS looks like OP 3yo's come home slow and invariably they're on a par with everyone else later. I was a naysayer on Oaklawn performances for a long time and eventually acknowledged that the Smarty Jones and Lawyer Ron and Afleet Alex and Flower Alley and even Borrego were coming home as fast.. or faster.. than any other sophomore.

Don't get caught up in the splits at Oaklawn is my only suggestion. (It's the Ozarks Pants... Eventually you'll be squeeling like a pig.)

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Yes that's nice and whatnot..

at the time Smarty's Southwest was panned and it was miles better than this race in overall quality. You had 4 out of 9 horses in that race that showed ability.

The race today was a snoozefest match race between unbridled song's seeds.

I'll hold off on annointing this horse the next Smarty Jones.

The field that Smarty Jones beat in the Southwest was:

Two Down Automatic
Pro Prado
Wildcat Shoes
Pyramid Performer
Archie B
Proper Prado
Number Juan
Got the Goods

Granted some might have been farther along at the time of the race, but they weren't any good going forward. However, I too will hold off on anointing him the next Smarty Jones.

NT

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Yes that's nice and whatnot..

at the time Smarty's Southwest was panned and it was miles better than this race in overall quality. You had 4 out of 9 horses in that race that showed ability.

The race today was a snoozefest match race between unbridled song's seeds.

I'll hold off on annointing this horse the next Smarty Jones.

That was clearly his worst career race, and he still won. Bad enough that wiseguys let him go off at 7/2 in the Rebel with Purge favored. As much as I think Old Fashioned is the correct current Derby favorite, this might have been his best career race.

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I've seen horses come home in 11 and change in the final 1/8th there going 9fs ... and I'm talking about horses lesser than Afleet Alex and Curlin.

Hell, Rockamundo, the biggest bum to ever win a major Derby prep, he came home in like 12.50 for his final furlong in the Ark Derby after pressing a 45 and change pace.

Note in Davidowitz' column about the downhill not affecting races run at a mile.

Incidentally, I remember that column specifically because it made me decide that Peace Rules could be forgiven for the extremely slow final 3F's in the Blue Grass (and even though he didn't win the Derby, he ran extremely well) and Sir Cherokee being an easy toss.

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I think it would have been pretty unrealistic to ask for a performance any better than that.

I realize he is the clear cut early Derby Future book favorite ... but more so because of the faults of other prospects than anything else.

Silver City is a very nice sprinter - he got the lead without a great deal of pressure over a track that was kind to inside speed today - and he was no match.

If you look at Old Fashioned's Remsen win .. he was crawling on an uncontested early lead through absurdly slow early fractions. He ran the fastest final 3/8ths in the Remsen since Alydar.. so he made the best of the soft trip and pace and can't be knocked too much.

It was certainly a better performance than Hard Spun's 3yo debut... and this is a Larry Jones horse ... he's a mystic and this horse will almost certainly go forward and get better.

Well I'm definitely going to dvr the derby broadcast so I can skip through the asskissing sessions with Jones.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Well I'm definitely going to dvr the derby broadcast so I can skip through the asskissing sessions with Jones.

this years human interest story no doubt...and yeah, i can understand dvr'ing. you get right to them loading in the gate. but hopefully this year i won't have to watch a dutrow horse win it.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I think it would have been pretty unrealistic to ask for a performance any better than that.

I realize he is the clear cut early Derby Future book favorite ... but more so because of the faults of other prospects than anything else.

Silver City is a very nice sprinter - he got the lead without a great deal of pressure over a track that was kind to inside speed today - and he was no match.

If you look at Old Fashioned's Remsen win .. he was crawling on an uncontested early lead through absurdly slow early fractions. He ran the fastest final 3/8ths in the Remsen since Alydar.. so he made the best of the soft trip and pace and can't be knocked too much.

It was certainly a better performance than Hard Spun's 3yo debut... and this is a Larry Jones horse ... he's a mystic and this horse will almost certainly go forward and get better.

i think i'm more impressed with friesan fire at this point. but a horse who doesn't encounters traffic such as old fashioned in his last two can be hard to really judge. admittedly, watching a horse come from the back of the pack is more entertaining- but it doesn't mean he's better...

[Sightseek]

Old Fashioned!