Top Ten Preakness Moments

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by philcski

I didn't know the Derby and Travers were both 9F.

They're not. Those races are 10f, but you can hang and still win. On paper and at the 1/4 pole, Street Sense was poised to win the Travers by open lengths. He won by a desperate neck, leaning in, and swapping back to his left lead through the stretch. The Derby wasn't so bad, but again, he should have won by more, but came over 2 paths and started leaning on the rail through the stretch (and also swapped backed to his left lead) with Hard Spun--the pacesetter--inching back after him.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

They're not. Those races are 10f, but you can hang and still win. On paper and at the 1/4 pole, Street Sense was poised to win the Travers by open lengths. He won by a desperate neck, leaning in, and swapping back to his left lead through the stretch. The Derby wasn't so bad, but again, he should have won by more, but came over 2 paths and started leaning on the rail through the stretch (and also swapped backed to his left lead) with Hard Spun--the pacesetter--inching back after him.

Are you comfortable suggesting that a horses winning perfornance should be downgrade because they dont win by more? Oh g-d, its worse then I feared, Call House maybe the diaherra is just some bad sushi but seriously I am worried..

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by freddymo

Are you comfortable suggesting that a horses winning perfornance should be downgrade because they dont win by more?

If the winning horse loses ground and looks vulnerable late, isn't that a rather obvious conclusion to draw?

Oh g-d, its worse then I feared, Call House maybe the diaherra is just some bad sushi but seriously I am worried..

I don't get your grammar here. Are you saying you ate diarrhea that tastes like sushi or vice versa?

If it's the former, what's the name of the restaurant?

The Porcelain Bowl?

[philcski]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

They're not. Those races are 10f, but you can hang and still win. On paper and at the 1/4 pole, Street Sense was poised to win the Travers by open lengths. He won by a desperate neck, leaning in, and swapping back to his left lead through the stretch. The Derby wasn't so bad, but again, he should have won by more, but came over 2 paths and started leaning on the rail through the stretch (and also swapped backed to his left lead) with Hard Spun--the pacesetter--inching back after him.

I think you're being overly and unfairly critical. Horse won the Kentucky Derby with an explosive move and beat two great horses in doing it and you're trying to prove your incorrect assessment by devaluing it.

He definitively hung in two races- both over the poly garbage at KEE. Those don't count against him because they were caused by the surface. It's a completely absurd and unfair racing surface.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by philcski

I think you're being overly and unfairly critical. Horse won the Kentucky Derby with an explosive move and beat two great horses in doing it and you're trying to prove your incorrect assessment by devaluing it.

He definitively hung in two races- both over the poly garbage at KEE. Those don't count against him because they were caused by the surface. It's a completely absurd and unfair racing surface.

Remind me who the two " great " horses were in that KY Derby.

He hung in the Breeder's Futurity? I think you might want to watch that race again.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by philcski

I think you're being overly and unfairly critical. Horse won the Kentucky Derby with an explosive move and beat two great horses in doing it and you're trying to prove your incorrect assessment by devaluing it.

Interesting. Saying that Street Sense didn't look good finishing up in his Derby victory is "incorrect" and "unfairly critical". How does his Preakness effort jive with my assessment?

I guess there's always a chance that Curlin improved 7 lengths in 2 weeks or that Calvin Borel thought the 1/16th pole was the finish line...

[miraja2]

1989 checks in at #9?

Ridiculous.

Absolutely has to be in the top 3 for the list to have any merit whatsoever.

[Alan07]

Nice to see a color screening of the '62 Preakness.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Remind me who the two " great " horses were in that KY Derby.

He hung in the Breeder's Futurity? I think you might want to watch that race again.

If you want to call Hard Spun and Curlin very good, and not great, that's fine. I hate calling Curlin "great" anyways. Can't find a replay of the '06 Breeders... but would like to see it again.

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

Interesting. Saying that Street Sense didn't look good finishing up in his Derby victory is "incorrect" and "unfairly critical". How does his Preakness effort jive with my assessment?

I guess there's always a chance that Curlin improved 7 lengths in 2 weeks or that Calvin Borel thought the 1/16th pole was the finish line...

Hmmm... did you say that between the Derby and Preakness? Otherwise it's easy to look at it in hindsight. And anybody could see Street Sense was 4-5 lengths better at CD than anywhere else. That is unquestionable. Then Curlin only would have had to improved by 2-3 lengths. Not exactly impossible, especially considering his trip in the Preakness was much smoother.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on THIS year's Preakness, to be honest.

[somerfrost]

The Move has always been my personal favorite, my jaw dropped when Secretariat zoomed to the front, I remember thinking, "what is the jock doing?" but it quickly became apparent that he was just along for the ride...too bad the timer malfunctioned denying Secretariat of another record.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by philcski

Hmmm... did you say that between the Derby and Preakness? Otherwise it's easy to look at it in hindsight.

Certainly I noted his less than stellar finish after that electrifying move in the Derby. But the debate isn't who I bet in the 2007 Preakness. It's about Street Sense's penchant for wilting in every start beyond 9f. That includes the Derby, Preakness, Travers, and BC Classic. So, yes, I am looking at it retrospectively.

And anybody could see Street Sense was 4-5 lengths better at CD than anywhere else. That is unquestionable. Then Curlin only would have had to improved by 2-3 lengths. Not exactly impossible, especially considering his trip in the Preakness was much smoother.

What about Street Sense's trip at Pimlico? Ran past Curlin like he was standing still, opens up on the field, yet gets beat. It didn't look to me like Curlin had found another gear so much as Street Sense let up on the gas pedal.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on THIS year's Preakness, to be honest.

I've made some comments in the appropriate threads. Waiting for the entries before putting my head in the noose.

[smartbid09]

Did he do a Kentucky Derby top 10? Someone here mentioned they couldn't wait for his belmont stakes top 10... Checked the site and was unable to find it... would love to see his top ten if he made one... Thanks in advance.

[Thunder Gulch]

Originally Posted by smartbid09

Did he do a Kentucky Derby top 10? Someone here mentioned they couldn't wait for his belmont stakes top 10... Checked the site and was unable to find it... would love to see his top ten if he made one... Thanks in advance.

He isn't really trying to do anything special, just giving himself an excuse to drag up another Zenyatta column later in the year when he awards her 1,2,3 in his BC top 10 moments.

[DaTruth]

Pat Day riding Forty Niner to ensure Winning Colors didn't win the Preakness was a top Preakness moment.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by DaTruth

Pat Day riding Forty Niner to ensure Winning Colors didn't win the Preakness was a top Preakness moment.

Yep. Tabasco Cat's "redemption" in the Preakness following the Jeff Lukas accident was a decent story, too.