6/24 (CD): Dublin, Wine Police, Buckleupbuttercup alll return!

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

The only way to "save" the 3yo class - and probably more of them to come in the future - would be for them to train, race, and campaign more.

The entire top of the 3yo class is made up of horses who still freaking have ALW conditions left. Seriously, how fucl<ing pathetic is that? Look at the PP's of the '81 Derby ... every horse in the field has run through his N2X. Most wouldn't qualify for N5X conditions.

The nicest thing you can say about the top of this years 3yo crop is "they've yet to prove that they suck because they haven't raced enough - and some might have a lot more devlopment in them" Bottom line, they simply don't race and don't train.

I'm sure there is a good reason why trainers are so deathy affraid to ask these horses to do anything ... maybe for every one who would thrive under a tough schedule - another ten would be completely ruined by the same handling. Everyone is affraid to ruin all their horses ... and the horses themselves don't appear to be profiles of hardiness. A lot of them still get hurt in spite of the fact that they're trained and raced with kid gloves.

There's a lot of hope for this class. Nothing but hope. None of them have accomplished jack sh!t. The Kentucky Derby was a dressed up and glorified N2X Alw. Friggen Maclean's Music and Uncle Mo might as well be called the most accomplished horses of this crop.

I agree 100%. I don't think that it's because they are afraid to ruin them but rather afraid to lose and devalue them. They think it's better to keep a pristine record or at least a sparkling one. It's always easier to say what a horse could have done rather than explain what he didn't do. I think that a lot of them still get hurt even though they are trained and raced softly......because they are trained and raced softly. I think they are like other athletes and have to be conditioned to do more. I don't understand how people think they are best preparing a horse for a TC campaign by racing them two or three times, with at least a month off between races as 2yos. It's like a shock to their system when they are then asked to run back in two weeks then again in three weeks. I would like to believe that if these horses were allowed to do more, they could. Maybe not be faster or better but at least sturdier. But as long as there are millions to be made in the shed, I don't know how things turn around.