Jones on HDG and weight

[Left Bank]

Has Bobby Frankel been reincarnated????

[Left Bank]

Just said on TVG: Next race for Havre is the LaTroienne at CD

[DaTruth]

Charles Cella must be hating Fair Grounds right now.

[RolloTomasi]

I'd love to hear Jones' gripe with the weights for the Apple Blossom.

The spread is going to be the same in the La Troienne. She will have to carry 123 lbs, missing the 3 lb allowance by one day (she won the Beldame on Oct. 1, you get 3 lbs if you haven't won a Grade 1 since Sep. 30).

In fact, if Awesome Maria skips the Apple Blossom, too (likely as she just ran 3/31), she will get more weight if she reappears in the La Troienne.

But I suppose it's the mighty Plum Pretty that Jones is really worried about. A filly who hasn't been in the same zip code as the winner in any Grade 1 starts since her desperate Kentucky Oaks victory over a first condition horse. Or perhaps it's the 4 lbs given to It's Tricky that has him calling the audible. She's never won a Grade 1 race around two turns.

[paisjpq]

the fox hill farm FB rant... one for the ages
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fox-H...49399288440985

Larry and I really wanted to defend our title in the Apple Blossom. We were expecting fair weights and when they were released today, Larry called me and we were flabbergasted at the weights. Plum Pretty was the most unexpected but a lot of them were very unfair. Tiz Miz Sue was getting 8 pounds after just running over a hundred beyer and winning the graded Azeri Stakes. Absinthe Minded was getting 9. No one can say that we have ducked any one in racing. Hard Spun took on every tough race there was as did Round Pond and the immortal Eight Belles. We love the competition. Havre de Grace took on Blind Luck six times and ran against the boys in the prestigious Woodward and we didn't bat an eye at running in the granddaddy of them all, the Classic. We have decided one thing though, we will take on any horse and take our defeats when we get them but we won't let the racing secretaries decide who is going to win the races. That is why we took this stand on the Apple Blossom. The weights are unfair and I have asked all the journalists to demand that Pope explain how he came up with the numbers for the weights. He owes it to the fans that were going to pack the house for the Apple Blossom. He just didn't invent these weights, his duty as racing secretary is to analyse each horse and their races and come up with fair weights. Since he had to do it, he should make it public so we can see his thinking and reasoning. I hope he takes on his responsibility. We will run in The La Troienne at Churchill Downs on May 4th. This is exactly what I said we would do if Pope came out with unfair weights. I hope you all understand. We have decisions to make in running a racing operation and today was one of those tough ones.

[GPK]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

the fox hill farm FB rant... one for the ages

Larry and I really wanted to defend our title in the Apple Blossom. We were expecting fair weights and when they were released today, Larry called me and we were flabbergasted at the weights. Plum Pretty was the most unexpected but a lot of them were very unfair. Tiz Miz Sue was getting 8 pounds after just running over a hundred beyer and winning the graded Azeri Stakes. Absinthe Minded was getting 9. No one can say that we have ducked any one in racing. Hard Spun took on every tough race there was as did Round Pond and the immortal Eight Belles. We love the competition. Havre de Grace took on Blind Luck six times and ran against the boys in the prestigious Woodward and we didn't bat an eye at running in the granddaddy of them all, the Classic. We have decided one thing though, we will take on any horse and take our defeats when we get them but we won't let the racing secretaries decide who is going to win the races. That is why we took this stand on the Apple Blossom. The weights are unfair and I have asked all the journalists to demand that Pope explain how he came up with the numbers for the weights. He owes it to the fans that were going to pack the house for the Apple Blossom. He just didn't invent these weights, his duty as racing secretary is to analyse each horse and their races and come up with fair weights. Since he had to do it, he should make it public so we can see his thinking and reasoning. I hope he takes on his responsibility. We will run in The La Troienne at Churchill Downs on May 4th. This is exactly what I said we would do if Pope came out with unfair weights. I hope you all understand. We have decisions to make in running a racing operation and today was one of those tough ones.

What a p*ssy. Race the horse, for crying out loud.

[Danzig]

He blames pope? The weights are far from unfair. I would rather he just retire her and spare us this bs the rest of the year.

[justindew]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

the fox hill farm FB rant... one for the ages
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fox-H...49399288440985

Larry and I really wanted to defend our title in the Apple Blossom. We were expecting fair weights and when they were released today, Larry called me and we were flabbergasted at the weights. Plum Pretty was the most unexpected but a lot of them were very unfair. Tiz Miz Sue was getting 8 pounds after just running over a hundred beyer and winning the graded Azeri Stakes. Absinthe Minded was getting 9. No one can say that we have ducked any one in racing. Hard Spun took on every tough race there was as did Round Pond and the immortal Eight Belles. We love the competition. Havre de Grace took on Blind Luck six times and ran against the boys in the prestigious Woodward and we didn't bat an eye at running in the granddaddy of them all, the Classic. We have decided one thing though, we will take on any horse and take our defeats when we get them but we won't let the racing secretaries decide who is going to win the races. That is why we took this stand on the Apple Blossom. The weights are unfair and I have asked all the journalists to demand that Pope explain how he came up with the numbers for the weights. He owes it to the fans that were going to pack the house for the Apple Blossom. He just didn't invent these weights, his duty as racing secretary is to analyse each horse and their races and come up with fair weights. Since he had to do it, he should make it public so we can see his thinking and reasoning. I hope he takes on his responsibility. We will run in The La Troienne at Churchill Downs on May 4th. This is exactly what I said we would do if Pope came out with unfair weights. I hope you all understand. We have decisions to make in running a racing operation and today was one of those tough ones.

I do not think that word means what he thinks it means.

[Fearless Leader]

Originally Posted by justindew

I do not think that word means what he thinks it means.

CLASSIC !!!!!!!!!!!



Porter should be embarassed by publishing such a ridiculous diatribe.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by justindew

I do not think that word means what he thinks it means.

He also called the BCC the granddaddy of them all.

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

the fox hill farm FB rant... one for the ages
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fox-H...49399288440985

Larry and I really wanted to defend our title in the Apple Blossom. We were expecting fair weights and when they were released today, Larry called me and we were flabbergasted at the weights. Plum Pretty was the most unexpected but a lot of them were very unfair. Tiz Miz Sue was getting 8 pounds after just running over a hundred beyer and winning the graded Azeri Stakes. Absinthe Minded was getting 9. No one can say that we have ducked any one in racing. Hard Spun took on every tough race there was as did Round Pond and the immortal Eight Belles. We love the competition. Havre de Grace took on Blind Luck six times and ran against the boys in the prestigious Woodward and we didn't bat an eye at running in the granddaddy of them all, the Classic. We have decided one thing though, we will take on any horse and take our defeats when we get them but we won't let the racing secretaries decide who is going to win the races. That is why we took this stand on the Apple Blossom. The weights are unfair and I have asked all the journalists to demand that Pope explain how he came up with the numbers for the weights. He owes it to the fans that were going to pack the house for the Apple Blossom. He just didn't invent these weights, his duty as racing secretary is to analyse each horse and their races and come up with fair weights. Since he had to do it, he should make it public so we can see his thinking and reasoning. I hope he takes on his responsibility. We will run in The La Troienne at Churchill Downs on May 4th. This is exactly what I said we would do if Pope came out with unfair weights. I hope you all understand. We have decisions to make in running a racing operation and today was one of those tough ones.

A horse of the year is saddled with 123 pounds against Absinthe Minded nd it's termed a travesty...complaining about it, that would be the travesty. This is such bloviating drivel, I don't know where to start...oh yeah, except for maybe the fact that Hard Spun and Eight Belles never raced beyond their 3YO seasons, and were never possibly in this position to begin. That's a good place to start. Triple-digit Beyers = high handicap weights?

Say what you want about what HDG would have to carry, but props to Pope for assigning the COMPETITION legitimate weights, and maintaining some degree of sanity. It's useless to be held to some unattainable standard that may, or may not, be arbitrarily bashed by Porter, so Pope assigned a scrub like Absinthe Minded 9 pounds less than the reigning HOTY. Oh, the tragedy.

[NTamm1215]

I bet D. Wayne was pumped that Porter mentioned Absinthe Minded in that ridiculous rant. Havre de Grace should have to give her 15 lbs minimum.