Paynter back in clinic; Colitis diagnosed..

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by Danzig

baffert saying paynter's as good as point given really doesn't matter much. the horse didn't prove it,

He wasn't.

Point Given dominated the Preakness, won the Belmont with devastating ease -- and swept the Haskell and Travers in a bar shoe...running outstanding figures for a 3yo router in three of the four races.

Curtis Paynter was 1-for-4 lifetime in stakes races. Off the board in the SA Derby, beaten in the Derby Trial, blew an uncontested lead through easy fractions in the Belmont, and finally won a weak edition of the Haskell over Nonios and Steelcase.

The nonsense with Paynter has been going on before he ever raced. At least Baffert didn't say Silver Charm, who was even better than Point Given.

It was at Archwarrior levels. He was a very nice racehorse, but he wasn't even the best 3yo from his stable -- and had horses like Fed Biz and Secret Circle stayed healthy, I don't think he would have been the second best 3yo either.

Tom Brady was so impressive in workouts -- he got drafted in the 6th round 199th overall ahead of Spergon Wynn.

[Danzig]

Yeah, doug, i was going to compare bafferts talk re paynter to gary stevens chatter after every race on his latest 'best ever'.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

He wasn't.

Point Given dominated the Preakness, won the Belmont with devastating ease -- and swept the Haskell and Travers in a bar shoe...running outstanding figures for a 3yo router in three of the four races.

Curtis Paynter was 1-for-4 lifetime in stakes races. Off the board in the SA Derby, beaten in the Derby Trial, blew an uncontested lead through easy fractions in the Belmont, and finally won a weak edition of the Haskell over Nonios and Steelcase.

The nonsense with Paynter has been going on before he ever raced. At least Baffert didn't say Silver Charm, who was even better than Point Given.

It was at Archwarrior levels. He was a very nice racehorse, but he wasn't even the best 3yo from his stable -- and had horses like Fed Biz and Secret Circle stayed healthy, I don't think he would have been the second best 3yo either.

Tom Brady was so impressive in workouts -- he got drafted in the 6th round 199th overall ahead of Spergon Wynn.

Bodemeister was open lengths better than Paynter.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Bodemeister was open lengths better than Paynter.

Without a doubt.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

The nonsense with Paynter has been going on before he ever raced. At least Baffert didn't say Silver Charm, who was even better than Point Given.

Silver Charm and Free House had serious guts and talent. The more I've looked back at that Triple Crown season, the more impressed I am with the two of them. Not that I don't appreciate Touch Gold, but I do wonder what would've happened if Silver Charm had seen him coming that day. He was the most deserving of Baffert's chances really, and I'm a fan of the underrated "fish" Real Quiet. Charm deserved that win.

It's hard to think they'd have taken a Triple Crown winner down had Real Quiet gotten his nose in front of Victory Gallop (kind of like leaving up Goldikova when she clearly caused a mess). Talk about letting the air out of the balloon. The place would've exploded with enthusiasm and then turned into a mass of confusion. A real mess. He would've deserved the take down though. Maybe the best for everybody that it ended that way rather than have the controversy?

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Silver Charm and Free House had serious guts and talent. The more I've looked back at that Triple Crown season, the more impressed I am with the two of them. Not that I don't appreciate Touch Gold, but I do wonder what would've happened if Silver Charm had seen him coming that day. He was the most deserving of Baffert's chances really, and I'm a fan of the underrated "fish" Real Quiet. Charm deserved that win.

It's hard to think they'd have taken a Triple Crown winner down had Real Quiet gotten his nose in front of Victory Gallop (kind of like leaving up Goldikova when she clearly caused a mess). Talk about letting the air out of the balloon. The place would've exploded with enthusiasm and then turned into a mass of confusion. A real mess. He would've deserved the take down though. Maybe the best for everybody that it ended that way rather than have the controversy?

Had Silver Charm seen Touch Gold, Touch Gold would have won the race, the same as he did.

Had Touch Gold had a proper trip in the Preakness, Touch Gold would have won two thirds of the triple crown.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Had Silver Charm seen Touch Gold, Touch Gold would have won the race, the same as he did.

Had Touch Gold had a proper trip in the Preakness, Touch Gold would have won two thirds of the triple crown.

No he wouldn't have. Silver Charm at the end of the Belmont was a horse that thought he'd done what he had to do and nobody else was coming.

Regarding Zayat and the Travers push, it baffled me that a horse with his issues before that race would've been flown back anywhere. Horses like being home, I get it, and Baffert wants to see him regularly with his own eyes, but I'm not a fan of treating them like transcontinental yo-yos even though I see it work. Just feels like unnecessary stress to frequently ship East, run, then ship right back, but maybe I'm just projecting my own thoughts of jet lag (Probably am, it's not like Baffert isn't successful doing it). After illness #1, I assumed they'd wait for a later race as the Travers was an obvious no-go. Then they try to make it. That was a bizarre call. Steve's right. I don't pat Zayat on the back when I think about how Paynter's doing. I mentally give Paynter a pat on the neck for being alive.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

No he wouldn't have. Silver Charm at the end of the Belmont was a horse that thought he'd done what he had to do and nobody else was coming.

Yeaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh.

You should watch again. TG blew by him like SC was standing still.

[Antitrust32]

No rotation in the feet is great news regarding the laminitis.

And Touch Gold was best at the Belmont. And he was best in the Preakness. That doesnt mean Silver Charm was not a great horse... that was a great crop of horses. Even the Captain had some good closing speed.

[dino]

No telling how great Silver Charm really was because of how he always waited on horses. If he didn't do that Touch Gold would have never even got close to him. Mc Carron knew that and went 10 wide for a reason.