Ravel on top in new Dispatch Derby pool

[NTamm1215]

Dispatch Derby poll #7 was released today and Ravel is now on top. Nobiz Like Shobiz dropped out of the Top 5 after his third-place finish in the Fountain of Youth.

http://www.racingdispatch.com/poll.php?year=2007&week=7

NT

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Dispatch Derby poll #7 was released today and Ravel is now on top. Nobiz Like Shobiz dropped out of the Top 5 after his third-place finish in the Fountain of Youth.

http://www.racingdispatch.com/poll.php?year=2007&week=7

NT

I see them like this...

1) GREAT HUNTER (9)
2) SCAT DADDY (re-entry)
3) STREET SENSE (2)
4) RAVEL (3)
5) NOTIONAL (4)
6) NOBIZ LIKE SHOBIZ (1)
7) CIRCULAR QUAY (5)
8) ANY GIVEN SATURDAY (8)
9) STORMELLO (7)
10) SUMMER DOLDRUMS (10)

“Knocking at the door”

KING OF THE ROXY
LIQUIDITY
SAM P.

This is my ranking from my weekly column

[-BT-]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Dispatch Derby poll #7 was released today and Ravel is now on top. Nobiz Like Shobiz dropped out of the Top 5 after his third-place finish in the Fountain of Youth.

http://www.racingdispatch.com/poll.php?year=2007&week=7

NT

I love it, you don't win a tough prep race and all the sudden your written out of the top 5...... Funny Cide running a hard 2nd in the wood was completely overlooked in derby and got off at a nice price (not saying these are simlar horses but...)

How about O'Neill talking about they didn't expect Great Hunter to win Bob Lewis stakes......

-bt-

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I really loved Ravel's last race right up until last week....

Basically, the Sham Stakes is run at 9 furlongs, in the first week of Feb. It's run at a time when the vast majority of good 3-year-olds aren't precieved to be ready to tackle that distance.

Which is why the Sham Stakes almost always features a VERY slow pace, where the best horses are often off-the-pace types who simply can't get the setup they need.

Because of the nature of this race, over the last four years, horses who were painfully obvious the best, have lost to vastly inferior horses who won it from up front. This includes such Sham upsets as Man Among Men beating eventual Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker. Master David beating eventual Pacific Classic and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Borrego. And Going Wild beating eventual Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo.

This year's Sham Stakes featured the same old story...it was a pathetically slow paced race. The two pacesetters, Liquidity and Song of Navarone could only manage 2nd and 3rd though.

Ravel, racing in 4th, but never more than 2 lengths off the snails pace, hooked by the two horses who had it all there own way, and grinded out the win.

The final time of 1:48 4/5ths is what really made the performance exciting. By comparision, it was only 1/5th slower than it took older males to get 9 furlongs in the Grade 2 Strub on the same card. Although, the Strub did go about 11 lengths faster to the six furlong call, and was a legit run race.

Now, we are all obviously excited that Ravel only went 1/5th slower than the Strub....however, it's now starting to look more and more like the Strub was just a tremendously bad race.

* The winner and 3rd place finisher of the race (Arson Squad and Brother Derek) have had physical problems since this race.

* The 2nd place finisher Spring at Last, who was on that much faster pace in the Strub, totally wasted a perfect trip, and ran just dreadfully in the Big Cap. 5th place finisher Awesome Gem came back to run last at every call, and finish last, in the Big Cap.

In conclusion, because the Strub is starting to look like such an abysmal race, it really takes away Ravel's most significant accolade for his Sham Stakes win.

Now, we are left to ponder how impressive it was that this horse came from less than two lengths off a slow pace, to grind down the highly uninspiring pair of Liquity and Song of Navarone.

[lemoncrush]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I really loved Ravel's last race right up until last week....

Basically, the Sham Stakes is run at 9 furlongs, in the first week of Feb. It's run at a time when the vast majority of good 3-year-olds aren't precieved to be ready to tackle that distance.

Which is why the Sham Stakes almost always features a VERY slow pace, where the best horses are often off-the-pace types who simply can't get the setup they need.

Because of the nature of this race, over the last four years, horses who were painfully obvious the best, have lost to vastly inferior horses who won it from up front. This includes such Sham upsets as Man Among Men beating eventual Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker. Master David beating eventual Pacific Classic and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Borrego. And Going Wild beating eventual Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo.

This year's Sham Stakes featured the same old story...it was a pathetically slow paced race. The two pacesetters, Liquidity and Song of Navarone could only manage 2nd and 3rd though.

Ravel, racing in 4th, but never more than 2 lengths off the snails pace, hooked by the two horses who had it all there own way, and grinded out the win.

The final time of 1:48 4/5ths is what really made the performance exciting. By comparision, it was only 1/5th slower than it took older males to get 9 furlongs in the Grade 2 Strub on the same card. Although, the Strub did go about 11 lengths faster to the six furlong call, and was a legit run race.

Now, we are all obviously excited that Ravel only went 1/5th slower than the Strub....however, it's now starting to look more and more like the Strub was just a tremendously bad race.

* The winner and 3rd place finisher of the race (Arson Squad and Brother Derek) have had physical problems since this race.

* The 2nd place finisher Spring at Last, who was on that much faster pace in the Strub, totally wasted a perfect trip, and ran just dreadfully in the Big Cap. 5th place finisher Awesome Gem came back to run last at every call, and finish last, in the Big Cap.

In conclusion, because the Strub is starting to look like such an abysmal race, it really takes away Ravel's most significant accolade for his Sham Stakes win.

Now, we are left to ponder how impressive it was that this horse came from less than two lengths off a slow pace, to grind down the highly uninspiring pair of Liquity and Song of Navarone.

Interesting take.
I too still have questions about Ravel (just haven't seen enough of him yet) and evenmoreso, have questions about Liquidity who finished 2nd in that race (and really question the 102 beyer he was awarded for that performance). I think CQ runs leaves him in the dust this Saturday, but I'll leave that to another discussion in a different thread.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by lemoncrush

I think CQ runs leaves him in the dust this Saturday, but I'll leave that to another discussion in a different thread.

Circular Quay is one of many 3-year-olds in this crop whom I have a very negative opinion about regarding the Ky Derby.

I also really don't like his chances to win on Saturday either. I do however think he is capable of sucking up for a 2nd or 3rd if the pace is quicker than expected.