Early HOY predictions

[Gander]

I cant think of too much opposition Flower Alley will have to contend with in the Whitney. Maybe Suave, Perfect Drift, Seek Gold, possibly Buzzard Bay.

Its his home track and he'll be 3/5 and he'll probably romp like he did in last year's gerbil infested Jim Dandy.

What will that prove? Why is this anymore important than Lava Man beating a couple of past grade 1 winners on the turf, who werent at the top of their fomr cycle? Because its a race rich with tradition? Please. What does the history of the Whitney have to do with identifying this year's HOY?

We will see who comes and takes on Flower Alley in the Whitney. Then we will see how Lava Man does out West.

Originally Posted by Gander

I cant think of too much opposition Flower Alley will have to contend with in the Whitney. Maybe Suave, Perfect Drift, Seek Gold, possibly Buzzard Bay.

Its his home track and he'll be 3/5 and he'll probably romp like he did in last year's gerbil infested Jim Dandy.

What will that prove? Why is this anymore important than Lava Man beating a couple of past grade 1 winners on the turf, who werent at the top of their fomr cycle? Because its a race rich with tradition? Please. What does the history of the Whitney have to do with identifying this year's HOY?

We will see who comes and takes on Flower Alley in the Whitney. Then we will see how Lava Man does out West.

Tim I really don't see how you can dismiss teh prestige of a race like the WHitney. Some years the Derby isnt filled with stars(lets take this year) but the winner still gets the lead in the divisonal race. And what does his price have to do with it? You really lost me there. If hes bet down because he appears to be that good I dont see how it factors in whatsoever. And if some horses duck the spot in order to avoid facing him, is this not a compliment for the respect that they have for him? Lava Man will be facing noone out there who is even vaguely considered a Grade One horse. Not that i would do any different if I were them though. Its a money game and running in huge purse races against no competition in your own backyard is 100% the thing to do. But until he comes east for a showdown at the end of the year to face Flower Alley and Bernadini, hes not going to get the accolades required. I guess thats why we have the Breeders Cup. So until November this will be up in the air.

[Gander]

I agree Mike. Until November this is all pretty much moot, if Flower Alley wins and Lava Man wins (their respected races). Both trainers have excellent paths plotted to get them to November facing very little in the way of true grade 1 horses.

Lets just hope we get them both to the BC healthy. Being a fan of Lava Man, I wouldnt even care if Flower Alley spanked him. Just to see that the matchup came to fruition would be great.

Did I read through all these posts and not see Brass Hat mentioned?
Is he done for the year or what? One bad race and thats it...?

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by pgardn

Did I read through all these posts and not see Brass Hat mentioned?
Is he done for the year or what? One bad race and thats it...?

Because he runs in the Midwest and doesn't have first class competition. <tongue in cheek> . Personally, I love Brass Hat, he is a genuine stayer; I wish he were a colt, so that he could help the breed regain its original reason for being.

My personal peeve with the Whitney is its distance - 9f. That is a prep for a race at the classic distance of 10f. Originally, the Whitney WAS a 10f race (1928-1955, including many of those wins by legends of the breed.) but it had a smaller purse and less status than the Saratoga H (10f) and far less history than the 14f Saratoga Cup (first run 1865), both of which were won by many of those same legendary horses. When Secretariat ran in the Whitney it was still only a G2 and he was using it as a prep for the Travers. Somewhere along the line, the G2 Donn H at 9f, a prep race for the G1 Gulfstream Park H at 10f started to get more emphasis and purse money from the management and became more prominent. Thank goodness the So Cal tracks didn't follow suit.

Races at 9f should not have the same status or weight in championship decisions as 10f races. But good milers can stretch to 9f a lot more easily than they can 10f and so many expensive horses these days are milers....,