Barclay Tagg's comments on NoBiz

ateamstupid · #1 10-09-2007, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brockguy

“The problem with the Mile is that even if he wins he won't get the accolades he deserves,” said trainer Barclay Tagg. “English Channel or whoever wins the Breeders' Cup Turf will probably be voted turf champion, and he's not going to be three-year-old champion, so what does he really have to gain by running in the Mile?”

making excuses or does he have valid point..

Tough ****, Barclay. YOU made the decision to run him on dirt half the year as well as the decision to run him against strictly three-year-olds all season, making him all but ineligible for any grass or three-year-old honors. And now instead of going in the BCM, where, with a good showing, he would actually start to deserve and receive some of the "accolades" you think people are denying him, you're going elsewhere. Either run him or don't, but don't make it seem like people are shortchanging the horse.

Danzig · #2 10-09-2007, 07:06 PM

i think barclay tagg is underestimating the astuteness of many racing fans, who give most winners their due when they win a big one.

what he meant to say was i'm looking for softer competition than what he would face in the mile, and we will pad his resume and wallet against lesser horses than what he would face at monmouth.

pweizer · #3 10-09-2007, 07:50 PM

Does anyone remember who won the Eclipse award last year? It was an unheralded longshot in the MIle named Miesque's Approval. If Nobiz were to win the race and some crazy longshot won the Turf, he absolutely could be named champion. Tagg did the same thing last year with Showing Up. Just baffling.

Paul

NTamm1215 · #4 10-09-2007, 08:08 PM

While I won't attempt to decipher what exactly Barclay Tagg said or meant because deciphering "trainerspeak" is more difficult than reading Nietzsche, I think the assumptions that Tagg is skipping the Mile because he is afraid of the competition he may face are a tad faulty.

Nobiz beat the hell out of a good group of horses on Saturday, specifically Red Giant who had enjoyed a PERFECT trip. He rolled by RG, and showed a terrific new dimension, which was to rate well off the pace and finish strongly.

Maybe I'm alone in thinking that the Jamaica was a far, far better performance than we had ever seen from Nobiz. That being said, I'm not Barclay Tagg and am also not privy to his thoughts, so I don't know why he's not running in the Mile.

NT

Danzig · #5 10-09-2007, 08:19 PM

to say however that one is skipping a race because if the horse wins he won't get recognition imo is bullshit. i can think of about a million bucks worth of recognition he'd get. so, it's something else. so, what would that be? probably the same thing that drives many to avoid the top fields, fear of losing. or realizing that altho his horse might win a turf race, that in no way translates to winning a mile race on turf, or a 12f on turf, which isn't fear of losing, but recognizing that the chances of a win are somewhere between slim and no.

hoovesupsideyourhead · #6 10-09-2007, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pweizer

Does anyone remember who won the Eclipse award last year? It was an unheralded longshot in the MIle named Miesque's Approval. If Nobiz were to win the race and some crazy longshot won the Turf, he absolutely could be named champion. Tagg did the same thing last year with Showing Up. Just baffling.

Paul

no way he should have been that long a shot...

and the horse was a great story ...

Rileyoriley · #7 10-09-2007, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

no way he should have been that long a shot...

and the horse was a great story ...

And a great payoff!

SniperSB23 · #8 10-09-2007, 09:11 PM

I think Miesque's Approval had a better resume going into the BC than Nobiz does. Nobiz should have to win the BC Mile and the Hollywood Derby to get serious consideration.

hoovesupsideyourhead · #9 10-09-2007, 09:15 PM

i think hes smart not to run..the euros will most likely bring a ringer..and english channel loves mon.. though i will try to beatem at the windows.e.c

blackthroatedwind · #10 10-10-2007, 10:46 AM

It's easy to see the appeal of the BC Mile considering both the weak field and NoBiz's terrific performance this weekend, however Tagg is pretty conservative, and considering his success level it seems more than unfair to suggest that any of us know better than he. From a fan's standpoint obviously we wish NoBiz was in the mile but I will defer to the judgement of someone who clearly knows better than any of us.

Running him in the Classic makes little to no sense. He's already proven to be vastly inferior to the competition he would face in that race. Perhaps next year if the handicap division is weak Tagg could conceivably take a shot on the dirt again during the year but my guess is once he races a horse successfully on the grass he is loathe to switch surfaces. Unlike Showing Up, who had feet issues which kept him on the grass, NoBiz could at least physically make the switch. Perhaps Chuck can answer this but it is my understanding that trainers usually don't like moving from one surface to another especially after establishing success on one.

As far as a Grade 1 on the turf increasing his value, well he already has a Grade 1 on the dirt, so I suppose this is possible, but I'm sure he will have ample opportunity to do so in the future without this year's BC Mile. Not only is the Hollywood Derby a Grade 1 but next year may look like a Grade 1 tree of ripe fruits if it's anything like 2007.

Indian Charlie · #11 10-10-2007, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It's easy to see the appeal of the BC Mile considering both the weak field and NoBiz's terrific performance this weekend, however Tagg is pretty conservative, and considering his success level it seems more than unfair to suggest that any of us know better than he. From a fan's standpoint obviously we wish NoBiz was in the mile but I will defer to the judgement of someone who clearly knows better than any of us.

Running him in the Classic makes little to no sense. He's already proven to be vastly inferior to the competition he would face in that race. Perhaps next year if the handicap division is weak Tagg could conceivably take a shot on the dirt again during the year but my guess is once he races a horse successfully on the grass he is loathe to switch surfaces. Unlike Showing Up, who had feet issues which kept him on the grass, NoBiz could at least physically make the switch. Perhaps Chuck can answer this but it is my understanding that trainers usually don't like moving from one surface to another especially after establishing success on one.

As far as a Grade 1 on the turf increasing his value, well he already has a Grade 1 on the dirt, so I suppose this is possible, but I'm sure he will have ample opportunity to do so in the future without this year's BC Mile. Not only is the Hollywood Derby a Grade 1 but next year may look like a Grade 1 tree of ripe fruits if it's anything like 2007.

hey andy, while you are doing that video with drugS, ask him what he thinks about putting slobiz back on the dirt. he'll give you a 2 hour earful why he thinks that he'll be a star when he's moved back to dirt! Seriously!

blackthroatedwind · #12 10-10-2007, 11:24 AM

I intend to not give DrugS a lot of rope to hang himself.

KY_Sasquash · #13 10-10-2007, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Running him in the Classic makes little to no sense. He's already proven to be vastly inferior to the competition he would face in that race. Perhaps next year if the handicap division is weak Tagg could conceivably take a shot on the dirt again during the year but my guess is once he races a horse successfully on the grass he is loathe to switch surfaces. Unlike Showing Up, who had feet issues which kept him on the grass, NoBiz could at least physically make the switch. Perhaps Chuck can answer this but it is my understanding that trainers usually don't like moving from one surface to another especially after establishing success on one.

Im not saying that he'd be the favorite, but at 20-1 (probably longer on race day) I think he'd have a great shot to hit he board; dont know if he could win, but I'd sure like to see him try. The only bad race that he ran in the spring was in the Derby, which can be excused and he was beaten 4 lengths by Any Given Saturday in the Dwyer. His bloodlines suggest that he's finally maturing and maybe he was too immature in the spring to keep up with the other 3yos(certainly ran that way). Now the tight turns at Monmouth might be to his liking, but I think he'd only have to worry about Street Sense, Lawyer Ron, Curlin, who probably wont like the tight turns too, and Any Given Saturday, who's last race wasnt the most impressive so I dont think its that unrealistic of a spot for him.

blackthroatedwind · #14 10-10-2007, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KY_Sasquash

but I think he'd only have to worry about Street Sense, Lawyer Ron, Curlin, who probably wont like the tight turns too, and Any Given Saturday.

That's it?

Kasept · #15 10-09-2007, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Tough ****, Barclay. YOU made the decision to run him on dirt half the year as well as the decision to run him against strictly three-year-olds all season, making him all but ineligible for any grass or three-year-old honors. And now instead of going in the BCM, where, with a good showing, he would actually start to deserve and receive some of the "accolades" you think people are denying him, you're going elsewhere. Either run him or don't, but don't make it seem like people are shortchanging the horse.

Joe,

That's not entirely fair to Tagg who received unending meddling from Mrs. Valando who reportedly was driving him nuts. He told Haskin way back that he wanted to get Nobiz on the grass but she insisted on a Classics course. If it's up to Tagg, he'd probably run everything in the barn on the lawn!

ateamstupid · #16 10-09-2007, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasept

Joe,

That's not entirely fair to Tagg who received unending meddling from Mrs. Valando who reportedly was driving him nuts. He told Haskin way back that he wanted to get Nobiz on the grass but she insisted on a Classics course. If it's up to Tagg, he'd probably run everything in the barn on the lawn!

Good to know, but I still think playing the whole "there's nothing to win, because he's underappreciated" spiel is weak. Either go or don't, but don't act like some uncontrollable factor is keeping you out of the race. Also, in regard to his somewhat slighting remark about English Channel, why didn't Tagg put Nobiz in the Hirsch? Surely if NLS beat EC there, he'd have more of a claim for the male turf Eclipse than he does now. Tagg chose to keep him facing three-year-olds and now he's whining about how a horse that was there for the beating might get the Eclipse over him.

MisterB · #17 10-10-2007, 08:07 AM

Kind of hard to talk sense with a mouth full of owner in it. Tagg has to speak to the uninformed everyday, this day is no different.