How would The Classic have been...

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The way Curlin ran - I haven't watched replays and studied charts and done any work on todays races - but I doubt he was beating Curlin today.

While Invasor is obviously a MUCH better horse than Hard Spun....Hard Spun is an underrated horse when he makes the lead....and it was totally shocking with the ease that Curlin passed him - especially considering how Hard Spun had a favorable pace on top of making the lead.
On first impressions - even though everything went the way you'd draw it up forHard Spun...he was no disapointment today at all. I certainly don't think Hard Spun lost anything in defeat...even with the harshest of critics who knew he had it all his way.

Curlin is just plain awesome. I think Invasor's class probably would have willed him past HS though.

:23 and :45 and 4 is way too quick of a pace for 10F. I thought Hard Spun did a heck of a job to hold second after going that fast early on.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by sirbarton

:23 and :45 and 4 is way too quick of a pace for 10F. I thought Hard Spun did a heck of a job to hold second after going that fast early on.

Hard Spun is an impressive horse. I think it's a shame we won't see him run again because he's a colt that seems to put in an awesome effort almost every time. I love horses like that.

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Hard Spun is an impressive horse. I think it's a shame we won't see him run again because he's a colt that seems to put in an awesome effort almost every time. I love horses like that.

He tries hard every time, no doubt. That's one of the things I like about Octave. She gives her very best every time. I had HS across--wish he could have gone the early fractons in something like 24, 48 and 1:12. He might have had more left when Curlin came to him. Although the way the winner finished he would have been hard to hold off regardless of early pace.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by sirbarton

I had HS across--wish he could have gone the early fractons in something like 24, 48 and 1:12.

Those fractions in the BC Classic over that glib race track?

You're kidding right?

Hard Spun was cruising on an uncontested lead. He was very comfortable and never pressured by anyone.

Had the pace been as laughably slow (considering the speed of the track) as you say - the entire field would have been very tightly bunched up and most of the riders of the horses in the top flight would be checking their rank mounts.

Coco Belle sat a neck off of a 20 4/5th first quarter and set a 43 1/5th half mile in race #2 - and still won paying $13 to win. War Pass went 45 2/5 for the half and won the 8.5 furlong BC Juvie with disdain ease.

If you think the Breeders Cup Classic is going in 24 and 48 over that track - I just don't know what to say.

Hard Spun could not have asked for much more.
He does try hard and never gives up.
He just cant stay with the real class at 10 f and the
real class is Curlin. That was a great run. Street Sense
had the same sort of setup except he went rail.

It is hard to say what Invasor would have done on this track.
I personally think we would have seen a battle for the ages had
he been in this race.

[bogeydaman]

IMO I don't see how you can say the horse was "cruising" on an uncontested lead. There were 4 horses (AGS, LR, DS, and GW) trying to get to Hard Spun for the first 6 furlongs. Those 4 horses ended up getting beat a minumum of 24 lengths by Hard Spun. The only other 3 horses that were in the same area code as HS when the race was over were the horses that were "outrun early". Just because a horse was not head and head with HS by no means did he have an early lead. Just look at the results of the other 8 horses in the race.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by bogeydaman

IMO I don't see how you can say the horse was "cruising" on an uncontested lead. There were 4 horses (AGS, LR, DS, and GW) trying to get to Hard Spun for the first 6 furlongs. Those 4 horses ended up getting beat a minumum of 24 lengths by Hard Spun. The only other 3 horses that were in the same area code as HS when the race was over were the horses that were "outrun early". Just because a horse was not head and head with HS by no means did he have an early lead. Just look at the results of the other 8 horses in the race.

When he was 2nd in the Kentucky Derby - the horses behind him fractured as well. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finished up 17th, 19th, and 20th. The pace was much faster that day when you consider the speed of the track.

However, yesterday, he was cruising while well within himself, on an unpressured lead. The fractions were very reasonable considering the speed of the track.