Grasshopper ? ? ?

[dalakhani]

its not like he had a good/great three year old year. What exactly did he do at three that was so good?

[jcs11204]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

its not like he had a good/great three year old year. What exactly did he do at three that was so good?

i thought he had a good year, there was the big 3 last year, and then him...
second in the travers, second in the super derby... decent year, lots of this years 3 yr olds owners/trainers would be happy with that,
and what does your response have to do with my question, its a horse racing site, and i would much rather talk about the actual horses then some of the other things that get attention !

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by jcs11204

i thought he had a good year, there was the big 3 last year, and then him...
second in the travers, second in the super derby... decent year, lots of this years 3 yr olds owners/trainers would be happy with that,
and what does your response have to do with my question, its a horse racing site, and i would much rather talk about the actual horses then some of the other things that get attention !

I dont know...maybe i expect too much. I expect a stake horse to have won a stake to consider it a good year. Call me demanding.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by jcs11204

i thought he had a good year, there was the big 3 last year, and then him...
second in the travers, second in the super derby... decent year, lots of this years 3 yr olds owners/trainers would be happy with that,
and what does your response have to do with my question, its a horse racing site, and i would much rather talk about the actual horses then some of the other things that get attention !

Your question supposes that Grasshopper was some kind of beast last year and mysteriously soured over the winter between his 3 and 4 year old seasons. I dont see that as the case thats all.

I saw him as a very average horse last year that made his rep finishing second to a less than cranked Street Sense in front of a bunch of proven nags. He then finished second at 3/10 to a horse named Going Ballistic that I have no idea who he was or who he is. outside of that???????????????? He is still eligible for nx2.

So what is so different this year? He didnt win a stake then and didnt win one this year either. Where is the form reversal?

[jcs11204]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Your question supposes that Grasshopper was some kind of beast last year and mysteriously soured over the winter between his 3 and 4 year old seasons. I dont see that as the case thats all.

I saw him as a very average horse last year that made his rep finishing second to a less than cranked Street Sense in front of a bunch of proven nags. He then finished second at 3/10 to a horse named Going Ballistic that I have no idea who he was or who he is. outside of that???????????????? He is still eligible for nx2.

So what is so different this year? He didnt win a stake then and didnt win one this year either. Where is the form reversal?

i guess we look at it different. i will say this, less then cranked street sense ? your totally wrong there, he was fully cranked that day, FULLY CRANKED, maybe he was less in the jim dandy, or the race before the breeders cup classic, but to say he was not cranked travers day is crazy

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by jcs11204

i guess we look at it different. i will say this, less then cranked street sense ? your totally wrong there, he was fully cranked that day, FULLY CRANKED, maybe he was less in the jim dandy, or the race before the breeders cup classic, but to say he was not cranked travers day is crazy

Yes, nafzger had him fully cranked to face...Hunting, cp west and the indomitable grasshopper. Im crazy i guess.

But lets forget the fact that for every other big race that Street Sense raced in fully cranked, he prepped on poly.

Im crazy.

[jcs11204]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Yes, nafzger had him fully cranked to face...Hunting, cp west and the indomitable grasshopper. Im crazy i guess.

But lets forget the fact that for every other big race that Street Sense raced in fully cranked, he prepped on poly.

Im crazy.

ANYONE WOULD BE CRAZY TO SAY A HORSE WAS NOT CRANKED FOR THE TRAVERS, THE TRAVERS IS THE MAIN SUMMER GOAL FOR ANY GOOD HORSE, AND TO SAY HE WAS NOT CRANKED IS WRONG, AND IM SURE OTHER PPL WILL AGREE WITH ME ON THIS ONE.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by jcs11204

ANYONE WOULD BE CRAZY TO SAY A HORSE WAS NOT CRANKED FOR THE TRAVERS, THE TRAVERS IS THE MAIN SUMMER GOAL FOR ANY GOOD HORSE, AND TO SAY HE WAS NOT CRANKED IS WRONG, AND IM SURE OTHER PPL WILL AGREE WITH ME ON THIS ONE.

Really? LOL. how old are you? Main summer goal for ANY good horse? And i guess that is why Street Sense was the first derby/travers winner since????

Okay, you are right. Nafzger made sure Street Sense was ready to lay down his life to beat CP West, hunting and grasshopper. You win.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by jcs11204

ANYONE WOULD BE CRAZY TO SAY A HORSE WAS NOT CRANKED FOR THE TRAVERS, THE TRAVERS IS THE MAIN SUMMER GOAL FOR ANY GOOD HORSE, AND TO SAY HE WAS NOT CRANKED IS WRONG, AND IM SURE OTHER PPL WILL AGREE WITH ME ON THIS ONE.

oh, you've sold me now since you used all caps, that definitely strengthens ANY arguement.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Yes, nafzger had him fully cranked to face...Hunting, cp west and the indomitable grasshopper. Im crazy i guess.

But lets forget the fact that for every other big race that Street Sense raced in fully cranked, he prepped on poly.

Im crazy.

I think you are wrong here, and jcs is right.
This whole business about being "fully cranked" is a usually a bunch of nonsense in my opinion, but to the extent that a trainer can try to have a horse peak on a particular day, I find it nearly impossible to believe that the connections would not want a horse to be at a peak for the Travers.
The connections wouldn't know for sure what the field would be for a race until just days before the race. Do you really think that any trainer would not try to have a horse at his best for the Travers, simply because he guesses weeks in advance that it might not be a great field? That seems unlikely.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by miraja2

I think you are wrong here, and jcs is right.
This whole business about being "fully cranked" is a usually a bunch of nonsense in my opinion, but to the extent that a trainer can try to have a horse peak on a particular day, I find it nearly impossible to believe that the connections would not want a horse to be at a peak for the Travers.
The connections wouldn't know for sure what the field would be for a race until just days before the race. Do you really think that any trainer would not try to have a horse at his best for the Travers, simply because he guesses weeks in advance that it might not be a great field? That seems unlikely.

This isnt 1968 its 2008. The travers isnt that big of a deal anymore. Still, its a nice race to win but with stake races in the fall, the BC is the ultimate goal.

Nafzger looked at the nominations list weeks in advance and he pretty much knew weeks in advance who wasnt coming meaning Hard Spun and Curlin. That being the case, who did he have to worry about? And if he didnt have anything to worry about, why crank him to his very best when his very best wasnt necessary???????????

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by jcs11204

i thought he had a good year, there was the big 3 last year, and then him...
second in the travers, second in the super derby... decent year, lots of this years 3 yr olds owners/trainers would be happy with that,
and what does your response have to do with my question, its a horse racing site, and i would much rather talk about the actual horses then some of the other things that get attention !

if he was the fourth best three year old last year, the only question i would have is what races were you watching? finishing second to street sense once doesn't make a horse good.

[NTamm1215]

His second in the Super Derby was nothing to be proud of- that field was atrocious.

He was well beyond the fourth best 3YO last year, Tiago would have eaten his lunch and still would now.

NT

[jcs11204]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

His second in the Super Derby was nothing to be proud of- that field was atrocious.

He was well beyond the fourth best 3YO last year, Tiago would have eaten his lunch and still would now.

NT

i am a huge tiago fan, and always have been, but he continues to disapoint, kinda like grasshopper