I Hope....

[the_fat_man]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

Actually, I think this may have been more the horse than the rider after the first quarter. If you watched the head-on replay as the field went down the backside, while Mission Approved was down on the rail, Sudan had to be out in the four or five path, so it's not like these two horses were battling head-to-head. It looked like Velazquez was trying to get his horse off Mission Approved but was unable to get the horse to relax.

I do agree with Sudan ran a big race, under the circumstances.

Johnny V just loves that wide trip. Whether it works or not is neither here nor there for him. He just keeps blowing race after race as a result. By I digress.

When dueling with a horse it's usually a good idea to stay relatively abreast to it, as then you can at least establish a steady tempo. (I don't know where the notion that being outside a horse, except in the stretch run, gives you an advantage came from -- it certainly doesn't work on turf in general and is not working these days at BEL) While Mission Approved was OFF the rail, significantly, Johnny was WAY to his outside. As a result, the horse is never able to establish any kind of rhythm in terms of stride, running with it's head to the right (on correct lead) and then switching to lefty lead for a good portion of the backstretch (which had him going all the more to the right). This is absolutely TERRIBLE FOOTWORK. (Blame both the trainer and jock for this.) When added to the poor trip in terms of pace, you get a sense of how well this horse ran. Johnny's ride was ALMOST as bad as the ride by Gomez on Colonel John. In each case, you wonder where they find the nuts to face the connections after.

[Danzig]

the real question remains whether curlin should go to the arc or not. yesterdays race in no way shows what curlin could do on soft turf, which is what he'll be running on should he go to france. if they really want to know if the arc is doable, they need to take him there NOW, and run him over that course in his next start. is it possible he's a horse that wants more cut in the ground? is that why he finished second to red rocks? or is it just a matter of him not being a turfer at all? no way of knowing what type ground he wants until he leaves a firm course for a softer one, which is what they need to try him on.

i still think he'll get his butt handed to him if he goes overseas--but running in the states vs laughable turf runners gives us a poor measuring stick for his ability to handle the worlds best on turf.

we all give darley a hard time every year when they try to take the home route to the kentucky derby, saying early and often that any derby hopes they have should come here to prep. this is a similar scenario...altho i think curlin will come back empty handed if he goes over.

but he needs to try soft turf, and also tackle running clockwise.
i really think in a few days they announce they aren't going to try at all.

as for the point that they've made that tiznow won twice in the bcc, and they want to do something 'different'--remember that curlin, should he attempt a second bcc and win, would be the first to win it on two different surfaces.