Zito: Commentator passing BC; Targets '09 season

CSC · #1 10-09-2008, 11:40 AM

I guess the obvious question is why does Commentator need so much time between his races?

hockey2315 · #2 10-09-2008, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSC

I guess the obvious question is why does Commentator need so much time between his races?

I think a MORE obvious question is "why is this so surprising?"

King Glorious · #3 10-09-2008, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSC

I guess the obvious question is why does Commentator need so much time between his races?

Another question that was asked but dismissed is if you know he needs seven weeks minimum to recover, why target him for a race that won't give him enough time to recover for the BC if the BC is really your goal? Also, and I won't pretend to know more than Zito here, but it didn't appear to me that the race took as much out of him as some of his others have to where he would need the same amount of recovery time. Will he need seven weeks to recover from this workout the other day? That's all Suffolk was. A workout.

CSC · #4 10-09-2008, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Another question that was asked but dismissed is if you know he needs seven weeks minimum to recover, why target him for a race that won't give him enough time to recover for the BC if the BC is really your goal? Also, and I won't pretend to know more than Zito here, but it didn't appear to me that the race took as much out of him as some of his others have to where he would need the same amount of recovery time. Will he need seven weeks to recover from this workout the other day? That's all Suffolk was. A workout.

That's a good question, I don't know.

cakes44 · #5 10-09-2008, 11:58 AM

The obvious answer to the "Why Mass Cap?" question is that Zito was never going to send Commentator to Santa Anita under any circumstances. Commentator is a gelding, so who cares about another grade 1, so he ran in the Mass Cap instead of the JCC or something else. He got another easy check.

I do wonder why there hasn't been any talk about running him in the Clark though? He must have some real issues right now.

Linny · #6 10-09-2008, 12:03 PM

Cakes has it rightIMO. I don't think that Nick was every really considering the BCC with this horse. IF (and that's a big if)he had gone, the "Dirt Mile that's not on Dirt and last year wasn't a Mile" would have been a better option.
I spoke to Nick a few times about this horse this year and though I never asked him specifically, he never once said or even implied that the Cup was part of the plan.
If he can, maybe the Cigar Mile is an option. If not, Mr Farmer is happy to let Nick plan a no-doubt short but solid 8yo campaign.

CSC · #7 10-09-2008, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cakes44

The obvious answer to the "Why Mass Cap?" question is that Zito was never going to send Commentator to Santa Anita under any circumstances. Commentator is a gelding, so who cares about another grade 1, so he ran in the Mass Cap instead of the JCC or something else. He got another easy check.

I do wonder why there hasn't been any talk about running him in the Clark though? He must have some real issues right now.

I don't know Nick Zito, but I would have a very hard time believing he would run a unsound horse. That is why I asked earlier why Commentator needs so much time between his races. It's certainly a mystery to me.

cakes44 · #8 10-09-2008, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSC

I don't know Nick Zito, but I would have a hard time believing he would run a unsound horse.

Bellamy Road in the Travers?

Linny · #9 10-09-2008, 12:12 PM

It's not that Commentator is unsound in the sense of being lame. What he is, is brittle. He's prone to injury and muscle soreness. Though he hasn't raced alot, he's been in training and "done alot" for a long time. That takes a toll n joints etc.

King Glorious · #10 10-09-2008, 12:13 PM

I also don't believe there was ever any real intention of running in the BC this year.

He did say that if he's to run again this year, he'd consider the Clark or the Cigar.

10 pnt move up · #11 10-09-2008, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I also don't believe there was ever any real intention of running in the BC this year.

He did say that if he's to run again this year, he'd consider the Clark or the Cigar.

Zito has NEVER started a horse in the BC in California......to my knowledge he has never shipped a horse to California?

CSC · #12 10-09-2008, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cakes44

Bellamy Road in the Travers?

Again I don't know Mr. Zito and I am neither a Zito defender or a Zito critic, what I do know of him is what I have read and followed throughout his career, and I don't believe he would race an unsound horse to the point of injurying them. He cares about his horses. Bellamy Road was a horse that had problems and they stopped on him before he could do permanent damage to himself on the racetrack. But in the case of Commentator, the horse is still running well at a highly advanced age for a throughbred, which begs the question I have asked why he hasn't raced more often. Maybe I am wrong but I wonder what explanation it could be. 7 weeks between races still would give a horse a good 6 race year theoretically, these days that would be considered a career for some.