Barbaro (the Champ)

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

The difference in Lava Man and the Midwest and East Coast contingent is at least the majority of the top horses this side of the country have traveled outside of their area and faced different competition.

Not giving Lava Man a prep at Belmont or Keeneland is going to backfire. Running him in the Hirsch is avoiding all challengers that matter. The horse might not be a fluke, but his connections sure are acting like he is.

I want the horse to compete with the best. What's left in California?

Putting him in a turf race makes perfect sense...the oldest angle in the sport (that actually works) is turf to dirt! This will set him up perfectly for the BCC, winning a dirt race against any competition as a prep would be meaningless...the BCC win has to be the objective if they want HOY!

[Gander]

Who exactly is left on the East Coast besides Bernardini and possibly Invasor for Lava Man to change his plans and run a prep against? You guys act like the East coast contains 4-5 older horses that Lava Man should have to worry about.

Originally Posted by Gander

Who exactly is left on the East Coast besides Bernardini and possibly Invasor for Lava Man to change his plans and run a prep against? You guys act like the East coast contains 4-5 older horses that Lava Man should have to worry about.

Ugghh, this bs argument again. Look, hes a gelding guys. Pissing matches are for guys with a whole lotta cash and nothing better to do. He ha sno stud value, so repeat after me, easiest spots possible for the largest amount of money.
And Tim get real, good Reward is about 222nd best dirt horse on the East Coast, and he was an ok second to lava athis home track. lava would never beat many of the east Coast horses on a neutral track. We heard this same crap last year before the JCGC where mysteriously he lost a close photo with the ambulance.
His campaign this year has proved absolutely nothing new at all. We already knew that on speed biased claifornia racetracks that he could beat very bad horses. He actually has to beat better than : WHos Crying Now, Cheroot, Magnum, good Reward, Kings Drama, and good ole Ace Blue(by a nose no less, wow, he beats ace blue by a nose, thats really the earmark of a champion) to be Hoy or even mentioned in that venue.

[Gander]

Hes got 2 horses he has to beat: Bernardini and Invasor. Thats it.
The rest of these east coast horses have more excuses than accomplishments. Who exactly did Invasor beat in the Suburban? Wild Desert, Andromedas Hero? Give me a break. Those arent top horses either.

Alright enough of this stuff. Looking at tomorrow's card, lets start with race 6 shall we?

Originally Posted by Gander

Who exactly is left on the East Coast besides Bernardini and possibly Invasor for Lava Man to change his plans and run a prep against? You guys act like the East coast contains 4-5 older horses that Lava Man should have to worry about.

The connections are gambling that the problems he's had shipping east are corrected. To me it would be wise to make sure the problems have been corrected a race before the Classic instead of playing the safe card and running him in the Hirsch.