Rabbit for Mine That Bird?

[sdjcom]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

The pace going 12 furlongs is extremely important. Extremely.

NT

I am probably the only person who thinks pace is about 3rd in importance in races 12f and up to marathons, in the country but i stand by it. Good-luck on Belmont day.

[gales0678]

mtb s/b able to run this field right into the ground , he the best 3 yr old in the country right now , he 's faster than all these other rats and he's run the fastest closing qtr in the KY derby since Secretariat

I think he wins for fun on Sat and wins by more than 7 lengths

[Thunder Gulch]

Off the top of my head, I believe Birdstone's Belmont to be the only running of the last 10 where the pace had anything at all to do with the outcome. No need for rabbits here.

[the_fat_man]

Originally Posted by Thunder Gulch

Off the top of my head, I believe Birdstone's Belmont to be the only running of the last 10 where the pace had anything at all to do with the outcome. No need for rabbits here.

Ummm

That was more a '******' (SE) than a 'pace' factor.

[gales0678]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

Ummm

That was more a '******' (SE) than a 'pace' factor.

don't forget JB fat man , he had no interest in seeing a small time jock win a triple crown on a horse he felt he should have been on

henning had to apoligize to the owners of Eddington

[philcski]

Originally Posted by gales0678

don't forget JB fat man , he had no interest in seeing a small time jock win a triple crown on a horse he felt he should have been on

henning had to apoligize to the owners of Eddington

Embarassing for Bailey to go out like that IMO. I was never a fan of him but that was pathetic. Solis did the connections of RHT no favors either with his antics. 5 years later and I'm still bitter about that race.

[sdjcom]

Originally Posted by philcski

Embarassing for Bailey to go out like that IMO. I was never a fan of him but that was pathetic. Solis did the connections of RHT no favors either with his antics. 5 years later and I'm still bitter about that race.

well,well, look at you hanging out with the Bluebloods @ keeneland simulcasting, i knew you would find that place quick..lol how you doin.

[smuthg]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

Ummm

That was more a '******' (SE) than a 'pace' factor.

I still can't believe that Pat Day was on the sidelines for the Belmont, and Servis sticks with f'n Stewie...

[zippyneedsawin]

Originally Posted by smuthg

I still can't believe that Pat Day was on the sidelines for the Belmont, and Servis sticks with f'n Stewie...

There's no doubt SE was duped in the Belmont by the other jocks, but I don't see how Servis could have taken him off Smarty for that race. They had done nothing wrong together (jock & horse) in all of his previous starts. Could you imagine the controversy had he taken Stewart off for Day in the Belmont?

[Suffolk Shippers]

Originally Posted by zippyneedsawin

There's no doubt SE was duped in the Belmont by the other jocks, but I don't see how Servis could have taken him off Smarty for that race. They had done nothing wrong together (jock & horse) in all of his previous starts. Could you imagine the controversy had he taken Stewart off for Day in the Belmont?

If you win the Triple Crown, of what consequence is the controversy to you, though?

I don't think Servis had the forethought to imagine that Bailey would do what he did. Do trainers really think of malicious acts ahead of time? I have no idea.

[gales0678]

Originally Posted by zippyneedsawin

There's no doubt SE was duped in the Belmont by the other jocks, but I don't see how Servis could have taken him off Smarty for that race. They had done nothing wrong together (jock & horse) in all of his previous starts. Could you imagine the controversy had he taken Stewart off for Day in the Belmont?

how are you supposed to fend off 2 suicide attacks in 1 race?

JDB was a great rider in his day , his ride on Eddington may have been the worst ride by a jockey in the history of the Belmont Stakes or any race at Belmont Park ever

[cakes44]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

Ummm

That was more a '******' (SE) than a 'pace' factor.

Which would you call more of a "retard" factor for a 12F race?

Elliot letting Smarty Jones go nuts in the Belmont, or Gomez choking Hard Spun 2 lengths behind a 1:15+ pace?

[the_fat_man]

Originally Posted by cakes44

Which would you call more of a "retard" factor for a 12F race?

Elliot letting Smarty Jones go nuts in the Belmont, or Gomez choking Hard Spun 2 lengths behind a 1:15+ pace?

I was never a fan of HS. I'm also not a fan of announcers feeling the need to speak about anything but the obvious in a race. This includes: commenting about the pace without looking at the splits; how hard a horse is being restrained, etc.

I'm open to an explanation, however, as to why running with (or just ahead of) Curlin early, and ahead of the filly, worked against HS and not the other two.

[cakes44]

Don't you think that letting a horse relax and run using tactics he's more comfortable running allows a horse like HS to have more energy late, while also forcing others to run earlier?

[lemoncrush]

Originally Posted by gales0678

mtb s/b able to run this field right into the ground , he the best 3 yr old in the country right now , he 's faster than all these other rats and he's run the fastest closing qtr in the KY derby since Secretariat

I think he wins for fun on Sat and wins by more than 7 lengths

I've been more than impressed with MTB, but to say he'll run this field into the ground is a little premature, especially with two fantastic
set-ups in the first 2 legs of the triple crown. Dunkirk, Summer Bird and Charitable Man all have a lot of upside going into this race.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by lemoncrush

I've been more than impressed with MTB, but to say he'll run this field into the ground is a little premature, especially with two fantastic
set-ups in the first 2 legs of the triple crown. Dunkirk, Summer Bird and Charitable Man all have a lot of upside going into this race.

From what I see, MTB has one heck of a long-slow-distance training bottom on him. He'll have the endurance to do a mile+ then pick it up. Do the others?

[lemoncrush]

Originally Posted by Riot

From what I see, MTB has one heck of a long-slow-distance training bottom on him. He'll have the endurance to do a mile+ then pick it up. Do the others?

I think it's hard to know. MTB is such a different horse now than he was as a 2 year old, and even in his two preps this spring. He was mediocre at best at his previous running style, then showed dramatic improvement as a deep closer in 2 races with a very respectable pace to close into. In addition, he's received two very good rides by Borel and Smith in his last two races.
The field overall is certainly weaker than the Derby and Preakness, but MTB is far from a lock to me just because we all assume he can get the distance.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by lemoncrush

I think it's hard to know. MTB is such a different horse now than he was as a 2 year old, and even in his two preps this spring. He was mediocre at best at his previous running style, then showed dramatic improvement as a deep closer in 2 races with a very respectable pace to close into. In addition, he's received two very good rides by Borel and Smith in his last two races.
The field overall is certainly weaker than the Derby and Preakness, but MTB is far from a lock to me just because we all assume he can get the distance.

I'm talking more about his training background, not his races. I don't assume he can get the distance, I think it's obvious he will. Faster than someone else, I don't know. Can someone else match his training prep?