GP successfully lures Uncle Mo to Timely Writer

[RolloTomasi]

I guess this is GP's roundabout way of admitting they should never have moved the Florida Derby from its mid-March spot.

Now that the Tampa Bay Derby has gobbled up prestige and significance with a bullet, GP is seeking to destroy it by throwing in this banana peel. Should be good for racing.

Santa Anita did the same thing in the mid '90s, when they made the restricted Santa Catalina an open (and eventually graded) race in mid-January.

They were tired of seeing already established horses like Gate Dancer, Snow Chief, Tabasco Cat, and Tank's Prospect ship up to San Francisco to run in the El Camino Real Derby, especially after all of those later won the Preakness Stakes.

[johnny pinwheel]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

I guess this is GP's roundabout way of admitting they should never have moved the Florida Derby from its mid-March spot.

Now that the Tampa Bay Derby has gobbled up prestige and significance with a bullet, GP is seeking to destroy it by throwing in this banana peel. Should be good for racing.

Santa Anita did the same thing in the mid '90s, when they made the restricted Santa Catalina an open (and eventually graded) race in mid-January.

They were tired of seeing already established horses like Gate Dancer, Snow Chief, Tabasco Cat, and Tank's Prospect ship up to San Francisco to run in the El Camino Real Derby, especially after all of those later won the Preakness Stakes.

right on.......They moved the fla derby which was another dumb mistake...now they want to mess with tampa because its in the right time frame for key runners. the management of that track is probably the worst in history.......look at that place...its the poster child of how not to run a race track. if it were not for the good winter weather........

[Thunder Gulch]

Pletcher has better in his barn than Mo would face in this race at Gulfstream. He should just match them up and work them on his own. It's not like Repole needs the purse there anyway.

[slotdirt]

I forgot why I liked Repole, then I remembered he was a St. John's grad. That explains that.

[Linny]

If Mo runs at GP, they get the gate draw, but not a better race. Who the devil would show up to face him for $100k of ungraded money?
If I had a 3yo there is no way I'd want to take on the pro tem leader under those conditions. I want the $2m at Louisville in order to take on the top horse.

[VOL JACK]

Exactly.

It would be him and 3 other hopeless claimers looking to battle it out for the 20k 2nd place money.

[Linny]

Of course, the TBD could be just the same, but with a $300k purse second is $60k in graded money.