2/26 (GP): Fountain of Youth, Hutcheson, Davona Dale (G2's)

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Even if To Honor And Serve was fully cranked and had preps in him for this - The other speeds were herding there way out going into the first turn - and he got caught miserably wide around that first turn on what was a solid early pace being set by a very sharp horse.

When he was struggling to go with a perfectly positioned Soldat - and a good closing sprinter like Gourmet Dinner was positioned so perfectly and about to come by him on the turn- it's when horses can just hit the reset button and plain quit...even fit ones going 9fs off a layoff.

To me - that was the exact race I wanted to see if I was going to like anything about To Honor And Serve going forward.

If Soldat wasn't involved in that race - To Honor And Serve gets to control the pace rating just off that silly Maker longshot ... Dominguez's hand is forced to move early on Gourmet Dinner - he is sent along to confront a fresh To Honor And Serve on the turn - and he gets shrugged off in the stretch. To Honor And Serve wins the race and does it by putting late margins on the field...and his reputation grows.

[Betsy]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Even if To Honor And Serve was fully cranked and had preps in him for this - The other speeds were herding there way out going into the first turn - and he got caught miserably wide around that first turn on what was a solid early pace being set by a very sharp horse.

When he was struggling to go with a perfectly positioned Soldat - and a good closing sprinter like Gourmet Dinner was positioned so perfectly and about to come by him on the turn- it's when horses can just hit the reset button and plain quit...even fit ones going 9fs off a layoff.

To me - that was the exact race I wanted to see if I was going to like anything about To Honor And Serve going forward.

If Soldat wasn't involved in that race - To Honor And Serve gets to control the pace rating just off that silly Maker longshot ... Dominguez's hand is forced to move early on Gourmet Dinner - he is sent along to confront a fresh To Honor And Serve on the turn - and he gets shrugged off in the stretch. To Honor And Serve wins the race and does it by putting late margins on the field...and his reputation grows.

I agree with Andy, of course What I saw in this race is that I don't think the horse can rate comfortably. I doubt he'll make a habit of being fractious in the gate, but if Mott was trying to get him to rate, it didn't work. I'm not sure how far he even wants to go. I was guilty, I think, of being seduced by how he rated against the bad field of maidens he buried.

Also, Soldat was there - and so if it's not him involved, invariably there will be another quality speed that he faces. I think back to his debut when he broke badly from the rail and rushed up to lead for most of the rest of the race. Perhaps that says that he's really a speedball miler type?

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Even if To Honor And Serve was fully cranked and had preps in him for this - The other speeds were herding there way out going into the first turn - and he got caught miserably wide around that first turn on what was a solid early pace being set by a very sharp horse.

When he was struggling to go with a perfectly positioned Soldat - and a good closing sprinter like Gourmet Dinner was positioned so perfectly and about to come by him on the turn- it's when horses can just hit the reset button and plain quit...even fit ones going 9fs off a layoff.

To me - that was the exact race I wanted to see if I was going to like anything about To Honor And Serve going forward.

If Soldat wasn't involved in that race - To Honor And Serve gets to control the pace rating just off that silly Maker longshot ... Dominguez's hand is forced to move early on Gourmet Dinner - he is sent along to confront a fresh To Honor And Serve on the turn - and he gets shrugged off in the stretch. To Honor And Serve wins the race and does it by putting late margins on the field...and his reputation grows.

Forget for a second about how ridiculously you are overrating his supposed first turn trouble.....what you seem to be saying is that if, once again, he had gotten another perfect trip, he probably would have won, if Soldat hadn't been in the race.

You do realize how ridiculous this is....right?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Forget for a second about how ridiculously you are overrating his supposed first turn trouble.....what you seem to be saying is that if, once again, he had gotten another perfect trip, he probably would have won, if Soldat hadn't been in the race.

You do realize how ridiculous this is....right?

Lets say this race took place four weeks after the Remsen...

Put him in post 1 - put Soldat outside. Stick a hopeless longshot who is going to be used like a rabbit and ultimately eased in between them.

Make To Honor And Serve the one who is sent leaving the gate - and make him the one who is floating Soldat out on a fast pace through the first turn.

What's the result going to be? Soldat is probably stopping to a walk. Of course he can't win in that situation.

In terms of a Kentucky Derby chance - I gave To Honor And Serve a very slight edge over some horse who just won a race at Golden Gate - and has never even run on dirt before.

He has a lot to prove ... I suppose it was realistic to think he could overcome his positioning into the first turn - which I think you're under-rating - and just go off and run a 110 Beyer at 9fs in his return?

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Thinking this was anything other than a very disappointing effort by To Honor and Serve feels like seeing what you want to see as opposed to what you really saw. For the first time he hasn't had an absolutely perfect trip, and he didn't exactly set the world on fire, and his trip was far from bad. How good is Gourmet Dinner....and he buried him. Yes, he had a better trip, but To Honor and Serve is supposed to be a superior horse to him....and it wasn't close today.

Sorry, but it seems to me that horses that are going to the Derby off two preps are likely a lot more cranked up than people seem to want to believe. To Honor and Serve packed it in after seven furlongs today. After today I am inclined to go to the " horse he was dressed up by two straight dream trips " side of the fence.

I think this is true. When horses used to have 3-4 prep races before the Derby, I think it was more often the case where they would be well below 100% for their first out. When they are only going to prep twice, there's much less room for error and I think they are wound tighter for the first out than they used to be. It used to be that trainers would not mind losing a race or two in preps if it helped them get their horse just where they wanted for the big one. Not so anymore. Because horses race so infrequently now and because so much emphasis is placed on their record, each loss is now magnified to a level that is pretty ridiculous. With that in mind, trainers are usually trying to win EVERY race now and have their horses tuned accordingly.