7/2-4 (BEL): Suburban/Dwyer; Futurity/Matron/Bed o' Roses; Prioress

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Is Flat Out that 3yo from a couple of years ago that was coming up at Oaklawn?

If so, I had wondered what became of that horse. He was a horse I thought had a decent chance to win the Derby that year. Considering that crop and all the injuries in it, that is.

Yeah, I just saw his PPs. Ran evenly in the Arkansas Derby (off a late running 4th to Old Fashioned in the Southwest) before disappearing for a year and a half. Crushed a Fair Grounds allowance comeback in December, then disappeared for another 5 months, returning with a second in the Lone Star Handicap. He was beaten less than 3 lengths in the Stephen Foster.

[DaTruth]

Glad to see Flat Out finally win a major stakes race. I've been following him since his maiden win at Fair Grounds over Country Day. It looked like he might be a player in the Fair Grounds/Oaklawn handicap division this year after his win off a nearly 19 month break, but then he went back on the shelf. DRF reports that he cracked a shoulder after the Arky Derby, and has been dealing with quarter cracks. Hope his connections can keep him together the rest of the year.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

Yeah, I just saw his PPs. Ran evenly in the Arkansas Derby (off a late running 4th to Old Fashioned in the Southwest) before disappearing for a year and a half. Crushed a Fair Grounds allowance comeback in December, then disappeared for another 5 months, returning with a second in the Lone Star Handicap. He was beaten less than 3 lengths in the Stephen Foster.

Yep. I thought his race in the Arkansas Derby was better than it appeared to be to most people. I never did read or find out what happened to him all this time. He just disappeared without me ever having seen a write up on him.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Yep. I thought his race in the Arkansas Derby was better than it appeared to be to most people. I never did read or find out what happened to him all this time. He just disappeared without me ever having seen a write up on him.

the ark derby was better than it appeared/really

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

the ark derby was better than it appeared/really

Flat Out, his performance, was better than it appeared to be either on paper, or going by what people said about it, at the time.

Is that better said?

[PatCummings]

I played Flat Out in the Foster and basically just forgot to yesterday. My loss. But the reason I was really on to him had to do with the interview Steve had with Brian Pochman from Lone Star before their big race.

Pochman revealed that every Kentucky horseman he talked to before the LSP Hcp asked whether or not Flat Out was coming to the race. He found that so odd because Flat Out, at that point, was just an allowance winner off a long layoff, and that it was somewhat indicative that this horse had been looking really solid in the mornings at Churchill.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

Pochman revealed that every Kentucky horseman he talked to before the LSP Hcp asked whether or not Flat Out was coming to the race. He found that so odd because Flat Out, at that point, was just an allowance winner off a long layoff, and that it was somewhat indicative that this horse had been looking really solid in the mornings at Churchill.

I would say it had very little at all to do with how Flat Out was training.

I would think the reason (any sharp Kentucky) horsemen (with at least one halfway ok horse) most likely wanted to know if FO was going to Lone Star - was because the Lone Star Park Handicap had a 300K purse, Graded status, and handicap conditions ... and it only ended up as a field of five with Flat Out.

If Flat Out doesn't go - it's a field of four and becomes a very attractive spot to run.

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

I would say it had very little at all to do with how Flat Out was training.

I would think the reason (any sharp Kentucky) horsemen (with at least one halfway ok horse) most likely wanted to know if FO was going to Lone Star - was because the Lone Star Park Handicap had a 300K purse, Graded status, and handicap conditions ... and it only ended up as a field of five with Flat Out.

If Flat Out doesn't go - it's a field of four and becomes a very attractive spot to run.

And it's not an attractive place to run with five horses, one of whom is coming off a five month layoff, preceded by a 19-month layoff? Bull. How many times are trainers, with horses good enough to be considered for a $300k G3, worried enough that several of them ask specifically about the plans of a horse who has done nothing but win a $50,000 3YO stake in January 2009 and a non-descript allowance event at the Fair Grounds in December 2010?