2012 Triple Crown Trail: 11 try to deny I'll Have Another

[Travis Stone]

The graded earnings stuff is starting to reach fever pitch. I think this year it could really blow-up depending on how a few things shake-out.

A horse like El Padrino, having won a "key" 3yo prep and having run a decent enough race in the Florida Derby, is more deserving of a chance than say a 2yo sprinter. Went The Day Well, whether you like him or not, is supposed to be in the gate for the Derby, but is currently 19th. Yes, I know, a lot can happen between now and May (and a lot will), but still.

I'm sorta tired of the "when was the last time a legit horse was left out" stuff because suddenly, particularly this year, graded earnings are more common than 7-Elevens's and Circle K's.

On the flip side, it feels as though this system is going to force trainers to actually run their horses a bit... and the "two prep" method might suffer a bit, which is a good thing.

[Mike]

Why isn't Ever So Lucky listed in the Graded earnings? He was 3rd in a Grade III this year, and 2nd in a Grade II last year. Plus, he's entered in the Bluegrass, though he doesn't look good to me in that race, it's possible he could get 3rd.

[3kings]

Originally Posted by Mike

Why isn't Ever So Lucky listed in the Graded earnings? He was 3rd in a Grade III this year, and 2nd in a Grade II last year. Plus, he's entered in the Bluegrass, though he doesn't look good to me in that race, it's possible he could get 3rd.

On another list I saw him at $48,502.

[Mike]

Thanks. With only $48k Ever So Lucky would have to get 2nd place to have any shot.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

The graded earnings stuff is starting to reach fever pitch. I think this year it could really blow-up depending on how a few things shake-out.

A horse like El Padrino, having won a "key" 3yo prep and having run a decent enough race in the Florida Derby, is more deserving of a chance than say a 2yo sprinter. Went The Day Well, whether you like him or not, is supposed to be in the gate for the Derby, but is currently 19th. Yes, I know, a lot can happen between now and May (and a lot will), but still.

I'm sorta tired of the "when was the last time a legit horse was left out" stuff because suddenly, particularly this year, graded earnings are more common than 7-Elevens's and Circle K's.

On the flip side, it feels as though this system is going to force trainers to actually run their horses a bit... and the "two prep" method might suffer a bit, which is a good thing.

I agree about the earnings thing, but not necessarily with your examples of El Padrino and Went The Day Well.

If El Padrino doesn't make the cut, blame the connections. They ditched the obvious and logical course of action of starting him in the Louisiana Derby. While the Risen Star is an important springboard, it is not really a "prep" in its own right. Looking at the 1-2-3 finishers in its past 30 runnings, only Risen Star and Mucho Macho Man have even hit the board in the Kentucky Derby (both 3rd in 1988 and 2011). I know Tejano Run came out of that race as well, but overall it hasn't been particularly productive.

Went The Day Well won the Spiral, which is a Grade 3 race. While it has the recency of Animal Kingdom's one-in-a-million double, its hardly recognized as a marquee race anymore, and its running on a synthetic surface does it no favors. In addition, Went The Day Well has done little outside of this race, so he actually could be considered a horse that is riding the "earnings gravy train" straight into the Derby, with little to back it up.