If you had a Derby horse...

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by justindew

I'd say you're probably correct, with the possible caveat being that he may have felt it was a gamble worth taking given Algorithm's potential and the likelihood that Gemologist was his for the taking also. Of course, both of those horses are Pletcher's. So maybe I'm arguing both sides here.

Right, it was more of the Pletcher brigade than one particular horse. He could have been relatively high on El Padrino at the time he made the decision to go against Union Rags. He also knew that Algorithms was very good at the time and Gemologist was yet to make his 3YO debut. Clearly, Castellano has worked his way into Pletcher's barn and it's paying off in a big way. I think you do your best to maintain the loyalty rather than step outside the box. Isn't this what prompted Gomez to choose Pioneerof the Nile over Dunkirk 3 yrs ago?