Fair point, and true. He did middle move a bit there... but today's was more pronounced in my opinion. The inside run down the backstretch never seems to work in the Derby.

then take it up with mott, who said after hold me backs first start this year that he wanted to keep him on syns, that he didn't want to put him back on dirt. that he 'didn't have a straw in his path' in the remsen where he ran sixth and felt the horse didn't like dirt. it's in bloodhorse, look it up. i posted what mott said as a warning to those picking him for today. if the trainer doesn't like him on natural, why would anyone else?

I just sent him a PM. Hopefully he responds and I'll let you know what he says.

The chart does a good job of describing his performance... "make a good long run along the inside down the backside."

If they time that move better, he'll win some races.

POTN has now beaten the winner of the Illinois Derby, Arkansas Derby(beat him on syn n' dirt by a remarkably similar distance,) Blue Grass, Lands End, Louisiana Derby, U.A.E. Derby, Tampa Bay Derby, and he's beaten the horse who ran a decent 2nd in the Florida Derby. Oh, he also beat the winner of the Gotham and Wood Memorial. He beat that individual twice. So, I don't think he deserves all that's been said about him (good by J White, nor bad by the cavalry.) Today's race was decent. It did appear one horse liked it more than the others. I mean he showed up. He didn't just do nothing (like the favorite etc.) Gomez made the right choice, too. He went with the more seasoned horse, and the other one tripped on his own . Matter of fact, all 3 of the horses behind the Derby winner probably deserve more credit than they get, because all three of them show up and give 100% each race. Baffert's had this horse for 5 races. He's won two Grade 1 races. He's won two Grade 2 races. Then he ran 2nd in the biggest 3 year old race in the World(when given a wet dirt track that who knows whether any of them particularly liked.) So, he's handled turf, dirt, and synthetics. If you run 2nd in the marquee Grade 1 race for 3year olds (on dirt,) then it seems childish for grown people to call you "Pioneer of Nothing."

he already has won some. i think he should go back to where he has the most success. obviously the good three year olds will try the derby, which is what they did with hold me back. but i think his future successes are on where he's had all his success-and that's not on dirt.

and you sent bill mott a pm??

I puked....a lot.

Why? Because he got fed up with the same question over and over and over? He deserves a medal for punking that jackass.

They should have asked him about the MCL he won with this year. His only other win this year.

I'll take a mediocre horse thats earned just shy of 3 million dollars and runs his eyeballs out everytime out, over all the supposedly faster horses who never seem to show up when facing him. It is complete lunacy to call this horse a mediocrity, what than is Dunkirk? I Want Revenge, Fresian Fire and everyone else finishing BEHIND him?

I see that Haskin wrote this on Thursday...
I'd probably almost take the credit for picking him to win it if I'd said something like that, will be interesting to see if he does.

?
again....you guys are taking this race, over that track, as a true accounting of these horses abilities.
good luck with that. you going to bet mine that bird in the preakness?

I sure as he'll won't feel like an idiot or delusional to bet on POTN again , as I see it he's as good as any 3 year old colt in the country, FAR from a mediocrity, as for MTB , it's likely this performance is like Dust Commanders win , he has a lot more to prove than POTN, but on the day he ran the best race, that doesn't mean there are not a lot of nice colts in that field still maturing and physically developing and weren't ready to run the race of their life on this day and time, on a gooey thick track in crowd. There's several steady consistent colts in here and it's ludicrous to assume they've all reached their peak, Forego was an also ran in his Derby. I hate this glass half-empty mentality after every race, if we fans can't appreciate our horses, how can we get upset about the lack of outside interest?

"small time" people :rolleyes: gives hope to us like Dee Tee that the little guys in the sport can win! I find this group MUCH more worthy that last year's in the slick black suits.

Sadly, I'm starting to see Sightseek's point- these owners are nothing like the DeeTee crew, who are not allegedly bribing legislators and don't have a quarter of a million to spend on horses.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/67394.html

Son of a b*tch. Well, at least I can still love Calvin.

(Darn you, Sightseek, and your excellent people instincts!) ;)

Interesting.....but, I think she was talking thier appearance and what he said in the winner's circle. I guess they do have something in common! But, Calvin's ride on SWLY at Saratoga was nowhere near as good as his Derby victories....if fact, I think he didn't really gave her a good chance that day.

You are right. No one cared all week long about his horse. The only question was about that drive with the horse. He got fed up cause even after winning the derby by such a huge margin, that's what they were still asking about. I can't imagine how they must have felt! So much for Sheik Mo, Winstar, Zayat and co. Ya can't buy a Derby.

I know you were talking about Sheik Mo's Godolphin operation but Sheik Hamdan, his brother, was at the Derby in 06 and saw his horse, Jazil, pull a similiar move as yesterday up the rail to finish 4th. He has been a bit more successful but then he doesn't pull the horses away once they are doing well.

did jazil ship to dubai and back? i don't think he did.
hamdan seems the savvier of the two.

I didn't think he belonged but he was 2 yr old Canadian champ and was bred very well for the slop. Let's not discredit the performance on this day.