i guess my point was that some of the horses here have faced tougher competition in the weeks leading up to next saturday compared to what desert party and regal ransom have faced-other than each other that is. for a horse who supposedly is distance challenged, RR certainly has held his own thus far vs his stablemate. how much of his win the other day was the track, how much was himself? everyone is giving desert party a pass in that loss because of the bias. how pronounced was that bias?

desert party seems the better suited for the derby, but i just don't know that the approach the sheikh keeps trying to take (derby via dubai) is the way to go. i guess we'll see.

i do wonder tho if some who are dismissing desert party are doing so due to ownership.

All you people should go easy on Tector. He's a wop too, just like Druggie.

Me too! :D

There were 21 days of racing at Nad al Sheba in the 2008/2009 season. On Dubai World Cup night, there were three route races. All were won by horses who contested the pace and were on it, or literally, just off it (Two Step Salsa, Regal Ransom, Well Armed). No other day of racing produced similar results with horses winning consistently from the same position.

Of course, there were four days of intermittent rain leading up to the races with the track being sealed for the duration, save training hours.

Don't worry, when the Dubai wonders run up the track, I intend to abuse these people unmercifully.

I have no problem with anyone taking a 30-1 flyer on any horse. But making them key horses--please. Since when does ANYONE make a key horse, at a relatively low price, out of a horse trying to overcome a historical 0-fer? If these horses had accomplished something truly spectacular on the way here, OK, I'd listen. But I've seen nothing of the kind.

And since when do I have to be polite about people who served the same role for murderous Middle Eastern fanatics that the Swiss served for the Nazis? Just as the Nazis allowed the Swiss to survive and prosper, so have the maniacs and autocrats of the Middle East allowed the UAE to do the same--because it serves their larger purposes.

Are people here that frigging naive? The Sheik had the "genius" to be born with an ocean of oil under his ass. Wow, I am impressed.

Sycophants to power and money are everywhere, I guess.

That's more like it!

FTFY ;)

EDIT: Stupid HTML fail...

lol
i take issue with a racial slur, so i'm a sycophant? i'm no fan of the middle east powers that be, but i'm not going to call them rag/towel heads either.

Me too.

Yagotaproblemwitthat?
:p

What? I did not see your derby pick here. Do you have one? Or are you just a sniffleing coward too?
I think I Want Revenge will win.

He is the most likely winner, especially with QR's issues. Whether he will provide any value is doubtful, but you can create some underneath in this race.

If racing has taught me anything of late, it is: don't try to beat the most accomplished cheaters.

fuhgettaboutit, paisan. LOL...

Are the connections of Flat Out still trying to get in?

This is the final call to "Big Drama"....

It's still not too late to change your mind.

:)

How about the Woody Stephens or the Kings Bishop. That would be right up his alley

#21 now, next on the list... In the meantime, Atomic Rain has been put on the van from Monmouth to Louisville.

No, he got hurt this week and is out of consideration.

1 Regal Ransom bin Suroor, Saeed -- Garcia, A.
2 Pioneerof the Nile Baffert, Bob -- Gomez
3 I Want Revenge Mullins, Jeff -- Talamo
4 Papa Clem Stute, Gary -- Bejarano
5 Desert Party bin Suroor, Saeed -- Dominguez, R

6 General Quarters McCarthy, Tom -- Leparoux
7 Friesan Fire Jones, J. Larry -- Saez
8 Musket Man Ryan, Derek -- Coa
9 Hold Me Back Mott, Bill -- Desormeaux
10 West Side Bernie Breen, Kelly -- Elliott

11 Chocolate Candy Hollendorfer, Jerry -- Smith
12 Win Willy Robertson, McLean -- Berry, C.
13 Advice Pletcher, Todd -- Douglas, R.
14 Dunkirk Pletcher, Todd -- Prado
15 Mine That Bird Woolley, Bennie -- Borel

16 Flying Private Lukas, D. W. -- Abarado
17 Mr. Hot Stuff Harty, Eoin -- J. Velasquez
18 Summer Bird Ice, Tim -- Rosier
19 Join in the Dance Pletcher, Todd -- DeCarlo, Chris
20 Atomic Rain Breen, Kelly -- Bravo, Joe
------------------------------------------------------------
21 Flat Out Dickey, Scooter -- Garcia, J.
__________________

If the race was limited to 14, does anyone really think the winner this year would have missed the race?

Oh, I don't know. I bet you the #17 horse, Colonel Tiago's full brother, will garner some support.