Dixie gets the special line. He's got it at -160 Pais. He's connected like that.

if you want to continue to enjoy Steve's hospitality then you should let this go and accept that I have more power here than you.

thanks rand...but I don't fight old men, I was taught to respect my elders...that is, as long as they continue to deserve respect.

Actually I thought Dixie was a girl on here, tough to know these things....

Odd. I thought Dixie and assto were husband and wife.

I assume you know what you "can do with your POWER".

As far as Steve goes, whatever he wants to do, it's his BALL.

Once again, GET LOST................

When did this paisjpq person become a moderator?

I do know what I can do with my "power" have fun taking some time off

"Paisjpq" has been moderating for the past month and has been a tremendous help maintaining order here. She works in the industry; has total credibility in her knowledge of horses and the game and my full confidence as judge of what we are all trying to accomplish here as a community.

Having just read what went on here, I fully support her decision to give Dixie a week on the bench.. I appreciate everyone's zeal in posting their thoughts and opinions, but as stated numerous times previously, will NOT allow personal attacks and name-calling to rule the day around here...

Steve

This is what I don't get when talking about the strength of the field for the BCC. When in the history of the Breeders Cup, when has there ever been a top to bottom top level all multiple Grade I winners? When? It usually includes three maybe four horses that have won the major races in the year and the rest filled up with some Gr II and GrIII horses.
How is this year any different. You are going to have Lava Man, who has won everything on the West Coast, Invasor up until last Saturday has been winning everything on the East Coast, and Bernardini who has been winning everything thrown at him. How is this going to be so weak and what makes this soo different than any other year? I could be way off base but if anyone can show that in such and such a year the Classic had 9 multple GI winners but I don't think you can find one.
IMO this is one of the most anticpated BCC that I can remember. Three horses fianlly all going to meet to decide HOTY and each of the three are very accomplished.

1998 my man, 1998. That was an allstar field. Maybe not all were in their best form, but it was an allstar field. 1988 wasn't too shabby either.

Sounds good, I just had no idea paisjpq was a moderator. I had always thought Steve and a-team were our benevolent bigger brothers.

OK is 1998 you had 4 very accomplished horses in that field. This year you have three, so far . Do you see my point.

2000 was a hell of a field.

yes I do Bos and was only pointing out the 98 running as an allstar field, its most definitely not the rule!!!

Problem is that you are young enough not to have seen the times when horses were truly campaigned not just "managed". Not an insult but the fact is that you were born too late to see what true great horses could accomplish.

He broke his maiden the first week of March. Where do you suppose he would have got any graded stakes earnings between then and the derby?

Oh I forgot they cancelled all of the derby preps between march 21-april 14th.

My bad.

Never EVER will you hear me bashing anyone for skipping the tri crown or a race within that series.
You can see what the tri crown has done to our best three year olds in the past decade. Its no coiincidence that the most accomplished three year olds who went on to do great things in the summer/fall or at age 4, all skipped part or all of the Tri Crown. Messrs Bell, Ferguson and Albertrani(as well as Sheikh Mo) deserve kudos for not rushing him to the Crown. They have been rewarded with a sound animal for that decision. I wish more would follow their lead in the future.

That's the way I feel. I don't want to do that " you're too young to remember " crap but the way people seem to eagerly declare horses as " great " these days when they pale in comparison to horses from earlier eras is a bit frustrating. Sorry, Bernardini is not a great horse at this point in his career and as far as I'm concerned he needs to both run faster and accomplish more in order to move into that imaginary group. It's possible he will, and that would genuinely be exciting, but sadly we've gotten to a point when pretty much no horse is even allowed to establish greatness.

He hit the gate when he broke his maiden, don't you think that he may have come out of the race a little sore since they didn't run him back until the 29th? I mean in the history of horseracing so many horses have broke their maiden in March and been pointed directly to the Derby. The fact he was able to win the Preakness in his first two turn race on May 20 was a top achievement

It does make you feel a bit old though

Yes, but lucky to have seen some horses to give me this perspective.

Fact is that they were pretty aggresive going from maiden win to Withers to Preakness. That the horse won so easily distracts you from this.

A top achievement against tired horses. Pisses me off. There needs to be changes to the TC format. It's become nothing but a duck, dodge, and pounce on the weary series.

The Withers was specifically chosen due to the fact that it was an allowance race type field of 4 horses.
Luxembourg had only won a maiden and non winners one. Doc Cheney not even that. I don't recall the straggler but he was the same.

The Preakness contained a small field as well, and other then Sweet, Bro D, and Barb, there was noone of any real consequence.
Those moves were not as aggressive as you paint them. They then backed off the Belmont where he would have been 3-5, that was very conservative and the key to his development.

It's not aggresive to go after horses coming off two weeks rest.

That is true but it also makes me a little frustrated knowing that we probably wont see horses like that again.

Asking horses to run 3 miles and 15/16th's in three different states in 35 days is lunacy, pure lunacy. Anyone who chooses not to do that is just smart.

He never ran on two week rest, better check that out bro.

I agree. The Belmont should be held on July 4th.

Preakness looks softer now then it did then. And I hate to say it but the Belmont is really only important if you win the other 2 races.

I'm talking about the horses that ran in the Derby.

Dude it the freaking Preakness, open to all eligible 3 year olds, not the exhausted horse invitational. There have been a lot of horses that have gone Withers to Preakness and I may be wrong but I dont think any of them have ever won the Preakness.

Actually I believe he was slated to go in a conditional allowance the Friday prior to the Withers and chose the Withers instead when told it was coming up so light.

Thats correct, he was actually "hustled" into the field when told only three others were running.
Who was the straggler who was 4th? I can't recall who it was.

Shell I think you have that one wrong. Although run the past few years three weeks before the Preakness, it used to be run only 13 days or 14 days prior to the Preakness. Thats why I don't recall many who tried that move.

Absolutely right in this contention. Read from Bloodhorse:
http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33255

Has been run many different dates in the Spring including at Aqueduct but has always been before the Preakness and has had many runners that opted out of the Derby and went on to try the Preakness.