Eight Belles to the Derby?
 

If you take the last four Beyers of every horse in the field there is no one that can beat her. I know, it is tainted cause Big Brown only has three starts but still, if she were male and had those Beyers wouldn't she be the second choice? Why the hell not run her? The Oaks is a joke anyways, the more prestigious 3yo filly races are this summer in NY.

Well... I don't think the Oaks is a joke, I'd give just about anything to win it, but I definitely think both her and Proud Spell should go to the Derby. Why not take a shot!!

agree they both should run in the derby, they would both be legit

It's not a joke, it has just been overhyped as if it is the equivalent of the Derby when plain and simple, it just isn't even in the same ballpark. The best 3yo filly racing is in the summer in NY, not in the Oaks.

Depends on what you mean by "hype". Experience wise... it's my absolute favorite day to attend the races. From a perspective of what race I'd like to win, I'd take the Oaks over every filly & mare race outside of the BC Distaff and the Alabama. It isn't the Derby but NOTHING is the Derby, you know that.

Eight Belles, Proud Spell, and Pure Clan are all among the twenty best 3yo's this year.

Aren't the fillies that contest the Kentucky Oaks typically the same one's that run in the Mother Goose, CCA Oaks, and Alabama?

There are a bunch of veteran NY based trainers that couldn't care less about the Oaks who always have a few contenders once the summer months come along. They usually meet the quality horses from the Oaks once the riffraff have been sorted out.

"Porter said he still has to review the competition for the Derby as it stands after April 12, but that a long-term plan would have Eight Belles at least entering the Derby, should everything fall into place."

So they're going to enter her in both and then scratch out of one? That's really fair to other horses that will get shut out because there's no AE list for the derby or oaks. . . Porter's a d#$%& bag. . .

i'd imagine he'll enter and then wait to see what post they get. he's got the right to do so, and the money won to allow it.

you really think that's fair to keep another horse out of a race like the derby or oaks?

I'm not sure he can even do that. You may have to choose one or the other at entry time. Otherwise everyone with a contending horse in the Derby would of course enter their Oaks filly as well to cut down on the field size.

if someone gets knocked out, they should just cry me a river. everyone knows the rules, his filly has the money won, while others don't. i'm sure if he enters her when it's time, it's with every intention of running her there. if she ends up in the oaks, so be it. so it'll keep out a horse like denis of cork...so what. he should have run in the rebel and another horse would be on the bubble instead. if people don't like the rules on the AE deal, they should take it up with churchill downs, rather than get pissed off at rick porter if his filly ends up in the oaks.

no shot
 

Enough about Beyer Speed Figures, Eight Belles has no shot to win the Derby, none....Rags to Riches was a genetic freak last year and if people think she will go into this group and run with Big Brown, War Pass and Gayego up front and hold off the closers. I hope she does run she will take a lot of money after Rags winning last year in the Belmont. There is more to the Kentucky Derby than speed figures.

Umm. . . no. . . not if she's entered in both.

Can I interest you in an Eight Belles/Eight Belles Oaks/Derby double?

Not saying she's going to win but considering how her figures stack up against this crop they have every right to enter her.

Hmmm, guaranteed to get my money back, sounds better than most wagers I make.

Post time favorite in the case of a scratch. . . So I hope you're a Brown Fan

Such as who?

Aside from Sky Beauty and Yanks Music (a decade ago), you can pretty much bank on the Oaks influencing the Mother Goose trifecta going on about 20 years now.