8/8 (SAR): Travers, Test, Ballerina (G1's), Troy, Waya (G3's)

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Rollo do you give any credence to the theory that Honor AP just wasn’t fully cranked for the Shared Belief? And Shirreffs knows how to get a horse ready for the ultimate goal and will have him 100% (or as close as he can be) come Derby Day?

Who knows? Before the race, Shirreffs claimed that the horse was training up to the Shared Belief the same or better than for the SA Derby.

After the race he apparently drank the Mike Smith Kool-Aid and made some nebulous comments that horses know the difference between an exercise rider and a jockey in the morning. Not sure I buy into that, but certainly jockeys tend to work horses faster than the regular exercise riders (usually to the detriment of the horse) probably because they are interested in knowing how "good" a horse is as opposed to trying to help achieve a trainer's conditioning goals.

As far as Shirreffs knowing how to get a horse ready for the big event, not sure I buy that either. He won the Derby with Giacomo on his own admission because Smith told him to press on with the colt despite a losing streak. What else has he won where his horse clearly progressed perfectly to a big race? This year Midcourt was over the top come Big Cap day, Hard Not To Love has tailed off completely since stepping up in trip, and his other 2 SA Derby winners (Tiago, Gormley) were also-rans in the classics.

At any rate, even if he was trying to "give a race" to Honor A.P.--which would have been the wise move considering he was already in the KY Derby on points and the 4-horse field and pace scenario went against the colt's running style--Smith completely ruined it by trying to turn the race on its ear after the opening furlong.

I'd be more worried about Honor A.P. taking a step backwards than believing he will improve off the effort. The horse basically showed that without his well-timed, patented turn move, he is nothing more than a common grinder. The conditions of the Derby (large field, strong pace, extra furlong) will help him, but I don't think his connections do him any favors.