Invasor 1 to 9

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I just watched the race a few more times.....


Invasor had an overall good trip and arguably an easier one than the second finisher. He also won by a few lengths in hand and was clearly the best horse but this " troubled trip " is being massively overrated around here. So he snuck inside and was briefly stymied and had to wait for room.....big deal. Hesanoldsalt was sawed off at the start when the horse outside of him came over ( the horse inside of him took the worst of this ) and entered the first turn at least five wide and was never inside the 3 1/2 to 4 path and then rallied 5 wide on the second turn. I don't want to make too much of the wides but the Gulfstream rail was surely good today ( probably not a HUGE advantage ) and perhaps the best part of the track. I am in no way suggesting Hesanoldsalt is the horse Invasor is, but merely pointing out his trip, and I do not believe it was easier than saving all the ground, on both turns, while being relatively briefly steadied off behind horses.

To me one of the most common mistakes people make in watching races is overrating trouble. Trouble is worst early when it costs horses valuable position while expending the same energy as the better position would have cost them. Saving ground, and having a sweet trip, while encountering a little traffic, is far from a bad trip and in fact an all-around good one.

Just my opinion.

Come on, this is Zito's horse...don't you think you are being a little biased here? If Invasor's trip wasn't as bad as you say it is, why the knock on Jara earlier in the thread? Being boxed in AND stumbling/clipping heels is a bit worse in my opinion than a 'little traffic'.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Come on, this is Zito's horse...don't you think you are being a little biased here? If Invasor's trip wasn't as bad as you say it is, why the knock on Jara earlier in the thread? Being boxed in AND stumbling/clipping heels is a bit worse in my opinion than a 'little traffic'.

The trips are what they are and I think if you watch the race a couple more times you will see that I in no way overexagerated Hesanoldsalt's trip. I am not way suggesting he is close to the horse Invasor is but merely suggesting that his trip was less than perfect in contrasting ways to Invasor's.

I knock Jara because I believe that a major responsibility of a rider is, when riding superior horses in races, to take no unnecessary chances. I applaud riders that take risks, like Jara's today, when they ride an inferior horse and need to get lucky to win, or even end up close, but I do not believe every horse should be ridden the same.

[pmayjr]

Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but didn't when Invasor clipped heels and almost go down kinda remind y'all of Afleet Alex in the Preakness a little bit? What a horse!

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by pmayjr

didn't when Invasor clipped heels and almost go down kinda remind y'all of Afleet Alex in the Preakness a little bit?

Not even remotely. He stumbled very briefly and hardly " almost went down ".

I suggest a viewing of the replay....pan and head-on as you are offering a massively distorted view of what actually took place.

Quite frankly I see tougher trips on a regular day to day basis. Trips are about taking everything that happens in a race into account, both individually and as a whole, and not about necessarily focusing on one specific incident. The bottom line is the brief trouble Invasor encountered did not massively supercede all the good things that happened to him in the race.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by pmayjr

Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but didn't when Invasor clipped heels and almost go down kinda remind y'all of Afleet Alex in the Preakness a little bit? What a horse!

Invasor was steadied, his head never went down and never appeared to be in danger of going down. It looked worse than it was because Jara pulled back suddenly as the 2 stopped badly and the fact that he had the horses head turned to the inside makes it look bad. Watch the race without the announcers hysterics. Slow it down and see that he never bobbles, his head pops up because of Jara.

[Antitrust32]

did anyone watch the race on hrtv? The announcer said look at that final time 1:39!

I couldnt believe it my friend I was watching it was like.. well he must have broke the track record by 8 seconds. LOL

Stupid hrtv guys...

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

did anyone watch the race on hrtv? The announcer said look at that final time 1:39!

I couldnt believe it my friend I was watching it was like.. well he must have broke the track record by 8 seconds. LOL

Stupid hrtv guys...

i did.
have to admit i was waiting for 'and that's a new record' the way he said the time!! sarcasm maybe?

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Come on, this is Zito's horse...don't you think you are being a little biased here? If Invasor's trip wasn't as bad as you say it is, why the knock on Jara earlier in the thread? Being boxed in AND stumbling/clipping heels is a bit worse in my opinion than a 'little traffic'.

Jara wouldn't have been in position to BE boxed in or clip heels if he had taken the path of least resistence that Invasor has prefered in virtually all his North American starts/wins... And that is to float 3 or so paths off the inside and swing around the leaders and storm home.

And since you mention Zito, he said that he also thought 'Salt' had a shot just after the eighth pole. He said had one of the other horses approaching the leaders assumed the spot being vacated by one of the tiring pacesetters, Invasor may have found no room at all to get through. He laughingly acknowledged it would have been the only way to have come away with a win Saturday.

But he was THRILLED with the 2nd, as was owner Charlotte Weber (who had been very disappointed by Miesque's Approval 90 minutes earlier).