hard spun ..impressed..not really

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The post is not a bad one at Turfway and the being 3 wide in routes is not bad either. The track plays almost opposite of a regular dirt track.

No doubt TP poly is more fair when wide, but Hard Spun took the overland route at every point in the race---and just got the feeling he was in control from the opening bell and Pino could take it any time he wanted it....End of the day, I'm looking forward to Hard Spun's next race when I wasn't even looking forward to this one.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by randallscott35

No doubt TP poly is more fair when wide, but Hard Spun took the overland route at every point in the race---and just got the feeling he was in control from the opening bell and Pino could take it any time he wanted it....End of the day, I'm looking forward to Hard Spun's next race when I wasn't even looking forward to this one.

He got almost the same trip he got in the Oaklawn race. Everybody killed Pino then . Funny how circumstances can make the same ride either great or horrible.

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

He got almost the same trip he got in the Oaklawn race. Everybody killed Pino then . Funny how circumstances can make the same ride either great or horrible.

I just think he was flat that day at OP for whatever reason....I'll tell you, whenever I see Jones horses at Bel or Sar, they always look muscled out. Bunch of tanks running around. And from what I could see from ESPN today, he has that look.

[randallscott35]

I'm just thrilled Bullara was up the track.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by randallscott35

I'm just thrilled Bullara was up the track.

He had to be up the track...he has very limited ability. I was thrilled Twilight Meteor, who was the second choice I think, didn't run a lick. To me he was the biggest joke in the race. I don't blame them for running but from a handicapping standpoint he was a complete toss for me.

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

He had to be up the track...he has very limited ability. I was thrilled Twilight Meteor, who was the second choice I think, didn't run a lick. To me he was the biggest joke in the race. I don't blame them for running but from a handicapping standpoint he was a complete toss for me.

You know what I think has been happening with this, people are too quick to equate grass form with poly form....I hear from everyone that "a horse that's good on grass should love poly" and vice versa. It isn't that easy but people are betting that way....And to me the overall ability level of TM on grass wasn't much anyway.

[The Bid]

Had he been beaten Pino would have been bashed for another 3 wide trip. The only difference is this field was a bunch of plugs, he probably could have been 5 wide and won. I dont think this enhances his chances of winning the Derby, infact I dont think hes a serious contender, however nothing else in that field was either.

Yeah, nice call there. I looked at those Bullara PP's over and over, it took him 7 times to break his maiden which is of course red flag right there, at least for the win. So ok, he's not great, but he's now gone back to the Pletcher barn after his maiden win. So maybe something's up there, maybe he's finally figured it out.

But then I look at all those maiden races and one time he was less than even money to win and he fails. And three other times, he was less than 3-2 to win and he cant win. How can a horse be that well thought of that many times and still not win..? Maybe they were setting it up for the big score?? I dunno, seemed odd.

[golfer]

To my untrained eye, Hard Spun broke much sharper yesterday than at Oaklawn, he could have gotten the lead, Pino took a hold of him.. at Oaklawn, he had no chance to get the lead. Other than that, the trips were basically the same.

[Kasept]

Hard Spun was plenty impressive Saturday despite again having trouble off the turn with his lead change. This WASN'T the identical race he ran in the Southwest.. it was the identical race he ran in the LeComte, a race people seem to have forgotten, and one in which he did exactly what he did at Turfway.

As I said all week, when Steve Asmussen stated he was bringing Curlin back to Kentucky because he didn't like how his horses have been getting over the Oaklawn surface, it was independent confirmation that what Larry Jones had said after the Southwest had credibility. Personally, as a Jones fan (Hello Liberty, Wildcat Bettie B, Gasia, et al..), I loved yesterday's result as a "GFY" to the racing press that was so quick to deride Jones and scoff at the Danzig colt.

What made the effort impressive was his being used early to gain position (:22.4) and his subsequent ability to run on... :22.4, :24.3 (:47.2), :24.1 (:48.4), :25.0 (:49.1), :12.4 (:37.4), 1:49.2. What he showed today was that he is a handy colt. Demonstrating tractability, he did it entirely on his own while under steady restraint by Pino.

I don't know why anyone would doubt his viability as a classic runner moving forward.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by randallscott35

I just think he was flat that day at OP for whatever reason....I'll tell you, whenever I see Jones horses at Bel or Sar, they always look muscled out. Bunch of tanks running around. And from what I could see from ESPN today, he has that look.

I think that if the Southwest was run at TP then he may have won that too.

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

He got almost the same trip he got in the Oaklawn race. Everybody killed Pino then . Funny how circumstances can make the same ride either great or horrible.

At Oaklawn he fired the same way he did today and hung. He did not hang today. I thought he had a lot of gunk upon scoping him at the SW. It may be the surface, but it may be the horse was fit today.

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by pgardn

At Oaklawn he fired the same way he did today and hung. I thought he had a lot of gunk upon scoping him. It may be the surface, but it may be the horse was fit today.

They all have gunk when they don't fire. Or entrapped, or didn't like the track, or don't run well on cloudy days....etc....he just didn't have it that day. As i've always said, they aren't robots. The best horses have off days---except Mineshaft--LOL.

Originally Posted by randallscott35

They all have gunk when they don't fire. Or entrapped, or didn't like the track, or don't run well on cloudy days....etc....he just didn't have it that day. As i've always said, they aren't robots. The best horses have off days---except Mineshaft--LOL.

Mineshaft had one off day I believe. His first on the turf. After he got off of that surface things were never the same.
Dammit Randall Im tryin to help you here. He may not have been feeling well at the SW. I think he is a good horse poly or not. He may not win the Derby but he has the style that can. Only thing is he appears to run hard. He looks like he takes a bit of a pounding, but this may just be me. Or maybe its just the replays I have watched. Others may show differently.

[randallscott35]

Originally Posted by pgardn

Mineshaft had one off day I believe. His first on the turf. After he got off of that surface things were never the same.
Dammit Randall Im tryin to help you here. He may not have been feeling well at the SW. I think he is a good horse poly or not. He may not win the Derby but he has the style that can. Only thing is he appears to run hard. He looks like he takes a bit of a pounding, but this may just be me. Or maybe its just the replays I have watched. Others may show differently.

LOL, thanks buddy but I don't look for help....Yeah I wish Mineshaft had been over here for the 3 yr old dirt season. Useful horse on the turf, monster on the dirt.