No Wood for Circular Quay

[POINTGIVEN1985]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

What are the odds that Pletcher doesn't win the Derby with any of his hopefuls???

i dont think he will win, that was before this annoucment and the ravel injury.... even with ravel and circular quay i did not think this was his year

[blackthroatedwind]

So, Circular Quay is supposed to be ready for the Derby off an eight week layoff and essentially one real effort this year?

Excuse me for thinking something's rotten in Denmark.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

So, Circular Quay is supposed to be ready for the Derby off an eight week layoff and essentially one real effort this year?

Excuse me for thinking something's rotten in Denmark.

Hard Spun's options have been left extremely wide open as well (skip Derby or train up to it)...but we can all rest easy tonight knowing that Sedgefield may get his earnings in on Friday and therefore be in the gate the first Saturday in May.

[blackthroatedwind]

I am dubious of Sedgefield's chances Friday.

[zippyneedsawin]

this sucks.

[blackthroatedwind]

It actually makes the Wood a better race as Circular Quay was going to be dramatically affected by the lack of pace.

I hope Circular Quay isn't being kept out of any preps in order to enhance the chances of another Pletcher horse getting enough earnings for the Derby. To rob fans of matchups of top horses because he is training too many good horses is a very unfortunate price for racing to pay and a bad indicator for the future.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It actually makes the Wood a better race as Circular Quay was going to be dramatically affected by the lack of pace.

I hope Circular Quay isn't being kept out of any preps in order to enhance the chances of another Pletcher horse getting enough earnings for the Derby. To rob fans of matchups of top horses because he is training too many good horses is a very unfortunate price for racing to pay and a bad indicator for the future.

I was hoping he'd run a mediocre 4th or something to get a better price on him on Derby Day as I agree, he was subjected to a likely lack of pace in this race.

If that's the motivation... SHAME ON PLETCHER. I was just thinking how he's almost got TOO many possible starters and trying to juggle them all is counterproductive. But why would he compromise his likely "top dog" if this is the case? I have to think something is wrong and if that's the truth, he shouldn't be considering running him in the Derby.

Actually, if he doesn't call an audible and send him to the Blue Grass, he shouldn't run him at all. The calvary charge isn't a place for a horse that's effectively had a 1 race campaign in 2007.

[-BT-]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It actually makes the Wood a better race as Circular Quay was going to be dramatically affected by the lack of pace.

I hope Circular Quay isn't being kept out of any preps in order to enhance the chances of another Pletcher horse getting enough earnings for the Derby. To rob fans of matchups of top horses because he is training too many good horses is a very unfortunate price for racing to pay and a bad indicator for the future.

I agree.

CQ, was on the top of my Derby Trail horses (like most other people). With the move being made (i hate to say this) but i would rather hear that he is infact off the Derby Trail. 8 weeks without a race and skipping your last prep to be replaced by a stablemate sounds really fishy. I also hope this isn't a way for some of Pletcher's other stock to get graded earnings.

How can you have confidence in a horse that's been shelved for 8 weeks prior to the biggest race of his career?

-bt-

[declansharbor]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It actually makes the Wood a better race as Circular Quay was going to be dramatically affected by the lack of pace.

I hope Circular Quay isn't being kept out of any preps in order to enhance the chances of another Pletcher horse getting enough earnings for the Derby. To rob fans of matchups of top horses because he is training too many good horses is a very unfortunate price for racing to pay and a bad indicator for the future.

If that was the case, and I was the owner of CQ, he'd be yanked from Pletcher's barn so fast his head would spin...I would borrow my buddies flatbed truck if I had to...Its safe to say that no horse will ever win the derby off of a 2 month layoff..No way, no how, unless he's a monster amongst stuffed animals...You take all chances away of him being primed for the big race.. A big disservice would be done to the owners of CQ if he was held out of the Wood because of a stablemates earnings (or lack thereof)...I would say "Let's hope thats not the case", but if it wasnt the horse would have soundness issues...Let's hope that's not the case

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It actually makes the Wood a better race as Circular Quay was going to be dramatically affected by the lack of pace.

I hope Circular Quay isn't being kept out of any preps in order to enhance the chances of another Pletcher horse getting enough earnings for the Derby. To rob fans of matchups of top horses because he is training too many good horses is a very unfortunate price for racing to pay and a bad indicator for the future.

Me thinks, this is the case

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It actually makes the Wood a better race as Circular Quay was going to be dramatically affected by the lack of pace.

I hope Circular Quay isn't being kept out of any preps in order to enhance the chances of another Pletcher horse getting enough earnings for the Derby. To rob fans of matchups of top horses because he is training too many good horses is a very unfortunate price for racing to pay and a bad indicator for the future.

If he actually does train CQ up to the Derby, I would be rooting mightily against CQ. That's all we need is for some horse to miraculously win the Derby off an 8-week layoff.

--Dunbar

[lemoncrush]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It actually makes the Wood a better race as Circular Quay was going to be dramatically affected by the lack of pace.

I hope Circular Quay isn't being kept out of any preps in order to enhance the chances of another Pletcher horse getting enough earnings for the Derby. To rob fans of matchups of top horses because he is training too many good horses is a very unfortunate price for racing to pay and a bad indicator for the future.

This has got to be the reason.
If Any Given Saturday is ready and his owners are desperately wanting to make the derby, the wood is a far easier spot than the BlueGrass to get the graded earnings.
I hope that CQ is sound, otherwise i assume they would run him in the bluegrass, even though he didn't love the track when he ran their last fall.

[cal828]

Have no clue about whether CQ is hurt or not, but sending AGS to the Wood doesn't sound like the worst plan. He seemed likely to have another gut-wrencher against Street Sense or Great Hunter in the Blue Grass and might not have gotten enough graded money to go on to the Derby. I thought it was nuts to send him to the Blue Grass in the first place. Could be wrong and usually am, but I think he will romp in the Wood.

[POINTGIVEN1985]

Originally Posted by cal828

Have no clue about whether CQ is hurt or not, but sending AGS to the Wood doesn't sound like the worst plan. He seemed likely to have another gut-wrencher against Street Sense or Great Hunter in the Blue Grass and might not have gotten enough graded money to go on to the Derby. I thought it was nuts to send him to the Blue Grass in the first place. Could be wrong and usually am, but I think he will romp in the Wood.

romp over nobiz ? he will be lucky to win

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by POINTGIVEN1985

romp over nobiz ? he will be lucky to win

There's a big difference between the styles of CQ and Any Given Saturday. Before this announcement it was feasible to think that Nobiz could have gotten loose and backed the pace down making it impossible for a closer like Circular Quay to get there. Any Given Saturday is a completely different horse, so I'd wait and look at the PPs before saying anybody will be "lucky to win."

NT

[MisterB]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

So, Circular Quay is supposed to be ready for the Derby off an eight week layoff and essentially one real effort this year?

Excuse me for thinking something's rotten in Denmark.

BINGO!