Prado on Casino Drive

[stonegossard]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

You can't be serious. What does one have to do with the other? How can you completely avoid what I said and talk about another race?

The guy probably lost a bunch cahsing Hard Spun in The Belmont. Needs to blame somebody for his loss.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

The Belmont ride on Hard Spun was a comical Fucl< up.

Gomez could have had a clear and uncontested lead through very moderate fraction - instead he opted to strangle the whole way, in a play to keep Curlin bottled up inside.

I disagree that he was trying to lose the race - obviously. However, it was painfully obvious that he put the bullseye on odds-on favorite Curlin - and was race riding him .. keeping him inside of horses where he doesn't want to be..and getting first run when it's time to sprint home.

It was a great strategy at taking Curlin out of his comfort zone - but Hard Spun is basically an allowance horse when he can't make the lead - and a Grade 1 type stake horse when he can.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The Belmont ride on Hard Spun was a comical Fucl< up.

Gomez could have had a clear and uncontested lead through very moderate fraction - instead he opted to strangle the whole way, in a play to keep Curlin bottled up inside.

I disagree that he was trying to lose the race - obviously. However, it was painfully obvious that he put the bullseye on odds-on favorite Curlin - and was race riding him .. keeping him inside of horses where he doesn't want to be..and getting first run when it's time to sprint home.

It was a great strategy at taking Curlin out of his comfort zone - but Hard Spun is basically an allowance horse when he can't make the lead - and a Grade 1 type stake horse when he can.

I agree with much of what you say here. But...In Hard Spun's only Grade 1 (the kings bishop) win, he was forced to rate until the turn.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Hard Spun vyed for the lead in that race - and it was a VERY mediocre field.

First Defense and E Z Warrior - the horses who finished 2nd and 3rd - they aren't even real good allowance horses in most years.

I tend to look at races for what they are - and don't get carried away with the names of them or what Grade they are.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Hard Spun vyed for the lead in that race - and it was a VERY mediocre field.

First Defense and E Z Warrior - the horses who finished 2nd and 3rd - they aren't even real good allowance horses in most years.

I tend to look at races for what they are - and don't get carried away with the names of them or what Grade they are.

I thought EZ Warrior might be something but there was always an excuse. First Defence, although i believe is talented, is gutless.

How many races these days can you say are graded stakes then? Im not disagreeing with you, I think there are plenty of horses that have built false resumes on fake graded stake races. My only point is that besides the classics, hard spun really never raced anything where you could draw that conclusion. No?

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Gomez could have had a clear and uncontested lead through very moderate fraction - instead he opted to strangle the whole way, in a play to keep Curlin bottled up inside.

To me, it seems as though Gomez is a much better off-the-pace rider than he has a pace guy. He almost always takes back versus go to the front.

[alysheba4]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The Belmont ride on Hard Spun was a comical Fucl< up.

Gomez could have had a clear and uncontested lead through very moderate fraction - instead he opted to strangle the whole way, in a play to keep Curlin bottled up inside.

I disagree that he was trying to lose the race - obviously. However, it was painfully obvious that he put the bullseye on odds-on favorite Curlin - and was race riding him .. keeping him inside of horses where he doesn't want to be..and getting first run when it's time to sprint home.

It was a great strategy at taking Curlin out of his comfort zone - but Hard Spun is basically an allowance horse when he can't make the lead - and a Grade 1 type stake horse when he can.

....too bad you didnt ride him.

[Scurlogue Champ]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The Belmont ride on Hard Spun was a comical Fucl< up.

Gomez could have had a clear and uncontested lead through very moderate fraction - instead he opted to strangle the whole way, in a play to keep Curlin bottled up inside.

I disagree that he was trying to lose the race - obviously. However, it was painfully obvious that he put the bullseye on odds-on favorite Curlin - and was race riding him .. keeping him inside of horses where he doesn't want to be..and getting first run when it's time to sprint home.

It was a great strategy at taking Curlin out of his comfort zone - but Hard Spun is basically an allowance horse when he can't make the lead - and a Grade 1 type stake horse when he can.

I reckon Hard Spun would have beaten Kip Deville's ass in the BC Mile if he had the chance.

No allowance horse in that one

[CSC]

On the subject of Kip Deville he had a bit quirky year last year. Off to a great start, I remember Dutrow rushing him back into a dirt race from a turf race when the horse went off form in the summer. I thought Dutrow may have ruined him but he recovered in time for the Woodbine Mile and then the BC Mile to cap off a great year. He may have been lucky with this one, he's a very nice horse who looks poised to have another big year.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by CSC

On the subject of Kip Deville he had a bit quirky year last year. Off to a great start, I remember Dutrow rushing him back into a dirt race from a turf race when the horse went off form in the summer. I thought Dutrow may have ruined him but he recovered in time for the Woodbine Mile and then the BC Mile to cap off a great year. He may have been lucky with this one, he's a very nice horse who looks poised to have another big year.

shame that a three race plan sounds like a 'big year'.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Danzig

shame that a three race plan sounds like a 'big year'.

True, that's what we have come to. Curlin also...I guess that beats not seeing them at all. A long as they show up in the big events.

[hockey2315]

Would've loved to see HS on the turf.

[stonegossard]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

I usually just blame Morty.

Morty has to be psyched. Ohio Derby is the one day he stops making lampshades out of human body parts in his basement.... and goes out into public and heads to Thistledowns.