5/31-6/1 (WO): Nassau S. (Gr. II); Plate Trial

[CSC]

Originally Posted by hockey2315

You're absolutely insane if you think they should run him back in the plate.

Why? They have pointed for this since even before the Withers. I was one that agreed with Pletcher he should had run in the Preakness. I don't think one can read too much into one incredibly bad performance. The Plate makes more sense to me from a financial and prestige point of view than The Dywer. You need to expand to me why it is so insane? If you had told me that before the Preakness I would have agreed, but that race has come and gone, no use being revisionist about that now. Time to move forward if he wins the Plate the goal was achieved.

[hockey2315]

Why waste another start on a track he clearly doesn't like? Get him on the dirt and send him to races he can win that actually matter.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by hockey2315

Why waste another start on a track he clearly doesn't like? Get him on the dirt and send him to races he can win that actually matter.

That may be the case and then again it may not be, I think you are assuming it was just the track that caused him to run badly. I am not dismissing that either, however I think you need more proof rather than having a knee jerk reaction. The point is they made a decision of having a real possibility of winning the Preakness for the Queens Plate, that was quite a price to pay, to change mid stream again and now point for the Dywer makes no sense to me. Skipping the Preakness for the Dywer cannot be the better option. If this were poker the hand would be pot committed, it's hard to fold now.

[hockey2315]

Why is it hard to fold now? They're not committed at all. And if it's not the surface then the horse is either hurt or he's MUCH worse than lots of people (including me) thought. The fact that they skipped the Preakness should have no bearing on their decision now. It's water under the bridge - now they can either run the horse back on the poly and risk wasting another race (and probably decreasing the value of the horse) - or they can go to the Dwyer and then point to either the Travers or Haskell. There's no reason whatsoever why they can't switch plans and go the Dwyer - which is the much better option - at this point. It's not like they haven't messed around with his schedule before (see Preakness, Ohio Derby).

[blackthroatedwind]

Running him in the Plate would be absolutely insane and is extremely unlikely.

[hockey2315]

Thank you.

[CSC]

We can speculate the why's all night long, it can be one of many or a combination of 2 or more or all factors why a horse would run badly. To me this was one just one failed prep. The mistake if there is one was missing the Preakness, we will just have to wait and see what Pletcher does and whether Stronach will listen.

[King Glorious]

It's easier for me to accept a dislike for a track when I see a good horse run below form but still at least put up an effort. I didn't see an effort out there from him. Real good horses can win on tracks they don't really like or at least they can show up and try. I could be way off here and I'm sure some of the usual suspects will chime in to tell me that I am, but I don't think it was the track.

Question to those that think he just didn't like the track. If Big Brown were in that race today and completely hated the track, do you think he would have finished off the board or do you think his talent advantage would have kept him in the picture? I can't see him off the board in that race today no matter what he thought of the track.

[hockey2315]

You are way off.

[hockey2315]

Originally Posted by CSC

The Plate makes more sense to me from a financial and prestige point of view than The Dywer.

Not if he can't win it. . .