3/7 (AQU): Gotham S. (Gr. III); Toboggan H. (Gr. III)

[blackthroatedwind]

I think the plan was clearly to drop out of it and make one run. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Shug knows exactly what he's doing.

I hope he gets in the Derby.......because he can absolutely win it.

[KirisClown]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Shug knows exactly what he's doing..

I don't usually disagree with you.. but I have to this time.. Here's why.. in one corner you have McGaughey, a hall of fame trainer.. winner of countless Graded stakes.. success most trainers can only dream of... In the other corner you have message board fans with thousands of posts to their credit...

It's a no brainer who is right..

I wouldnt be surprised at all if Imperial Council's owners were reading this thread and totally second guessing Shug and their horse..

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by KirisClown

I don't usually disagree with you.. but I have to this time.. Here's why.. in one corner you have McGaughey, a hall of fame trainer.. winner of countless Graded stakes.. success most trainers can only dream of... In the other corner you have message board fans with thousands of posts to their credit...

It's a no brainer who is right..

I wouldnt be surprised at all if Imperial Council's owners were reading this thread and totally second guessing Shug and their horse..

Instead of reading this board his owners should look around for Shug's copy of "How to train your horses to be dead last plodders who routinely suck up for minor placings." That can be followed by Volume II, which is of course, "How to train a Derby winner."

NT

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by KirisClown

I don't usually disagree with you.. but I have to this time.. Here's why.. in one corner you have McGaughey, a hall of fame trainer.. winner of countless Graded stakes.. success most trainers can only dream of... In the other corner you have message board fans with thousands of posts to their credit...

It's a no brainer who is right..

I wouldnt be surprised at all if Imperial Council's owners were reading this thread and totally second guessing Shug and their horse..

[Bobby Fischer]

Imagine the outpouring if IC had run well.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Bobby Fischer

Imagine the outpouring if IC had run well.

This all started because you said he 'should've won' yesterday, which makes less sense by the second.

[Bobby Fischer]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

This all started because you said he 'should've won' yesterday, which makes less sense by the second.

Yea, I didn't do a great job of expressing my opinion in that post.

Imperial Council has the problems with his stride, and he isn't really bred to be any better at 10 furlongs than 8.5. Going into the Gotham he wasn't a Kentucky Derby consideration of mine. However he is well liked, and physically he is a nice athletic colt. If he were to run a great race in The Gotham, he would have earned some respect at least as a consideration to run 3rd or 4th. The Gotham was a weak looking field headed by Imperial Council, a gradeII synthetic shipper and two horses who were somewhat unknowns (Masala, Mr.Fantasy).
In a race like the 2009 Gotham, any horse who is supposed to have a shot at winning the Kentucky Derby "should've won". Reflecting and trying to be more fair and accurate, if I Want Revenge did run a big race, a competitive second would have been fine.
Imperial Council ran a non-threatening 2nd and passed a nobody for second at the wire after that horse dueled all race and quit.

[lemoncrush]

Originally Posted by Bobby Fischer

Yea, I didn't do a great job of expressing my opinion in that post.

Imperial Council ran a non-threatening 2nd and passed a nobody for second at the wire after that horse dueled all race and quit.

He did run a non-threatening second. My only reason for pause is that if they had no other aspirations beyond the Gotham, he would have been near the pace like his other previous races. If he would have been run off his feet or dueled into the ground, I would think he has no shot at improving going 2 turns.
But I think it's ridiculous to think the horse is slow because they took him way back in what turned out to be a paceless race. I think he deserves another chance in the Wood.