Charitable Man and Convocation

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Handicappy

I am getting disappointed with Charitable Man in his last couple of starts and wonder how good he really is. While I think Desormeaux mugged him through-out the middle of the first turn and through the back stretch yesterday, I just wonder how good he is. I wonder what the rest of you folks think.

KD first came inside then pushed out and kept brushing and pushing out charitable man every few strides, checked his horse (convocation) repeatedly as he kept moving into impossible holes just to stay with CM and, of course, cost his own horse any chance in the race. Compromising CM along the way.

KD has been riding great but it is these kinds of rides that make it difficult to handicapp a race.

In the Belmont, Alan got taught a lesson by Desormeaux. Alan moved when he saw MTB's premature move and flattened out in the stretch in what was a distance he probably was not meant to run. I just don't know what to make of CM at this point.

Do you think maybe the horse was a little rank and the jock had a hard time settling him down?

[the_fat_man]

It's be interesting to get E Donovan's take on this. He'd probably set a new personal record for using 'steadied' and 'uncomfortable' in a sentence.

What's there to get about this horse? He got a difficult trip (wide and off the pace, when he's typically closer) in a race that didn't come back (went 2-1 around the track.) And, while running significantly more (in terms of pace and distance covered) than his barnmate, Flat Bold, he gamely finished ahead of that one (while dropping Convocation fairly easily).

I'd like to see Kensei in a more fairly run race.

Of course, next time out, there'll probably be mucho pace and the race will collapse -- and Charitable Man will be sent on a suicide duel. You know how that goes.

P.S. I never really thought much of this horse.