8/8 (SAR): Whitney (G1); Test (G1)

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

What do the Hollywood Gold Cup, Met Mile, Donn, Foster, and Whitney have in common? They are probably five of the six biggest races we've had in this country for older male routers this year so far. All were won by a horse winning their first and only grade one race. I said five of the six. The sixth would be the Santa Anita Hcp. That race was won by Einstein, who was just seen running in the Arlington Million because he's a grass horse. This is as bad as I've ever seen this division.

I actually think Rail Trip will move up huge if he ever gets to real dirt...of course 10 furlongs might be a stretch but I think the Met would be his ideal race.

[randallscott35]

NY times a day EARLY for Motion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/ny...l?ref=nyregion

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

I actually think Rail Trip will move up huge if he ever gets to real dirt...of course 10 furlongs might be a stretch but I think the Met would be his ideal race.

I don't know if he'd move up or down but I do think he's a very good horse. Very good. I think he's going to win some more big races too. What I was trying to get at is that this year, the division is so weak that it's wide open for the pickings. It used to be that the winners of the big handicap races were holdovers from the previous year's older horses and 3yos. They had usually won a couple of other big races. This year, all of them, save for the Big Cap, have been won by horses winning their first grade one.

[Gander]

Did you guys catch how uninspired and unimpressed Durkin was when Bullsbay made that scintillating move on the turn? If it were any other horse, he would have went nuts. But he simply said "Bullsbay moves into 3rd". That was very un-Durkin like. Here is a pretty sloppy edition of the Whitney and one horse gives him the chance to make a neat call, but for some reason he doesnt jump on it. Very strange call. Maybe he thought the "pre-mature move" as some are calling it, was just that.