Rachel to Monmouth on July 24...

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Danzig

http://startelegramsports.typepad.co...the-grade.html

an interesting article by gary west about rachels next race. make sure you read the comments section as well, with GW going into more detail about past racing...

West's points are not exactly valid. First of all if someone would tell me why the added money is a big deal I could stomach it a little better. Just taken at face value considering the horse and owner it looks a little greedy. I am not against anyone making money and can't knock a track for adding money from its own pocket to entice a big draw but as Freddy would say, 90k is a drop in the bucket for Jackson. Come out and say you want to try to break the record for earnings for a filly if that is the goal. Of course he may not want to say that in case Zenyatta winds up with that title. Acting as though Monmouth didnt pander by not only raising the purse but date of the race and distance is well typical from this writer concerning anything Asmussen related.

The comparison to Kelso was incredibly stupid. Top horses of that era often tuned up in non stakes races between starts, you know sometimes like 5 or 6 days, not weeks, before the next race? The fact is that not only was there no grading system then, there were also a whole lot fewer stakes and transportation was a lot more complicated than it is now. For horses of that era, 17 starts was a season, not a career.

The other cases are laughable. How many horses did Damascus duck? Why wouldnt Holy Bull start his campaign in a sprint stake? That was how it was done then. Favorite Trick? As a 3 year old? LOL. He was a punching bag by that point. The irony in bringing up FT is she is certainly challenging his 3 year old campaign as the weakest by a returning horse of the year.

Plus Gary West is a sourpuss. He's a dial turner.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

West's points are not exactly valid. First of all if someone would tell me why the added money is a big deal I could stomach it a little better. Just taken at face value considering the horse and owner it looks a little greedy. I am not against anyone making money and can't knock a track for adding money from its own pocket to entice a big draw but as Freddy would say, 90k is a drop in the bucket for Jackson. Come out and say you want to try to break the record for earnings for a filly if that is the goal. Of course he may not want to say that in case Zenyatta winds up with that title. Acting as though Monmouth didnt pander by not only raising the purse but date of the race and distance is well typical from this writer concerning anything Asmussen related.

The comparison to Kelso was incredibly stupid. Top horses of that era often tuned up in non stakes races between starts, you know sometimes like 5 or 6 days, not weeks, before the next race? The fact is that not only was there no grading system then, there were also a whole lot fewer stakes and transportation was a lot more complicated than it is now. For horses of that era, 17 starts was a season, not a career.

The other cases are laughable. How many horses did Damascus duck? Why wouldnt Holy Bull start his campaign in a sprint stake? That was how it was done then. Favorite Trick? As a 3 year old? LOL. He was a punching bag by that point. The irony in bringing up FT is she is certainly challenging his 3 year old campaign as the weakest by a returning horse of the year.

all good points. i don't think the money matters to jackson-except insofar as adding to rachels overall money won. his bottom line is healthy whether she runs for 200k or 500k, or more.

i'm just trying to find a good reason for them starting her here. i haven't figured out the logic behind it yet, and thought west presented some valid points. it is true tho that horses of the past didn't start only in graded races, but as you say, there weren't a lot of them, and travel wasn't as easy then. horses didn't have works between races, they raced to stay fit.
so, why is jackson going here? why is he so chicken with her this year, after going so far with her last year? it seems a lukewarm effort, and one that makes no sense. he at least tried other things with curlin-he isn't trying anything new with rachel. seems a waste of her talents. her legacy would have been better had they just retired her last year.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Danzig

all good points. i don't think the money matters to jackson-except insofar as adding to rachels overall money won. his bottom line is healthy whether she runs for 200k or 500k, or more.

i'm just trying to find a good reason for them starting her here. i haven't figured out the logic behind it yet, and thought west presented some valid points. it is true tho that horses of the past didn't start only in graded races, but as you say, there weren't a lot of them, and travel wasn't as easy then. horses didn't have works between races, they raced to stay fit.
so, why is jackson going here? why is he so chicken with her this year, after going so far with her last year? it seems a lukewarm effort, and one that makes no sense. he at least tried other things with curlin-he isn't trying anything new with rachel. seems a waste of her talents. her legacy would have been better had they just retired her last year.

No, horses did work between races then as well. I stand by my reasoning that he hates to lose more than he likes to win. Don't forget that she was odds on in all those tough races last year. And the Woodward was an awful weak edition last year. He is simply looking to run a layup drill a la Zenyatta though he is much more demanding that the Z crew. At least they recognize the competition is terrible and they dont need to resort to having races created for them.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

No, horses did work between races then as well. I stand by my reasoning that he hates to lose more than he likes to win. Don't forget that she was odds on in all those tough races last year. And the Woodward was an awful weak edition last year. He is simply looking to run a layup drill a la Zenyatta though he is much more demanding that the Z crew. At least they recognize the competition is terrible and they dont need to resort to having races created for them.

Do they though? If Shirreffs can call Rail Trip "the highest mountain" with a straight face, I doubt they're being honest with themselves about the slugs she's beating.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Do they though? If Shirreffs can call Rail Trip "the highest mountain" with a straight face, I doubt they're being honest with themselves about the slugs she's beating.

Aint no mountain higher.........on polytrack

[Smooth Operator]

If there is a God, QR will get beat next out…

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

If there is a God, QR will get beat next out…

There isn't one.

He might anyways.

[the_fat_man]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Do they though? If Shirreffs can call Rail Trip "the highest mountain" with a straight face, I doubt they're being honest with themselves about the slugs she's beating.

Exactly right, not like Z has turned in performances equal to the super horse QR. I mean, QR has had a year so far that rivals that of any of the alltime greats.

Let's review the 3 races:

1) 1/3/10 GP --- Holds off the superstar You and I Forever to win the Hal's Hope, going, well, 8F.

2) 2/6/10 GP (yet again ) --- Runs away from the likes of Dry Martini and Delightful Kiss --- WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW -- to win the Don going 9F

3) 5/31/10 BEL 8F (yet again) --- superior performance here --- not only does he REPEL the PREMATURE MOVE of the SPRINTER Warrior's Reward but he actually has enough to easily hold off that certain Hall of Famer Musket Man (with the Dominguez last run). Moreover, Tizway run 3rd. wow, again

Throw in the 2 performances last year going 10F against Summer Bird, where he mailed it in and his REFUSAL at the CLASSIC and you have a cinch Horse of the Year.

Now, notice, that DM, DK, WR, MM do, in fact, qualify as 'alltime greats'.

It'll be interesting come CLASSIC time at CD.

So it's the "We suck less" argument.

[slotdirt]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

Exactly right, not like Z has turned in performances equal to the super horse QR. I mean, QR has had a year so far that rivals that of any of the alltime greats.

Let's review the 3 races:

1) 1/3/10 GP --- Holds off the superstar You and I Forever to win the Hal's Hope, going, well, 8F.

2) 2/6/10 GP (yet again ) --- Runs away from the likes of Dry Martini and Delightful Kiss --- WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW -- to win the Don going 9F

3) 5/31/10 BEL 8F (yet again) --- superior performance here --- not only does he REPEL the PREMATURE MOVE of the SPRINTER Warrior's Reward but he actually has enough to easily hold off that certain Hall of Famer Musket Man (with the Dominguez last run). Moreover, Tizway run 3rd. wow, again

Throw in the 2 performances last year going 10F against Summer Bird, where he mailed it in and his REFUSAL at the CLASSIC and you have a cinch Horse of the Year.

Now, notice, that DM, DK, WR, MM do, in fact, qualify as 'alltime greats'.

It'll be interesting come CLASSIC time at CD.

97 percent of this post requires some kind of Fat Man glossary. Anybody got one?

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

Throw in the 2 performances last year going 10F against Summer Bird, where he mailed it in and his REFUSAL at the CLASSIC and you have a cinch Horse of the Year.

What does what QR did last year have to do with his races this year?

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

What does what QR did last year have to do with his races this year?

You must be new here.

Don't try logic with The Fat Man. He'll just have some veins pop in his head while he throws tomatoes at his computer screen, yelling what a retarded jockey you are, who can't even make it at a NYRA track, because poly is clearly better than anything NYRA has.

[Thunder Gulch]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

What does what QR did last year have to do with his races this year?

There are a handful here who can't comprehend the constant of change.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

What does what QR did last year have to do with his races this year?

You do realize you're talking to Mr. 'great horses don't lose to Lorenzonis' ?

Someone who thinks Easy Goer couldn't be great because he lost a 2yo debut sprint.