Cobalt Blue

[Rootdog1]

Good article on SantaAnita.com on this issue. Gomez thinks Air Commander is much further along then Cobalt.......If Air Commander can get his head in the game, he could be dangerous.

Originally Posted by Rootdog1

Good article on SantaAnita.com on this issue. Gomez thinks Air Commander is much further along then Cobalt.......If Air Commander can get his head in the game, he could be dangerous.

Thank you. I will take a look.

Air Commander has been perfectly placed in all those races and he has run funky in every one. Maybe he does get it together with this small field. Just looks awfully slow to me. He gets good starts and he has run a long way. He has just done so in a very slow manner.

If Cobalt Blue gets out unchallenged and is not choked, he could wire this tiny field. This is a Grade II race... man o man, where are the other West Coast horses? I guess the timing was bad. Liquidity should have run here in hindsight.

[jpops757]

Is it Gomez opting for AC or Oneil wanting a comitment from GG if the horse moves forward. Isnt this GG realy opting for Ravel and or Team Pletcher instead of AC?

[miraja2]

I really like Air Commander in this one after his sharp 4f work on Tuesday. His Beyer figs have improved in each start, and I think that is accurate. He has improved with each start, and I think the cut back from 9 to 8.5 will actually fit him well in this particular start. He will also be carrying 4 less lbs than he did in his last.
I'm not sold at all on Cobalt blue. He was all-out to win his last, which was an N1X with only 4 others in the race. I'll pass.

[mclem10011]

Let's see how Cobalt runs this weekend, maybe then this one jumps in the mix!

Originally Posted by miraja2

I really like Air Commander in this one after his sharp 4f work on Tuesday. His Beyer figs have improved in each start, and I think that is accurate. He has improved with each start, and I think the cut back from 9 to 8.5 will actually fit him well in this particular start. He will also be carrying 4 less lbs than he did in his last.
I'm not sold at all on Cobalt blue. He was all-out to win his last, which was an N1X with only 4 others in the race. I'll pass.

Cobalt Blue was all out but what horse would not be with 21 4/5 and 44 4/5 fractions... ? He probably ran the first 2 f in 22 and 1/5 but he was right on the 44 4/5. Thats just fast. Apparently they think he can stretch this 6 furlong race out. I dont think this 6f race tells us much except that the horse has speed. The horse really looks good though.

Air Commander has gotten better but he just looks slow. I hate to go just by times but he looked slow and the times were slow. This should be an interesting race. But as a Grade II it just looks really bad.

Why are so many other West Coast or other Derby contenders passing on this race?

I'm not impressed with Air Commander. He reminds me of a slightly better Point of Impact.

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by pgardn

Cobalt Blue was all out but what horse would not be with 21 4/5 and 44 4/5 fractions... ? He probably ran the first 2 f in 22 and 1/5 but he was right on the 44 4/5. Thats just fast. Apparently they think he can stretch this 6 furlong race out. I dont think this 6f race tells us much except that the horse has speed. The horse really looks good though.

Air Commander has gotten better but he just looks slow. I hate to go just by times but he looked slow and the times were slow. This should be an interesting race. But as a Grade II it just looks really bad.

Why are so many other West Coast or other Derby contenders passing on this race?

I guess the trainers get lured by all the options they have. When i was in california you had the San Vicente, Felipe, and the Derby at Santa Anita. If you were a non stakes winner you could prep your horse for the SA Derby in the Bradbury. Now they have messed with the distances and timing, and it leads to short fields. Pletcher was quoted as saying that the drop in distance is why he is skipping this race with Ravel and waiting for the SA Derby.

[disappearingdan_akaplaya]

Originally Posted by miraja2

I really like Air Commander in this one after his sharp 4f work on Tuesday. His Beyer figs have improved in each start, and I think that is accurate. He has improved with each start, and I think the cut back from 9 to 8.5 will actually fit him well in this particular start. He will also be carrying 4 less lbs than he did in his last.
I'm not sold at all on Cobalt blue. He was all-out to win his last, which was an N1X with only 4 others in the race. I'll pass.

LOL cobalt was not all out to win his last, he was only getting stronger as the race went on and appeared to be crying out for more real estate, galloped out great!

Originally Posted by disappearingdan_akaplaya

LOL cobalt was not all out to win his last, he was only getting stronger as the race went on and appeared to be crying out for more real estate, galloped out great!

I agree. Cobalt Blue is by a sire who loved real estate, Golden Missile. He almost won an Eclipse when he was four-years-old and it was not for sprinting. His graded stakes wins were in distance races. Sons of A.P. Indy are passing on their liking for running long.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by disappearingdan_akaplaya

LOL cobalt was not all out to win his last, he was only getting stronger as the race went on and appeared to be crying out for more real estate, galloped out great!

You may be right, I am going strictly on memory here, but I remember thinking he was in a bit of a battle down the stretch. Going straight from 6f to 8.5f doesn't seem like a good proposition to me. I don't think Air Commander is any superstar either, but against this field, I like his chances.

Originally Posted by disappearingdan_akaplaya

LOL cobalt was not all out to win his last, he was only getting stronger as the race went on and appeared to be crying out for more real estate, galloped out great!

It was a good tough run. Those were killer fractions but he handled them well. I think the other poster may have meant he was all out in the middle part of the race, it was not a hand ride. (but I should not speak for others)

But you are right playa, after his one foe started to fade he did a bit of a waltz on in. And he appeared not to be weary legged after galloping out. But one always has to question a maiden winner at 6f going two turns against stakes company for the first time. Luckily this is a good spot. Not a tough field at all. I think the Rebel would present a much tougher challenge.