In case anyone is interested and didn\'t notice, BR breezed the other day in 51.1.
Supposedly, Afleet Alex has gained weight and muscle since the Belmont and is doing great.
Despite all the breakdowns and retirements, there\'s still a pretty good chance for some great late summer and early fall racing.
Would love to see Bellamy Road go into the Haskell a fresh horse, off the layoff, against Afleet Alex.
At that normally speed favoring track, at the 1 1/8 distance, I would love to bet Bellamy as a distant second choice to the all conquering AA.
Jimbo:
We won\'t see him in the Haskell, a bit too soon, me thinks. But the mid-summer Classic Travers might be a different story. Nick can get them running fresh. I wonder how long BR has been galloping at Saratoga?
A Travers, Jerome, JCGC and BCC sweep might snatch 3yo and HOY honors from Alex.
bdhsheets Wrote:
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re: Bellamania
>
> A Travers, Jerome, JCGC and BCC sweep might snatch
> 3yo and HOY honors from Alex.
Not sure the Jerome and .75 cents will get you a cup of coffee, but speculated winning streak noted. The others are all 10 mark New York races. What makes anyone think Bellamania is suited to those tracks and is gonna want 10 marks on them? He\'s never been there before and he caught very hot surfaces in his three non maiden wins.
Bellamania has run into quality horses 3 times now. The last was the proverbial fade. The time before that he ran big on a dragstrip and his only adversary had a saddle slip that some estimate cost him 10 lengths. The other quality race was a fold to Consolidator when challenged. There are the injury excuses. That popped splint Derby one should be taken with a grain of salt.
I suppose the negative five is reason to hope. But can he negative five from behind a horse he can\'t outhoof early and if so can he do it on an unbiased strip?
Zito may have him set to supertest pop first out. Do you really want the Greatest Horse to ever look through a bridle coming back at 2-1 tops though? Granted if he comes back against Sun King and High Limit he may not be a bad bet. Think a ready to run High Limit might take the starch out of him though? He\'s still a one timer.
What if Alex wins the Travers? Think that makes him a mortal lock for champion 3YO?