Pletcher\'s BLUEGRASS CAT (2nd) and SUNRIVER (3rd) ran well in the Belmont, but the Toddster\'s runners had a disappointing few days.
Saturday:
09Bel - ADIEU (8-5): favorite off the board in Acorn
10Bel - ENGLISH CHANNEL (2-1): second favorite off the board in Manhattan
12Bel - MANTLE (8-5): favorite off the board
Friday:
02Bel - FLIGHT WEST (2-1): 3rd in a 5 horse field
07Bel - ZINZAN (3-1): off the board; 4th in 7 horse field
10Bel - BLACK SNAKE (5-1): off the board; finished next to last in 10 horse field
english channel lost by about a neck to three world class boggy turf runners, spotting all three of them post position advantage and two of them weight.
adieu was no faster than a number of others going in, and was over bet.
bluegrass cat ran faster than any other horse in the \'06 belmont stks, and sunriver ran a very good third.
pletcher did fine today.
BGC was washy.....don\'t horses who don\'t get the baking soda wash out? Wasn\'t he bone dry in Ky?
Michael D. Wrote:
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>
> bluegrass cat ran faster than any other horse in
> the \'06 belmont stks, and sunriver ran a very good
> third.
The only way to figure Bluegrass Cat running faster is to factor lost lengths on wide. The problem was wide was the place to be.
Sunriver and Steppenwolfer did not step up.
If Pletcher was ever going to win a Triple Crown Race. You had to figure today was the day. Pletchers stock fell markedly and the interesting thing is that it fell with the bettors before the Belmont was run.
As of Saturday, June 10th, 2006 we can offically conclude that Todd Pletcher has peaked and that he and his stable are now in decline. In two years he and Lukas can share a lemonade on the porch swing and reminesce about the good old days.
Disasterious day for Pletcher. The key was the tote which discounted his favorites. Two Years ago would they have been beaten?
The problem was Bluegrass was gassed out and thats how Jazil closed into him. The fractions are very deceiving. These horses were not suited to the trip.
You exagerate a little. Grey Swallow has wins from Firm to Soft.No win on yielding.
Having been there today, I thought I was at another Breeder\'s Cup weather wise. Very cold in the grandstand and very very windy.
As to the Pletch, he scratched Keyed Entry, Adieu was too far back to make up ground....(the track was very fast imho during the middle of the day and precious little ground was being made up in the stretch.)
As nopted, took a 2nd and third in the Belmont (approx. $300,000).
Knowing Clement\'s rep with the layoff types and having observed Cacique\'s CD trip versus EC, I was pretty confident that EC was not the best horse entered today.
EC ran a very strong race and probably a another very strong number.
Thought Pletcher and Frankel horses ran fine. (neither has 100% win percentages if you didn\'t notice lol).
Bob (back in Pa.)
I checked up on Cacique at Racingpost.co.uk and using their numbers his lifetime best race was when he was able to lead wire to wire on good turf.
imallin Wrote:
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> BGC was washy.....don\'t horses who don\'t get the
> baking soda wash out? Wasn\'t he bone dry in Ky?
BGC looked worse going to the post at Churchill-he was a lathered mess.
big18741 Wrote:
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> imallin Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BGC was washy.....don\'t horses who don\'t get
> the
> > baking soda wash out? Wasn\'t he bone dry in
> Ky?
>
>
> BGC looked worse going to the post at Churchill-he
> was a lathered mess.
Hes a Storm Cat.
He ran a 2.03 Derby on a 2.01 track
He ran a 2.28 Belmont on a 2.26 track.
He skipped the Preakness
and that was good for him. They got as much out of him as they possibly could. Well almost, the good medicine could have helped.
i don\'t know what race you were watching, sunriver ran his eyeballs out going 3/8 of sa mile further than ever before. he win win for fun next time he enters the gate.
john
Chuck said:
\"The only way to figure Bluegrass Cat running faster is to factor lost lengths on wide. The problem was wide was the place to be\"
Partially correct Chuck,
BGC(5/6 path) will probably get the best TG fig if you watch the first turn closely where Gomez race rode the entire field very wide. Jazil was very close to the rail on the first turn and only one path wider than BGC on the last turn.
Re the rail, I have no less than 5 horses who ran well towards the inside.Bailey commented after Bushfire \"came again\" along the inside that it meant the rail was OK.
Also interesting that Violette said he was glad they were watering the track frequently to counter the strong winds.I would not judge any 3yr old by their performance at 12f, except Big Red.
Mike
I\'m lucky i didn\'t see him going to post in the Derby, i wouldn\'t have crushed the race like i did if i had known he was soaking wet.
If by chance and a chuckle Todd goes down the tubes;then these two samaritans called it first!!!
sunriver had a very wide trip and was never in the clear until the 1/4 pole.
john
miff Wrote:
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> Chuck said:
>
> \"The only way to figure Bluegrass Cat running
> faster is to factor lost lengths on wide. The
> problem was wide was the place to be\"
>
>
> Partially correct Chuck,
>
> BGC(5/6 path) will probably get the best TG fig if
> you watch the first turn closely where Gomez race
> rode the entire field very wide. Jazil was very
> close to the rail on the first turn and only one
> path wider than BGC on the last turn.
>
> Re the rail, I have no less than 5 horses who ran
> well towards the inside.Bailey commented after
> Bushfire \"came again\" along the inside that it
> meant the rail was OK.
Your comment upon Bushfire was not lost upon me. Clearly by the Belmont the jockeys wanted no part of the rail. Earlier some horses did not fair well there. Bushfire might win by 5 away from the rail. Theres others it appeared to impede but am not done reviewing the races. Certainly by the Belmont wide was the place to be so any factoring of greater speed on lost ground would appear to be very confusing.
If Jerry Bailey was a path expert he would have had Birdstone off the rail in the Lane\'s End. Countless others can\'t recall now. Jerry is alot of things including a pretty good pace handicapper, but he\'s not as sharp as the Bailey Groupies are giving him credit for. If he wants to remain the best, he needs to get back in the saddle.
> Also interesting that Violette said he was glad
> they were watering the track frequently to counter
> the strong winds.I would not judge any 3yr old by
> their performance at 12f, except Big Red.
That track was very fast but the rail was not the place to be. The quality that raced over that track were not able to take advantage of it. Mediocre stakes horses taking turns beating each other are kind of like 5,000 dollar claimers. You can get some odds, there won\'t be any Even money favorites, but predicting the next horse to win can get very dicey. This crop is no threat to their elders. At least none that ran in the Belmont. Winning figure? About a Tgraph 3. Pitiful. In the Commendable ballpark. Maybe worse. The Silver Lining? Lost to Commendable but recognized this Belmont for the same Chaos that Belmont was.
This was a Grade III
Chuck,
Regarding this crop not being a threat to its elders,I would wait to see Berandini and Discreet Cat perform this summer.
Re sprinters,I disagree with you and say that Too Much Bling (neg3) will be no match for either the \"slower\" Foggy or Bordanoro(sp) this fall.
Mike