Good: Breeders Cup less than two weeks away.
Bad: Discreet Cat, an undefeated specimen who has been brilliant in all four of his starts, probably will not run.
Good: I have only observed casually and from afar, but Keeneland\'s first synthetic surface meet seems to have produced safe and competitive racing.
Bad: The \"chiclets\". What a waste of the top half of a TV screen. An utter distraction which detracts from the enjoyment of watching thoroughbreds in full stride.
Indifferent: Belmont closes for the year. As Steve Crist pointed out in his DRF editorial there is very little distinction any more between the quality of racing at Belmont and Aqueduct. And as Michael D pointed out throughout the Summer,even racing at the Spa is watered down with too many NYB and maiden (and NYB maiden) races.
Good: Todd Pletcher continues to break all training records at the high end of racing.
Bad: Because he is accorded the huge advantage of having first dibs on a lot of the high priced bloodstock which races in the United States, because his far reaching racing empire is given huge stall allocations at any venue where he requests them, we will never know if this young man is a tremendous horseman or merely a tremendous businessman.
Good: Racing moves forward -- synthetic surfaces, Trakus, extensive simulcasting, the racing exemption from Congress\' ban on internet wagering, the popularity of handicapping contests, etc.
Bad: Racing in the major venues-- NY, California, Florida and Maryland-- is continually impeded by greedy and ignorant politicians, a situation which will not end until racing puts forward a united front and flexes its muscles. This is a huge nationwide industry which remains fragmented and without power.
Good: Funny Cide and Perfect Drift. They keep hanging around. I think you could drop them both into 20K claiming races and they would invent a way to lose. And I will say it again: Barclay Tagg, probably having his best year ever, just can not figure out how to get Funny Cide to run. Would love to see Pletcher, Frankel or Dutrow have a chance with FC.
Bad: Overpriced precocious runners who are too well bred to ever have any impact on Racing,to ever have a career long enough to bring excitement to racing fans.
GOOD: This year\'s Derby champ. CTC (who is probably currently in his \"bunker\", trying to figure out a way to knock holes in all the BC favorites) posted that breeders would shy away from Barbaro because of his perceived fragility. Barbaro\'s survival evidences a toughness and intelligence which is beyond question. I know this can not be taken into consideration, but Barbaro\'s mere survival against all odds should garner him at least a few votes for Horse of the Year.
richiebee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good: Breeders Cup less than two weeks away.
>
> Bad: Discreet Cat, an undefeated specimen who has
> been brilliant in all four of his starts, probably
> will not run.
>
> Good: I have only observed casually and from afar,
> but Keeneland\'s first synthetic surface meet seems
> to have produced safe and competitive racing.
>
> Bad: The \"chiclets\". What a waste of the top half
> of a TV screen. An utter distraction which
> detracts from the enjoyment of watching
> thoroughbreds in full stride.
>
> Indifferent: Belmont closes for the year. As Steve
> Crist pointed out in his DRF editorial there is
> very little distinction any more between the
> quality of racing at Belmont and Aqueduct. And as
> Michael D pointed out throughout the Summer,even
> racing at the Spa is watered down with too many
> NYB and maiden (and NYB maiden) races.
>
> Good: Todd Pletcher continues to break all
> training records at the high end of racing.
>
> Bad: Because he is accorded the huge advantage of
> having first dibs on a lot of the high priced
> bloodstock which races in the United States,
> because his far reaching racing empire is given
> huge stall allocations at any venue where he
> requests them, we will never know if this young
> man is a tremendous horseman or merely a
> tremendous businessman.
>
> Good: Racing moves forward -- synthetic surfaces,
> Trakus, extensive simulcasting, the racing
> exemption from Congress\' ban on internet wagering,
> the popularity of handicapping contests, etc.
>
> Bad: Racing in the major venues-- NY, California,
> Florida and Maryland-- is continually impeded by
> greedy and ignorant politicians, a situation which
> will not end until racing puts forward a united
> front and flexes its muscles. This is a huge
> nationwide industry which remains fragmented and
> without power.
>
> Good: Funny Cide and Perfect Drift. They keep
> hanging around. I think you could drop them both
> into 20K claiming races and they would invent a
> way to lose. And I will say it again: Barclay
> Tagg, probably having his best year ever, just can
> not figure out how to get Funny Cide to run. Would
> love to see Pletcher, Frankel or Dutrow have a
> chance with FC.
>
> Bad: Overpriced precocious runners who are too
> well bred to ever have any impact on Racing,to
> ever have a career long enough to bring excitement
> to racing fans.
>
> GOOD: This year\'s Derby champ. CTC (who is
> probably currently in his \"bunker\", trying to
> figure out a way to knock holes in all the BC
> favorites) posted that breeders would shy away
> from Barbaro because of his perceived fragility.
> Barbaro\'s survival evidences a toughness and
> intelligence which is beyond question. I know this
> can not be taken into consideration, but Barbaro\'s
> mere survival against all odds should garner him
> at least a few votes for Horse of the Year.
>
>
>
>
Richie,
re Pletcher.
from the Bloodhorse:
-- Staying with Pletcher a little longer, the wide belief is that he is so successful because he gets all the expensive, well-bred horses. Although he does get a good number of them, he will be represented in the Breeders\' Cup by horses sired by Lasting Approval, Smart Strike (2), Littleexpectations, Indian Charlie, Broken Vow, Crafty Friend, Thunder Gulch, and Silver Deputy. Those types far outnumber his horses sired by higher-profile stallions. Of Pletcher\'s 16 Breeders\' Cup hopefuls, his most expensive is Pool Land, who was purchased for $475,000. English Channel, who could wind up the favorite for the Turf, cost $50,000.
Michael:
Point taken.
I would add More Than Ready, who stood for 20K in 2005, to the list of less than fashionable stallions that TAP has been successful with.
For a stallion who never won on the lawn, MTR has become a tremendous turf sire.
Well guys, an informal figure for TAP\'s stable this year is app $70 million at cost(includes The Green Donkey 15M) From the universe of runners Pletcher gets and considering the acquisition costs, I do not think he\'s the genius horseman many make him out to be.I think he is a far better business type CEO than he is a horseman but he\'s obviously not a bum either.
Mike