You have to give him a ton of credit here. He started the winter with the early Derby Favorite (War Pass) rightfully stopped on him after the Wood when an injury became apparent and then this. With the same owner as Was Pass.
He sent an open message out after the post draw that he was sending the horse. A hook that perhaps the Tagg Team (Eibar and horse) took with him and had his other horse Anak Nakal attempted to set a hard box on Big Brown (that Leparoux still screwed up). And the Tagg Team continued their part with a 7 wide float down the backstretch.
Zito never got down after War Pass was hurt, continued to keep his goals high and was all out to win yesterday regardless of what kind of bullet he had.
SC,
Interesting that Zito sent both these colts to Saratoga. Training over that Oaklahoma track really gets em\' ready. That was brilliant.
SC:
I am new here so I\'ll keep it short: great post re Zito.
For me, the obvious lesson learned from this Belmont: never, ever let a Zito colt go off at 35+ to 1.
Thanks
Victor C
This was a Commendable training job. Put\'em on the lead into a rythmic gallop and hope nobody fires or comes after you.
The send jobs out of the gate had nothing to do with training and everything to do with tactics.
And maybe a little bit of UP YOURS...............
Gallant Fox, War Admiral, Count Fleet, Citation, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed all won this race wire to wire according to the DRF greatest horses of the 1900\'s. Big Brown obviously didn\'t have it and wasn\'t going to win but I\'m a firm believer that they were trying the wrong tactic with him. They should have attempted a Fla. Derby repeat, clear the field and play catch me if you can. Then there\'s no boxing in, no jockey bumping, just a clearly faster horse controlling the pace saying come catch me. The move to bring him off the rail in the first 1/8th made no sense to me and actually cost him dearly down the backstretch as E.Coa said thanks for the gift and was allowed to fan him into the parking lot. They may make up an excuse in the next few days about why he didn\'t fire today. I believe our own Jerry Brown had it right all along. The negative 4 3/4 with short rest off of a weak foundation lead to his ultimate demise. I hope he comes back strong and am really glad he didn\'t break down yesterday.
Zito knows how to prep a horse for this race and had the perfect answer this time. Congrats to him and the horses connections.
SC:
This was Zito\'s karmic retribution for the 2005 Woodward, when Dutrow entered two rabbits to intimidate Commentator on the front end (not just to ensure a fast pace), so Saint Liam could easily pick up the pieces and not bounce in the BC Classic eight weeks later. Dutrow took race strategy to a new low that day, and yesterday it came back to bite him big time (in addition to all the pre-race statements).
Why is entering rabbits a \'new low\' in race strategy? If it\'s a low at all, it\'s an \'old low.\' Been going on forever.
Woody Stephens strategy with 49er against Winning Colors in their Preakness was a low...an \'all time low.\'
Two horses entered not to win or ensure a fast pace, but to intimidate the main rival - one rushed out on the inside, the other pulled back on the outside, and rushed up along Commentator as the latter moved ahead. The two were an entry, yet different ownership (and thus uncoupled) from their benefactor. Once mission accomplished, they were eased, beaten 47 lengths.
Zito afterward: \"It would have been OK with one \'rabbit\'. I think two \'rabbits\', there is no question he (Commentator) is double-teamed....whether it\'s fair or not is something people have to judge for themselves. It\'s a great question. One rabbit, I think, would have been enough...\"
You may think it\'s OK, but my take is that Zito felt it was excessive and unfair. I tend to agree with him.
So did Zito\'s afterthought entry of a \'rabbit\' yesterday slow up a bit once on the lead and on the rail? And why exactly was Anak Nakal doing up there early stalking Tale of Ekati, instead of hanging back with his fellow closers? It certainly made a nice little box for Big Brown to freak out while contained within, if only for a quarter.
If nothing else it makes a good story, with a little poetic justice. Especially after Dutrow has the nerve call out Prado in public for rushing up Riley Tucker on BB\'s outside in the Preakness, after Big Brown veers and pushes out RT to initiate the whole thing (same move on TOE yesterday).
What goes around, comes around.
I personally don\'t see anything wrong with a rabbit..If I owned a horse that needed a fast pace to win Grade 1 races, I would buy and enter a quarter horse if I had to, just to make sure of that fast pace. I could care less what people thought.
I have no problems with the traditional role of a rabbit. There is a difference with ensuring a fast pace for a closer (and thus all closers), and not specifically targeting one particular horse to directly bother.
It\'s a question of intent and degree. Tag team race riding is more than merely entering a rabbit. How about three horses entered not to win, but to box in a rival?
It would be inconsistent to rail against excessive nutrition and pharmacology practices to tilt the playing field and yet allow excessive interference tactics on the track. Obviously judgements enter into this, enforcement is problematic, but the principle remains intact.
I noticed Steve Crist mentioned the 2005 Woodward in his DRF blog. I don\'t know if that\'s complementary!
By the way, given TG\'s Race-Shapes for the Belmont, which horse had the most glaring tactical change in running style? Why so fast, so early?
but.... did kent d know he had no horse before the race and was getting into a good position to pull him up? if not, hes a complete moron.