pretty amazing number on mineshaft. curious if it came about from the variant, ground loss, or both? bris has him going back to a 109 from a 116 in his previous race. i mention that just as a point of reference.
if the morning line holds, i\'ll look to toss mineshaft and look at a couple others. blinkers on for valponi has been useful in the past. evening attire moves up on anything but a fast track. i have a long-standing aversion to dollar bill, but frankel schooled me last week.
[helps if i put the subject on the subject line and not the attachment line]
I think Dollar Bill may be the ultimate test of Dr. Frankelstein\'s magic.
If Dollar Bill wins the ROTW (and I am not stupid enough to say he will not - you were not the only one that BF made look silly last week) then everybody else might as well pack up and go home for the rest of the year (or at least until they start the new testing protocol for graded races).
But just maybe DB will be to BF what Moby Dick was to Captain Ahab.
Speaking of \"hot\" trainers. Take a look at K. McLaughlin...
Good luck.
Chris
Nothing Flat no doubt the 1.0 he ran last Sept. hurt, while a slowpoke here, he did return to his secondary top in his last, a jump up to a new top of a \"0\" isn\'t out of the question at huge balloons for a slice???? Sire profile says another two point move in him. (I know it\'s wishfull thinking, lol)
$ BILL Frankel or not, several bo notations leaves me skeptical on this one. Usually needs one to get going. S/P says not too much more coming, at 8-1 a huge underlay imo.
Puzzlement is just that, a puzzler. Keeps repeating tops or a shade under. Is this a ceiling or a new floor? Often times it\'s an indication the horse may have a physical problem. The horse needs a vacation.........
Volponi if you review his sheet prior to the BC, it was an incredibly strong pattern. His 4yo debut # 1.0 equalled his 3yo top, he ran many races within 2pts of his best (some will say he should\'ve brokeen thru much sooner, blah blah blah), finally returned to the dirt and broke thru to a -0.75 at Med. A solid pattern folks.
That was then. Now I\'m troubled by the front bandages that suddenly appeared in his last. S/P indicates that another 1/2 pt is still in the tank. A bounce candidate and an overlay at 3-1. (next time we might see him on the turf)
Harlan: ugly, ugly, ugly. Huge underlay at 9/2, there\'s always the T.P. angle of cranking up the vitamins tho. Agree with analyst he might be done.
Evening Attire: Disagree vehemently with the analysts assertion that last years efforts took their toll. The goal for the horse is the BC not some chump hack races in the spring. After a long campaign, the horse deserved a rest. S/P says a -3 still might be in his future. An easy race off the bench sets him up nicely for a top notch effort, at 8-1 a huge overlay and most likely to hit the board.
Hero\'s Tribute: Pimlico bogg did him in, in his last. Not sure if another forward move is in him S/P says no. I\'m always leery of horses who run big X\'s and stay away from the races (granted, there aren\'t many for him) Wght/trip puts him in the hunt.
Judge\'s Case was a solid play Belmont Stks day last year. Talking about a horse that needs a rest! He\'s become an in and outer, r-top/x/r-top/x/ time for a good one, price bomber.
Mineshaft: Anything within 5 pts of his last still makes him a contendaaaah, hard to see him off the board. EA/Mine/bomber= nice price tri.
Good luck!
*** Three weeks ago I posted that Mineshaft was a bet against due to his post , weight and 3 neg figs in a row .He then ran TG\'s best ever # - and lost.
In for a buck and a bundle - I\'ll take another shot against him today . An additional negative that I see besides the possibility of a moon-shot bounce ,is the rail draw . At this distance at Belmont the starting gate is on the clubhouse turn - so it may be somewhat difficult to get a good position from the fence .
I think Volponi is the key horse to hit the exacta . He has the line of a good healthy horse , and with the addition of blinkers he should fire his best today .
Hero\'s Tribute will be a price off his last . The horse seems to have a history of gate reluctance and bad starts , save the last bad one he looks solid .
Until Harlan\'s Holiday shows something postive , he is a bet against as horses can take awhile to recover from the Dubai experience.
Frankel usually moves up lightly raced horses with some scope for improvement . Dollar Bill is a bet against . If he wins - I swear a blood-oath to blindly bet Frankel in every Grade 1 going forward.
Volponi may rate a win bet at 3-1 - but the key play is a prime exacta box of Hero\'s Tribute and Volponi - savers are Volponi with Judge\'s Case and Evening Attire .bj