\"No, it doesn\'t bother me as the 2 races this year were not the ultimate prize.\"

I\'d argue that nothing Biancone has done in North America suggests that he knows how to prepare a horse in such a way that he\'ll be ready to peak for the Big Race, whether it\'s the Derby or the BC Juvy.

Mayakovsky, Why Why Why, Brancusi...

This guy is pedal to the metal if you ask me. I believe Lion Heart has shown us his very best.

I\'m with Chuckles. I think Sinister G will be sent hard.

Doesn\'t the fact that he\'s been caught at 8F and 9F bother you?

Now he tries 10F in a race with more speed. Plus, his breeding for 10F is dubious, and he only has two starts at age three. Will he have the stamina to hold off 19 other horses?

Didn\'t realize the pot was so meager. Thanks.

Castledale: Small horse conditioned -- or shall we say \"treated\" -- by pharmacist extraordinaire Jeff Mullins. Excellent breeding for the Derby distance and nice 2-year-old foundation. Problem is, he\'s only had two races at age three; Sunny\'s Halo was the last to win the Derby with only two preps at age three, and he had something like eleven starts at two, giving him plenty of bottom. Castledale ran hard in the SA Derby and apparently didn\'t come out of the race too well. Whether Mullins can get the weight back on him and the energy back into him remains to be seen. I say all of this as a person who has a 125/1 future ticket riding on him.

Friends Lake: Only two starts at age three and a 7-week layoff prior to the Derby. I believe fit horses -- not fresh horses -- win the Derby and thus hate this training pattern. Even though he\'s beautifully bred for the distance, I can\'t see him having the stamina to win off the bench. The Derby isn\'t just another horse race -- it\'s the single most grueling horse race in America. What\'s more, FL is a bit of a nervous headcase from what I\'ve read, so he might be frothed and finished by the time he reaches the starting gate at Churchill. Not for me.

Just my take.



Post Edited (04-19-04 11:12)

Why not run Eddington in the one-mile Derby Trial next Saturday? He needs a good workout over the track anyway. Figure out exactly how much $ he needs to get into the race, and then let him gallop around the track and do only as much as needs to do (2nd? 3rd?) to qualify. If for some reason the race is hard on him and he isn\'t in top physical condition for the Derby, so be it; don\'t wheel him back in the Derby. Let him recover and get him ready for the Preakness -- which is where he\'s headed anyway unless he gets more money.

Thoughts?

I too only had problems on SA Derby day. Last weekend was fine; today too.

\"This might be the closest ol\' man Toscano and the family will ever get to a Derby runner. Just to be there is a thrill of a lifetime for most trainers/owners aaaannd most importantly: they earned their way in!\"

Agreed. It\'s all about the dream.

\"But to declare he\'d be a TC winner, if he gets in the race, is utter nonsense.\"   

Sheets: No one\'s saying he\'s the Triple Crown winner if gets in the race. We\'re speaking of possibilities, nothing more. I stated that IF we had a TC winner this year, I thought it\'d be Ed:

\"I believed Eddington was our best chance at a Triple Crown winner this year.\"

Phil45 was saying it\'d be a bummer IF he destroyed \"them all in the Preakness and the Belmont.\"

But you\'re right -- \"Hennig has mismanaged the horse, plain and simple.\"

While we\'re patting each other\'s backs...

Let it be known that I thought your post on the Wood was so right on that I actually copied it and e-mailed it to a couple of friends of mine who also like Eddington.

If he doesn\'t get into the Churchill starting gate, my plan is simple: nail the Derby winner, then parlay some of the winnings to Ed in the Preakness, where he\'ll be absolutely primed to pull a Red Bullet.

\"I\'ve watched the race many times now but the horse from that bunch at least that sticks out at me isn\'t Eddy. Its Tapit.\"

Chuckles: Tapit impressed me too, but he\'s really up against it in regards to the Derby. He\'s got two huge statistical obstacles to overcome: only four lifetime races and only two starts at age three. Soon enough, some wise guy will chime in, \"Yeah, but trends are meant to be broken. I bet you didn\'t bet a NY-bred gelding, either.\" (I did, but that\'s another story.) The stats aren\'t just numbers; they\'re a way to quantify a horse\'s experience and foundation. Tapit is lacking both. Many a good horse has tried to win the Derby with only four lifetime starts -- Indian Charlie, Medaglia, Congaree, etc. Likewise, many have tried with only two starts at age three -- Best Pal, Lemon Drop Kid, Point Given. I\'ve said it before and I\'ll say it again: fit horses, not fresh horses, win the Derby. If Tapit can overcome his inexperience and lack of racing foundation, he\'s truly an exceptional animal. On May 1st, I\'ll be betting with history and playing against him with both fists (as far as the win slot is concerned).

Just my take. Good luck.

Pgsheets:

I feel your pain. This is my first time posting on this forum, but I check it out every now and then, and I really agreed with the post you made about the Wood earlier this week.

On other forums -- Bloodhorse, Final Turn -- I\'ve been saying since February that I believed Eddington was our best chance at a Triple Crown winner this year, and I still feel this way. And like you, I played this horse hard in the futures (I have him at 100/1, 85/1 and 50/1). After the Wood, I was feeling good about his chances of making the gate, figuring horses like Sinister G, Action This Day and Birdstone would do the reasonable thing and stay at home.

Alas, reason rarely conquers Derby fever, and it looks like our boy\'s next race will be the Preakness, barring any injury/illness-induced defections in the next 10 days. If not for a nose in the Wood and a hard bump in the Gotham, he\'d be heading for Churchill -- but that\'s horseracing, I guess. It\'s too bad that Hennig and Bailey weren\'t able to get the most out of this guy in the Wood.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that you\'re not alone in your faith in Ed -- nor in your disappointment. I\'ve got good future bets riding on several other major Derby contenders, but Ed is the horse that really excited me this spring.