Fast rendition so no easy outs here but apparently the #1 may have a big time excuse for that last run - couldn\'t breathe.  Had throat surgery since.

https://breederscup.com/news/2023/shahryar-aims-to-rebound-in-breeders-cup-turf

On his best he\'s pretty good. Watching his Japan Cup run from last year, more than a little ground in there as well it kind of looks like.

This year\'s super horse - 33:1 for Louisville, heck, forget just Cd, think possible triple crown...what\'s that?  Too fast too soon?  Nahhh...he\'ll hold together...

Soaring Empire
Yawanna Twist

And speaking of next year, how great could 2010\'s Classic look with Rachel and Summer Bird having already both been announced as coming back at 4 and Quality Road certainly seeming likely, barring...well...barring him and his big negs taking to pro-ride in 3 weeks I suppose.  Plus MTB is a gelding, so god knows they\'ll be racing him at Ruidoso in 2014.  Be the exact opposite of this year\'s miserable collection of older dirt horses.

Hey thanks for that Cov.  By my count now there are 15 pointing to it.  I have last in as Regal Ransom, with Girolama (if they do decide to point him to this and not dirt mile...although they have Midshipman and Pyro for that already it seems) as #15.  And that\'s assuming the Big Z and Twice Over both come, which certainly is no guarentee.

God I can\'t wait for next year when this synth cr*p is a distant memory.

Cov - where did you hear that MA was out? Last I had heard in a Haskin article last week, he was confirmed by West Point as being pointed to the Classic.  He also had a  work this weekend.

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\"After conducting a vote among the partners, West Point Thoroughbreds has decided to run Macho Again in the Classic, joining stablemate Awesome Gem, who is considered 90% certain. \" Oct 15.

The english books have odds up for all the races.  Don\'t know if anywhere will be offering paramutuel.

Any chance of some numbers for the HK races this weekend?

How great would it be to see Commentator take on Midnight Lute in the Cigar.

Had Commentator won the Met Mile I\'d say if he wins this he would have a very legit case for horse of the year.  But since he didn\'t don\'t think that even a victory over Lute would do it.

They just had a feature on the track on ESPN.  THAT looks nothing like a dirt surface.  They can say it is majority (what was it...70%?) dirt.  But it looks far more like grass than dirt.  Wow.  Quite eye opening seeing it up close.

Sounds like it might not be such a problem, or at least that Sheppard has come up with a work around.

From Hovdey\'s column today on DRF:

 Never mind steroids, Lasix, and bute. Forever Together gets a pint of Guinness in her feed each evening, just to help her sweat.

\"I don\'t know why it works,\" said her trainer, Jonathan Sheppard, outside Barn 27 Thursday morning. \"I have noticed, though, that people who drink a lot of beer tend to sweat quite a lot.\"

Spoken like a man who enjoys fine wine. Sheppard discovered that Forever Together had stopped sweating earlier this year. This is not good for a hair-covered animal. The body needs to be cooled down after physical endeavor, and sweating does the job. Forever Together, every inch the spoiled princess, now perspires on cue.

Sheppard, one of eight Hall of Fame trainers with Cup runners, is in town for a rare California appearance with nothing less than a championship on the line. If Forever Together can add the Filly and Mare Turf to her wins in the Diana and the First Lady, the deal is done.

Yep, here here.  Seminar looks great this year.  Best presentation yet.

Apparently Oui say Oui didn\'t make the trip, so Stack just has Beyond our reach.

Everyone mocks Perfect Drift and Funny Cide.  Well not from this corner.  Of course if they were not geldings we\'d have all forgotten about them by now, as they\'d surely be out to the shed too.


Bloody Hell.  Point Given, Empire Maker, Smarty Jones, Ghostzapper, Afleet Alex.

What a waste.

That\'s a harsh statement.  Unfortunately it also happens to be a true one.