I may live to eat these words but Paddy O Prado now in the Classic?

[covelj70]

That seems absurd.

He couldn\'t beat a bunch of slow three year olds on the same track at the same distance a few months ago and now he\'s suppossed to have a shot against some of the better older horses of the last decade?

What the heck is Dale thinking?

[ColonelShillito]

This may be strictly an owner\'s decision.  I have a bloodstock source in Lexington that told me the connections of \'Paddy\' were asking for upwards of $6 million to syndicate the horse for stallion duties.  The number they are asking for is ridiculous in this economic market, so I\'m assuming that this is a way to justify that number if he turns in a credible performance in the Classic.

Plus, there\'s no guarantee that this horse will effectively stay 12 furlongs vs. Europe\'s best.  He trains over the Churchill dirt every day, so give it a whirl.

[covelj70]

Colonel,

I agree with you.

He needs to do alot more to justify the kind of stallion deal they want to get but running up the track in the Classic isn\'t going to help them accomplish that goal.

[Bigredgoer]

Totally AGREE Jim...It seems to be the fashionable thing to run these turf horses(Paddy, possibly Gio Ponti)in the classic while seemingly over matched on that surface. Obviously it increases stud value \"IF\" they run well enough...It also allows us to take advantage in the pools when they attract uninformed $ simply because of who they are...

[analizethis]

Thia is what Coolmore has been doing for years. The only success in the Classic has been Giant\'s Causeway but considering his stud value (200+ mares covered a year at $100,000 a pop) it just proves out the \"nothing to lose but a whole lot to gain\" theory.
As was just stated from a betting standpoint it is great as it inflates the odds on everyone else. Unless it rains he\'s a toss.