The Rags Kool Aid continues to flow!!

[miff]

\"While the figure represented a huge jump for Team Valor International's homebred colt, whose previous top was an 8 ¾ in his previous start in the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (G3), the 3 ¼ was slower than nine of the 11 Derby winners' figures from 2000 through 2010.

As for what Animal Kingdom's figure says about the next stop on the Triple Crown trail—the Preakness Stakes (G1)—the customary conclusion would be to discount his chances like the items in a dollar store.

With a line of 3 ¼-8 ¾-9 ½, Animal Kingdom will head into the Preakness off a 5 ½-point new top with just two weeks of rest. That usually is a volatile combo, but Animal Kingdom was not your typical Derby winner. The first jewel in the Triple Crown marked his first start on dirt and, at this juncture in the career of the Leroidesanimaux (Brz) colt, it is uncertain whether he has a found a new home on a natural surface and routinely can churn out figures like the 3 or better.

Chances are, he did nothing more than put together a knockout number that will result in a big bounce in Baltimore, but more will be known two weeks from now \"

[TGJB]

Not sure which part is the Kool Aid, but I can tell you they got the relationship between the winner and Nehro wrong. By a whole lot. But hey, no big deal, it\'s just the top two in the Derby.

Those who have been around here a while might remember Ragozin also made a BIG beaten lengths error in the Smarty Jones Derby that affected lots of important figures, and refused to admit it or change the bad figures even when it was pointed out here.

[Dana666]

\"but more will be known two weeks from now\"

isn\'t the object of all this crap to figure something out BEFORE the race???

[sekrah]

\"Chances are, he did nothing more than put together a knockout number that will result in a big bounce in Baltimore, but more will be known two weeks from now \"


Chances are that because that he isn\'t influenced by fragile American thoroughbred bloodlines that are increasingly making our horses susceptible to bouncing from big efforts, he probably stands the best chance since Smarty Jones to win the Triple Crown.