TG Final Figures--2012 Preakness, Black Eyed Susan

[TGAB]

Sheets detailing the Thoro-Graph final figures for the 2012 Preakness and Black Eyed Susan runners are now available on the ROTW page.

[JR]

The number is out. The pattern is in. Let the debate begin. Does IHA go forward, pair, regress or X?

We pretty much know what\'s being thrown at him. Seems like anything but an X will get it done.

[MO]

Been going through the archives and I can\'t find a horse that ran a new top in Preakness and didn\'t bounce badly in the Belmont.

[miff]

NYRA looked at starting a week earlier(mid july),going six weeks but coming back to Belmont on Friday of Labor day weekend.Quiet that last week up to Labor Day, many leave with back to school issues.Idea had decent support,don\'t know if it\'s alive.

Very early but hear that just about everything planned by current NYRA is dead or subject to review by the incoming politically appointed stooges.

[Wrongly]

I looked through as well and I tend to see a 2-3 point regression rather than an X.  If that happens IHA could still win running about a 1.

[mjellish]

Well, IHA was not fully extended to win the KD.  If you look at the main picture up on kentuckyderby.com of him winning, look at his ears pricked straight up in the air.  Compare those to Bode\'s behind him, or find the other photo that has DUL and WTDW in it and notice their ears dropped back on their heads.  That\'s usually a pretty telling sign if a horse finished a race with something left in the tank or not.

Now look at IHA finishing the Preakness.  Note his ears.  They are back on his head.  That was a huge race he ran.  Bode had it all his own way and IHA still ran him down.  Look at the way the two them drew off from Creative Cause and the rest of the field.  Those were two huge efforts by two top notch colts.  You play a race like the Preakness with your money on a colt like Bode who gets away with soft fractions and you are going to win 90% of the time.  The fact that IHA still ran him down is pretty starteling IMO.  I\'m not going to annoint him as the next Affirmed, but IMO IHA is a rare animal.  The irony here is that without IHA, Bode is probably shooting for the Triple Crown.

I\'m not saying IHA is or isn\'t going to regress in the Belmont because we still have 2 weeks or so for more data to come in, but I am saying he is now coming off a taxing, all-out effort and will have to run hard again off 3 weeks rest, which is something he has never done.  On the plus side, he came into Louisville with only 2 preps and as fresh as you could hope for, and he has been expertly handled by his connections thus far.

This is going to be a good race either way you look at it.