FofY figure

[TGJB]

I think you need to ask one of the guys here who has an opinion worth listening to about physical (like Jim). I ain\'t that guy.

[covelj70]

Last time I expressed a strong opinion on this board about the physical appearance of a real derby contender, I dam near got a cease and desist order from Skadden Arps.

That\'s why I laugh so hard now when I read all of the \"after the fact\" articles about how Normandy Invasion was a slight horse that the Derby trail really got the better of....

Upstart is a great looking horse. He looks the part structurally but he looked like you should look on Derby day on Holy Bull day. Very difficult to stay at that level for an extended period.

[rhagood]

What about Ortiz just drawing off in the HolyBull. Why not take back and just let him run a little at the end no matter the result.  For goodness sakes are they any real horsemen (trainers and jockeys both) around anymore. That race was a prep for a prep of another prep (albeit for $1 million).

There were 2 hours between the dirt races and steady head winds up to 30 mph drying the track out, looked like they were running down at the beach.  Same type of track last month for the Holy Bull, the super is not on top of it and not adjusting either.

[tmcdevitt]

Hello Jerry-

Any commentary you can provide on the challenges faced in coming up with the FoY numbers?

After looking in the archives at every horse to hit the board in the Derby in the last 15 years, it seems fair to say that not a single one has a sheet that looks like Upstart\'s.

[TGJB]

It was a tough figure to do for the reasons discussed on this string (only 2 turn race, big wind, small field). I considered doing it faster (pairing up the winner), will review it later as horses come back.

Very few horses who have gone negative pre-Derby have won the race period, regardless of pattern. I can only think of Smarty, Big Brown, and Street Sense, and none of them did it at the beginning of their 3yo campaign.

[tmcdevitt]

Thanks. Any consideration of doing it slower?

[TGJB]

No. For sure.