Blind Luck - H.O.Y.

[Uncle Buck]

Who has done more to this point to deserve H.O.Y. honors than Blind Luck? Ran by DMC like that one was wearing concrete shoes. I don\'t know if any of the distaffers want a piece of this one in 2010

[nyc1347]

Lookin at Lucky?  or Paddy O Prado?  Those are the only other two horses I can come up with unless you want to add Blame in there... a horse to look out for which is LIGHTLY raced that NO ONE is talking about and will be entered into the BC Classic is Bafferts secret weapon Misremembered.  The horse just started working out again and will have 1 prep before the Classic race.  Could come out tremendously but we will see.

[jimbo66]

Buck,

I think Blind Luck has to be considered the leader for HOTY.  She runs on all surfaces, on all tracks, and at distances from 1 mile to 1 1/4 miles.  Hollendorfer deserves TREMENDOUS credit for putting her through such an enterprising campaign.  With no bet on the race, I found myself pulling for Blind Luck to reward the rare aggressive campaign and sportsmanlike spirit shown  by her connections.  And \"yes\" that is a direct shot at Shirreffs and Moss.  

The voters have shown that they reward that kind of campaign (last year\'s vote going to Rachel over Zenyatta).  Hopefully they follow a similar pattern this year.  

The problem Blind Luck has is that her campaign from here on out is going to be tough.  Her last race for the year figures to be the Ladies Classic and I still suspect we may see Rachel there (unless the connections decide she relishes the 1 1/4 based on her race at Saratoga later this month).  As nice a fillie as Blind Luck is, I don\'t believe she is ready to tackle Rachel and will also be a bit up against it versus Life at Ten and even Unrivaled Belle.  

Other contenders have to be Blame, Quality Road and Zenyatta.  Zenyatta shouldn\'t win unless she wins the BC Classic, which seems unlikely (first she has to enter, then she has to beat faster horses).  Quality Road needs to win his last two races, assuming they are the Woodward and BC Classic.  Blame has to win the BC Classic (he can lose his next IMO and still win HOTY with a Classic win).

Of course, if you have TVG and listen to that unbelievably inept group of commentators, HOTY is already over, Zenyatta has won it.  Me thinks beating St. Trinian\'s doesn\'t equal HOTY.  

Any early thoughts on Rachel vs Life at Ten?  To me this likely decides what the rest of Rachel\'s year looks like.  I don\'t have Life at Ten\'s sheet handy, but I think she has something like 5 straight races in the \"0\" category and has already won at the 1 1/4 (and run a \"0\" doing it).  She will be tough.  If Rachel handles her at the distance in a very strong race, my guess would be that they consider the BC Classic.  Anything less than a big race makes me think they give up those types of thoughts.  

Personally, I am not sure Rachel will beat Life at Ten.  Sure, she has run fast enough to do it, but I am with the large majority that thinks 1 1/4 will not be a good distance for Rachel.  Should be an intriguing race, albeit not much of a betting opportunity.

[moosepalm]

jimbo66 Wrote:
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> Of course, if you have TVG and listen to that
> unbelievably inept group of commentators, HOTY is
> already over, Zenyatta has won it.


Some of them can only aspire to inept.  My favorite comment came after Zenyatta\'s last victory in which one of them proclaimed her as \"horse of the century.\"  If that clown is looking for a personal bookie to handle his futures\' action, I\'m his guy.

[richiebee]

jimbo66 Wrote:
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> Buck,
>
> I think Blind Luck has to be considered the leader
> for HOTY.  She runs on all surfaces, on all
> tracks, and at distances from 1 mile to 1 1/4
> miles.  Hollendorfer deserves TREMENDOUS credit
> for putting her through such an enterprising
> campaign.  With no bet on the race, I found myself
> pulling for Blind Luck to reward the rare
> aggressive campaign and sportsmanlike spirit shown
>  by her connections.  And \"yes\" that is a direct
> shot at Shirreffs and Moss.  
>
What does that say about Evening Jewel, who is now a multiple GSW on turf
and synthetic, and was beaten a desperate nose by BL on dirt in the KY Oaks?

Jim there are two \"great\" race horses campaigning now who are quite
underappreciated if not underrated. One is Zenyatta. The other is Lookin at
Lucky.

After his victory in the Haskell against Triple Crown retreads, Lookin at Lucky
coughed once or twice and was immediately removed from consideration for
the Travers. Pegram/Baffert pointing LAL at BCC. Anywhere I can future on this?

Is a Preakness/Haskell/BCC trifecta HOTY- worthy?

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   Not sour grapes, I used the wrong Gosden, was all in against GP yesterday.

[jimbo66]

Richiebee,

I think you are baiting me, but I will fall for it.  Zenyatta under-rated or under-appreciated?  Gimme a break.  She gets more acclaim than any horse I can remember, and this is without leaving the state of California and winning most of her races on what will soon be an extinct surface.  She MAY be as good as she is acclaimed to be, but she can\'t be under-rated.  I will let her beat me again and play her out of the triple in the BC Classic (yes, I am plagiarizing something somebody else wrote a few weeks back).  She MIGHT be able to run faster than she has run figure wise, but she will be an awful bet to do so, if she is favored in the Classic.

Lookin at Lucky is no secret to a lot of people apparently.  On one of the sites I use, Lookin at Lucky at 7-1 is shorter to win the BC Classic than Quality Road at 8-1.  Not sure I would see that as value.  I think he could be horse of the year, but I don\'t see him winning the BC Classic against Blame and Quality Road.  But that is just me.

Evening Jewel is a tough horse.  1st or 2nd in 11 straight races on a variety of surfaces, dirt, synthetic and turf.  Quality all the way through.  I don\'t see how she gets ahead of Blind Luck for HOTY though.