Ghostdodging and Working the Racing Secretary

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

Thought Ghostdodger was shortening up pretty good late. He figured to first back off a long layoff in a tough race, but now Frankel says hes tired and needs his naps. Maybe he does, but anyone beginning to suspect that Losing Weight and Fatigue Naps are a subtle way of working the Racing Secretary over imposts? \"My horse was sick, he lost weight, he\'s very tired and needs his naps.\"  Comeon Crybobby, He\'s carrying 130 next time no matter how much you bellyache.

\"As for Ghostzapper, Monday\'s 6 1/4-length victory was not as effortless as it appeared. Unquote: (Who Says?). Quote: Ghostzapper, making his first start in seven months, ran a mile in 1:33.29 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 122.

\"He\'s just a little tired,\" Frankel said Tuesday. \"He laid down all morning. He\'s fine. He always takes his naps.\"

On Tuesday, Frankel was not as definitive about the Suburban being Ghostzapper\'s next start as he was on Monday. (The Suburban is 10 marks and I believe a handicap. Bobby, Spectacular Bid set about 7 track records. Twice he set track records carrying over 130 pounds. If you want Ghostdodger mentioned in the same breath with great horses you have to run like a great horse runs.)

\"We\'ll play it by ear,\" Frankel said.

Other races Frankel has in mind for Ghostzapper this year are the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 6, the Woodward at Belmont on Sept. 10, and the Breeders\' Cup Classic at Belmont on Oct. 29.\"

http://www.drf.com/news/article/65492.html



Post Edited (06-01-05 09:43)

[Holy55]

I don\'t post much on here because I usually don\'t have much to add. I enjoy reading most of your posts. CTC however, your posts are getting old and boring very fast. Knock it off with this ghostsprinter, ghostdodger nonsense. What has the horse done wrong in the past 2 years?

Did you want Frankel to ask the racing sec for more weight in the Met?

Why are you so bitter?

You keep saying Frankel is a cry baby but I only hear you crying about GZ.

Just my two cents and I refuse to clutter this board up nonsense, with this one exception.

CTC,

\"He\'s carrying 130 next time no matter how much you bellyache.\"

I doubt it.

Racing Secretaries rarely add more than 2-3 pounds at a time. IMO, that\'s the primary reason he started him so low at 123. If he runs in another 2 handicaps he\'ll be up near 130 at the end of the campaign instead of starting him at 128 and getting him beat with 135 later in the year.

[miff]

You can slice it anyway you wish, at 123lbs  GZ got away with murder in view of his overall record.Racing secretaries across the country have \"sold out\" to the connections of the best horses just to get them to race at their track.

[beyerguy]

With so many tracks running and so many \"graded\" stakes, which choice do the racing secretaries have?  I agree 123 was a joke, but put yourself in the shoes of the racing secretary.  I wouldn\'t want to explain to my boss that Ghostzapper passed on my race and is running at Monmouth instead because I gave him too much weight.  Tough job.

[Michael D.]

like it or not, the BC classic and dubai world cup have effectively ended serious handicap racing. why tote the weight in a $750g or $1 mio race when you know you will be on par with the rest for $5 mio or $6 mio? frankel and stronach don\'t care. they are sheet guys. put more weight on GZ, he will run a bit slower, get the same #, and still be the fastest horse in history.

[miff]

Beyerguy wrote

\"With so many tracks running and so many \"graded\" stakes, which choice do the racing secretaries have? I agree 123 was a joke, but put yourself in the shoes of the racing secretary. I wouldn\'t want to explain to my boss that Ghostzapper passed on my race and is running at Monmouth instead because I gave him too much weight. Tough job\"


Beyer,

I agree it\'s a tough job today.What was John Nerud thinking when they put 139lbs on the incomparable Dr Fager in his last start in the Vosburg Handicap.He only went 120.1( a fifth off the World record for 7f)

JB,
I\'m still waiting for you to post the name of the horse who is two seconds faster (with 139lbs) than Fager from 6f to 8f from 1968 until now.Third request.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

Holy55 wrote:

> ghostdodger nonsense. What has the horse
> done wrong in the past 2 years?
>
> Did you want Frankel to ask the racing sec for more weight in
> the Met?
>
> You keep saying Frankel is a cry baby but I only hear you
> crying about GZ.
>
> Just my two cents and I refuse to clutter this board up
> nonsense, with this one exception.

I\'d just like to see Ghostdodger catch a fully competent field, all ready to run on race day is all or in the alternative carry appropriate weight against overmatched horses that have won little of note. When Ghostweighted doesn\'t have to face horses like Medallist, Forest Danger, Pleasantly Perfect, Birdstone and others its easier to win. Gets easy on negotiated pace and pace meltdown too.

No taking anything away from the Met Mile score. It was impressive and fast, but if Ghostnapper was right, against those, it figured to be.

The weight will be an issue next time. If the Racing Secretary wants to fill the race and make it competitive he\'ll assign 130. If he wants to hand Ghostoscars the gold trophy he\'ll put 125 on him. (I\'m betting on 130 and I think Frankel already knows it and thats whey the song and dance has begun. Its very unseemly.) The significant competition looks to be Roses in May and the horse that essentially is Ghostactors figure equal Saint Liam, but theres others that can be very competitive in receipt of 13 pounds.

Don\'t count on seeing Ghostscratcher in the Suburban or Whitney. The former is a 10 mark handicap and the latter a handicap. He\'ll run in the weight for age Woodward and the Breeders Cup and that will probably be the extent of the 5 year old campaign, with a possible Canadian Turf start so Frankel can complete the illusion that this horse is remotely in Secretariat\'s horsehoes. The racing world will have to evaluate Ghostgreatness by what he didn\'t do.

Ghost is a very fitting name for this animal.



Post Edited (06-01-05 11:50)

[jimbo66]

Jerry,

At we at all close to your limit of idiotic posts about \"Ghostdodging, ghosthiding, ghostscratcher,etc.etc.\".

Some of us were REALLY hoping that the board police comment last week would stop this kind of stuff...........

[gvido]

Knock it off already.

The horse has crushed the competition every time he\'s been asked. What more do you want? Would the result of the MET been any different if he was carrying 135? Hardly.

I\'m certain I speak for many: You and classhandicapper consistently fill this board with waaaaaay too much bullshot.

Jimbo66, I was thinking the same thing. The Klown has served suspensions in the past, time for a freshening? LOL

Sadly he\'s not funny anymore...

[P-Dub]

I admit it gets a little tiresome to read the same thing over and over, but CTC makes a good point.

Great horses of the past carried weight. If you want to compare GZ to those horses, lets see him compete while conceding weight. Packing the weight may also get other horses into the starting gate. GZ is obviously a very talented horse, but is watching him stomp overmatched fields at ridiculous imposts not to mention his connections negotiating pace tactics with others really showcasing how great everyone thinks he is?? As a racing fan, don\'t you feel just a little cheated that we can\'t see how great he can be?

Pack the weight, run against bigger and better fields and show us how good he really is. I have nothing but respect for this horse, and certainly GZ isn\'t the only horse who has had his campaign cherrypicked by his connections. But when you have a horse as special as this one appears, racing fans deserve better. How many races did Azeri duck during her brilliant career?

[jimbo66]

P-Dub,

YOUR point is worth discussing, but I think you are wrong.  Frankel didn\'t pick the weight assignment.  His campaign was delayed this year because they drilled a hole in the horse\'s head.  He came back in the Met Mile.  The last race of the previous campaign was the Breeders Cup Classic.  Last time I checked, those were two of the most prestigious races around.  To say he is \"ducking anybody\" is ridiculous.

Clown\'s point is stupid nonsense posted to get a reaction from people on this board, so he can be the center of attention once again.  Re-read his idiotic posts, where he denigrates not just Ghostzapper, but also his competition, horses like Pleasantly Perfect, Birdstone, Roses in May, etc.etc.  PP was a very very good horse, especially at 1 1/4.  FD runs very fast numbers in sprints, although he obviously didn\'t fire on Monday. Roses in May won the Dubai World Cup, Saint Liam is a very fast horse.

Ghost\'s record.

He\'s 9 for 11 and should be 10 for 11. He lost the King\'s Bishop on a very biased race track despite an amazing close. His other loss is also probably excusable because he was laid off afterwards. He probably had a problem.

He has won a Grade 1 sprint, mile, and classic distance race.

He has won on fast and sloppy tracks.

He can rate or wire a field depending on the pace scenario.

The BC Classic field of 2004 is widely regarded as one of the best Classic fields ever assembled. The 3rd place finisher was a very high quality BC winning horse and the 2nd place finisher has already won the Dubai Cup since then.

His speed figures are universally regarded as being exceptional by everyone that makes figures.

His margins of victory and the manner in which he accomplishes them are both often very impressive.

That\'s quite a resume even if it\'s not up to the same standards of Spectacular Bid, Dr Fager, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, etc...

There are 3 things he hasn\'t done that some of the greatest of all time have done.

1. The only truly tough field on a \"quality/class basis\" he has beaten was the BC Classic field. Most of the truly great ones proved themselves against elite fields like that on many occasions under various conditions. However, give him his due. Everyone has so many opportunities to race for big money, horses duck each other these days. The Grade 1 races of today are watered down versions of the Grade 1 races of the past except for the BC Classic, Triple Crown, and a few other races here or there. That\'s not all his fault.  

2. Carry high weight against top competition and still beat them.

3. Win on the turf.

Based on the preliminary schedule that has been outlined, he may get the opportunity to do all 3 before the year is out. The final judgement will be made then, but it\'s pretty hard to not like what we\'ve seen so far.

[richiebee]

Given his record at Belmont, GZ would be favored in either the BC Sprint or BC Classic this October. When he runs at Bel, his hooves seem to be barely grazing the track surface.

Imagine how popular this horse would be among serious racing fans if he weren\'t owned by the controversial Stronach and trained by the much maligned Frankel.

Golf note for TGJB-- ever play at Lido Beach? Played last week, drowned many Titleists. Easily the toughest municipal course I\'ve ever played.

[kev]

Let me ask you this, I keep saying this. How much would he had won by if he was at 133 pounds the other day?? If he wins by a small amount then you might say something about the weight, but when he wins by 6 1/4, how much weight could have he carried and then it would have been a close race?? People are really reaching now. CTC as far as the comp. he faces, if their more than ready to step up and face him, bring them on.