Eclipse Award Sprinter

[TGJB]

I don\'t remember Afleet Alex beating older horses or winning a BC race, but an awful lot of people think he should be HOTY. If the award was about who had the most ability neither LITF or ST would be the right choice, but it\'s about accomplishment, and given LITF\'s record, he should get it hands down.

[richiebee]

\" Do you give the horse its might?
  Do you clothe its neck with mane?
  Do you make it leap like a locust?
  Its majestic snorting is terrible,
  It paws violently and exults mightily,
  It goes out to meet the weapons,
  It laughs at fear and is not dismayed,
  It does not turn back from the sword,
   the flashing spear and the javelin
  With fierceness and rage it swallows the ground
  When the trumpet sounds it says \"Aha!\"
  From a distance it smells the battle,
  the thunder of the captains and the shouting...\"

.. or why the Bible, bourbon and the Racing Form shouldn\'t be kept on the same desk. I think its Psalm 38, but there must be a lot of people out there with a better biblical background than me who can tell where that passage is from.
 
  Bobphilo, \"bringing positive attention to the sport\" should not be an Eclipse criteria, or as the erstwhile Classhandicapper might say, these good vibes should not be \"baked into\" the Eclipse decision making process.

  As to Dutrow\'s ways and means, he was given St Liam with one mandate: Win the Breeder\'s Cup. Mission accomplished. Unfortunately not all of our trainers can be likeable in a grandfatherly way (like Charlie Whittingham) or likeable in a mischevious way (Woody Stephens) or urbane and polished (like the Whiteleys).

  Its about the horses.  

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

TGJB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don\'t remember Afleet Alex beating older horses
> or winning a BC race, but an awful lot of people
> think he should be HOTY. If the award was about
> who had the most ability neither LITF or ST would
> be the right choice, but it\'s about
> accomplishment, and given LITF\'s record, he should
> get it hands down.

Really, don\'t think LITF deserves consideration for the eclipse. He\'d have a slightly stronger argument if he\'s skipped the B.C. Sprint, but having run in it and having been exposed as padding his record in a weak restricted class, LITF\'s standing slips markedly.

Experienced handicappers knew the Sprint was going to be LITF\'s Waterloo. Oh, I know, I know, past posting again...lol

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=223638&postcount=53

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=223654&postcount=55

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=223769&postcount=59

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=223849&postcount=66

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=224098&postcount=77

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=224254&postcount=89

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=224282&postcount=91

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=224489&postcount=106

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=224566&postcount=109

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=224577&postcount=112

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=225525&postcount=123

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showpost.php?p=225714&postcount=130

And Yes, a healthy Alex would have beat Flower Alley by a half pole in the Classic too.

[richiebee]

Just my luck.

The prodigal son returns and jumps right in my foxhole.

Happy New Year pal.

[TGJB]

Richie, that was pretty funny.

[bobphilo]

Richiebee,

Thanks for the interesting passage. Looks like something worth remembering. I'm no biblical scholar, but it looks like something that might have been written about an Assyrian Chariot horse. Any historians here.

While I don't think bringing positive interest to the sport should be a major criteria for an Eclipse award, if it was done by way of a significant accomplishment, as LITF did, it is a definite plus in the horses favor. Like Jerry said, "it's about accomplishment".

My problem with Dutrow has nothing to do with personalities or him not being as avuncular as the past greats. As I said earlier, I would not let my dislike for Dutrow's methods prevent me from voting Saint Liam horse of the year, however we should also keep in mind that, sometimes, extreme single-mindedness and ruthlessness can bring success to an individual but be hurtful to the sport.

Bob

[dlf]

Job 39...who can quote from a more appropriate source than this for the long-suffering handicapper? http://www.hope.edu/academic/religion/bandstra/BIBLE/JOB/JOB39.HTM

[richiebee]

Dennis:

   Thank you for the proper cite of \"Do you give the horse its might...\".

   I haven\'t used the Old or New Testament as handicapping tools yet, but it could come to that.

[miff]

Richiebee,

Just remember the Old Testament is for Harness Racing, the New for Thorobreds.