Just Part of The Game

[richiebee]

Venting.

Its a 5 horse field, where one filly is basically trailing the field throughout.

Mike Smith is ridiculously wide throughout.

Channing Hill cant find any room, anywhere. In what is basically a 4 horse field.

These are my two bets.

Allen Jerkens is a Hall of Fame trainer. Doesn\'t he watch the races? Doesn\'t he realize that Smith stopped trying to save ground 10 years ago?

Thought it funny that Trickle of Gold and Great Intentions connections were criticized in the ROTW for shipping to California during the winter. Wasn\'t it Annika Lass who shipped to California AND Florida during the winter without ever facing the starter?

The remote came THISCLOSE to going through the TV set today.

[TGJB]

Annika was sent out months in advance to California, in the fall, to acclimate and run in the Sunshine Millions. Cerin got his hands on her, and presto-- he found problems that kept her from running. After she missed the Millions, we brought her back, gave her to Asmussen, and presto-- no more problems.

The other two fillies were shipped out right before the race, in the dead of winter.

Relax, Richie. Others with more at stake got the worst of that trip as well. And I don\'t blame the rider-- if one of the others had either been good or bad there would have been someplace to go.

[richiebee]

Jerry:

     I appreciate the calming words. One of my pet peeves is bad trips in short fields, yet I see them all the time.

     I think Annika\'s trip also points out how bad the inside posts tend to be in the chute races at Aq.

     The TG jock stats do seem to confirm my point about Mr Smith; after his awful spill at Saratoga, he has stayed as close to the ambulance as possible.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

richiebee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jerry:
>
>      I appreciate the calming words. One of my pet
> peeves is bad trips in short fields, yet I see
> them all the time.
>
>      I think Annika\'s trip also points out how bad
> the inside posts tend to be in the chute races at
> Aq.
>
>      The TG jock stats do seem to confirm my point
> about Mr Smith; after his awful spill at Saratoga,
> he has stayed as close to the ambulance as
> possible.

But in Mike\'s defense, sometimes theres a wide bias just waiting to happen and when it does, Presto, Mikes there baby.

Channing Hill finding trouble is something you just have to factor and not risk in my opinion if the odds aren\'t good. Granted it was a good race to take a shot at Smuggler and you at least had the lynch pin.

What about that Lexington effort by Showing Up? Not bad all things considered. Looks like hes going Derby undefeated. In the end I watched. Realized Like Now broke inside of Fast Parade with a shortish run to the turn and wasn\'t confident Parade would ever get to relax. In Defeat Like Now impressed me too. That Gotham is looking better all the time.

[tmon]

Strange race 2 of the 5 fillie/mares stumbled coming out of the gate and the winner only bobbled. Did they start the race in a hole?

[big18741]

Annika Lass was going to be third trouble or not.If Hill had enough horse he had ample time to get up into that hole in between horses before it closed.Watch the head on.

She didn\'t race for nearly 7 months. When Asmussen got his hands on her at Palm Meadows her works were gappy leading up to her race at Aqueduct last month.She had to have needed that one-probably needed this one.Here is her work tab after not working since late October at Santa Anita:

02/06/2006  PMM 5f 102.40 B
02/13/2006  PMM 5f 103.00 B
Missed a week
02/27/2006  PMM 5F 100.80 H
03/06/2006  PMM 6f 112.80 H
Missed a week + shipping
03/22/2006  BEL 4f 49.05  B

Ran on 3/25

04/10/2006  BEL 5f 102.40 B
04/17/2006  BEL 4f 50.80  B

[miff]

Chuck said

\"In Defeat Like Now impressed me too. That Gotham is looking better all the time.\"


Chuck,

Keyed Entry ain\'t winning the Derby. Get over it, move on.

[miff]

Big,

Have watched this mare several times. I think she runs better outside or inside out. If managed and spotted right,she\'ll do well.A hard hitter.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

miff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chuck said
>
> \"In Defeat Like Now impressed me too. That Gotham
> is looking better all the time.\"
>
>
> Chuck,
>
> Keyed Entry ain\'t winning the Derby. Get over it,
> move on.
>


Keyed Entry has a big big chance.

Obviously that Wood Strip took its toll on the front end horses.

It was Brutal.

Keyed Entry is a great name for a Derby winner.

[big18741]

Miff

Probably likes that outside trip best,but she ran a good one at Delaware in the Sweet and Sassy going up the rail.What she needs more than anything is a hot pace.

She went thru a lot over the past seven-eight months-3 trainers-east-west-south-while going thru whatever the issues were that kept her from working regularly.Just think she needed two maybe three under her belt and regular training before she runs back to that Labor Day race.

[richiebee]

Miff:

  There is another horse coming out of the Gotham who will be running in the Derby.

   Agree with Riva Chuckles that Like Now was game in the Lexington. Now we will see how badly his owner breeder wants a Derby seat.

   Like Now might fit best as a lightly weighted Met Mile entrant, but some folks dreams get the best of them at this time of year.

[bellsbendboy]

Chuck

 Keyed Entry has less chance to win the derby than Sinister Minister.  He is by Honour and Glory, who is by Relaunch.  If they do the right thing and scratch, stablemate Sunriver can win it!  bbb

[richiebee]

Big:

   You are talking about this filly, who you are obviously very familiar with, as if she is slowly rounding into form. In her LAST race she got beat 3/4 of a length in a Grade II, coming very close to going by Smokey Glacken and the winner of today\'s race.

   No matter what your connection to an animal is, owner, trainer, bettor, you do not like to see the jockey put the animal in a spot where it is necessary to yank on the animal\'s jaw severely, the way that C. Hill did today.

   And since you viewed the head on, describe for the class the amount of ground Smith lost. At 9/1 (longest shot on board), I had Grecian sandwiched in between Foreverness (longest shot on the board) and Majestic Karakorum (winner of race 9, beating a heavy favorite) in a Pick 3. As TGJB points out, my bet would not have equalled the winner\'s purse (nowhere close) but after nearly 30 years of betting races, I have not done a good job of getting used to losing.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

bellsbendboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chuck
>
>  Keyed Entry has less chance to win the derby than
> Sinister Minister.  He is by Honour and Glory, who
> is by Relaunch.  If they do the right thing and
> scratch, stablemate Sunriver can win it!  bbb

Bellsbend, why are you \"down\" on all my horses?...lol

Keyed Entry is outta a Cryptoclearance mare however.

Caressing won the B.C.Juvy fillies.

Blues and Royals was everybody\'s pick to win the Derby until he foundered.

Discreet Hero won at 9 poles.

Keyed Entry has never missed the board. You don\'t deny a horse with talent a chance at immortality. And the big stud fees.

I\'m checking your contention that Sinister changed back to the wrong lead or never changed leads right now. Its time for the nitty gritty.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

bellsbendboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chuck
>
>  Keyed Entry has less chance to win the derby than
> Sinister Minister.  He is by Honour and Glory, who
> is by Relaunch.  If they do the right thing and
> scratch, stablemate Sunriver can win it!  bbb

Bellsbend,

I finally got a good look at the Blue Grass replay. Spinning out of the final turn Sinister Minister was on the correct lead. At the 1/8 pole something interesting happens. Have a look.

Its possible he was getting fatigued. He certainly had a right to. Its also possible theres another reason for falling back upon the wrong lead.