High Octane Saturday

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

Well its finally arrived. Tomorrow is "High Octane Saturday".  For my money it is the biggest day in racing. Some will chuckle and make a compelling case for Derby Day, the Travers, the Breeders Cup or even the Dubai World Cup (Yuck) but the import of the 3 and 3/8's miles about to be run cannot be overstated. All the springtime prepping comes down to showing ability in these races and taking the performance "jump" from them to the next level. There's no time for backing off now. There's no time to regroup and change course. Add to the significance the graded stakes earnings requirement and the stage is set for three bang up races. The clues that emerge from these races are added to the clues from the Santa Anita and Illinois Derbies and more recently the Lexington and with them a horseplayer can make his case:

"Eurosilver from mid pack with Castellano." (Of course that won't happen this year, but you know what I'm saying.)

I don't think there's a bigger day in racing.

Of course, some will be too slow to have much of an impact
And they will be entered to run along near the rear
Though some will say they shouldn't
But in the blurring half-light of the coliseums
All existence fades to a being with the figures
And histories
And the sound of the tension in the crowd
And a four-prong method
And the hope that the horse will rise
Eventually, all things merge into one; and a horse runs through it.
The horse has lineage with the world's great stallions
And runs over tracks from the basement of time
At some of the tracks are timeless apparitions  
Enveloping the tracks are words
And some of the words are theirs

"He ain't gonna get there!!!"

I am haunted by furlongs.

My apologies to Norman Maclean

lol

CtC



Post Edited (04-09-04 12:49)

[Silver Charm]

CtC wrote,

\"Add to the significance the graded stakes earnings requirement and the stage is set for three bang up races.\"

That probably has become as important a factor as anything in the last few years. Who said Two Year Old Racing wasn\'t important. Look at Action This Day he is in regardless of what he does tommorrow, if they want to go.

The rest and spacing strategy is fine if you are in the spot of say RTF or Friends Lake but not if you are Rock Hard Ten. Excellent point CtC does add a little more spice to the day.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

Actually, TGJB opened my eyes to the graded stakes earnings requirement and its import this year. This is a true 20 horse Derby field year and I can\'t recall betting prep races where the money to get in was so critical. Because of that fact, for many, these aren\'t preps. Hats off to Jerry, but he\'s betting those dang futures and he has to be that clever...lol

CtC

[Silver Charm]

Your right about these preps however look at what happened to Sunday Break and the Danthebluegrassman fiasco. This could actually become part of the strategy.

Plotting a course for your horse is becoming more strategic as people start off later at two and seem to run less at three (in the spring). This is probably the influence of the SHEETS and hopefully it keeps horses around longer in their 3YO campaigns.

CtC I get the feeling you\'re wound tighter than a drum for this weekend, not to spur you on but I enjoy reading your work. If you only wouldn\'t stir it up so much, I hate people who do that.

LOL

Also the DRF did it to me again, they put so many good articles in the form that by the time I read them all I don\'t have anymore time to handicap the races.

Damn you guys.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

And I enjoy reading you Silver and a host of others here including the host. This is the best site I\'ve run across for overall handicapping knowledge. Its populated by astute people. Don\'t get me wrong, I appreciate the times I\'m able to pick up on the T-Graph Speed determinations, (For instance bdhsheets informing me TJGB likes Pro Prado on developement off consecutive 1\'s) but thats not why I tune in. For me Speed Figures are only a tool and they are interpretable, so I don\'t rely upon them to the exclusion of other tools. Sorry about the confrontational thing. Its me...lol But I think I\'m confrontational in an opinionated way not a mean one. It\'s hard to be a horseplayer and not hold an opinion...lol

Your right about the wound tight part. But I do have a pot of coffee in me. I think I\'ll post a rundown on the Wood. I\'m deliberating the race and doing so...lol

CtC



Post Edited (04-09-04 15:44)