- Tom Amoss said on The Works that Cash Included will blow away the Juvenile Fillies field.
- Shug McGaughey, trainer of Pine Island, said "I think Balletto is the filly to beat....I think all of her races have been good and she'll probably get a good pace scenario and she's a good closer." [Downey Report]
- The Europeans were on the track, and we saw a bunch of them on The Works just walking and jogging for the most part. Amoss argued heatedly with Frank Lyons over David Junior; Amoss didn't like the way the horse was sweating; Lyons brushed it off, saying that he was just getting used to the warmer climes.
Hurricane Run was on the track, and the Thoroughbred Times reports:
A dappled Hurricane Run emerged from the barn and proved feisty once out of his confines, ducking in while moving through the gap after leaving the track. [Thoroughbred Times]Ouija Board was out too, and Robin Trevor-Jones, Ed Dunlop's "travelling head lad," said: "She knew where she was and she had a good look around." [Guardian] She's never raced at Churchill, so I guess she must have recognized the twin spires.
And TVG not only didn't have a tape of Bernardini's workout at Belmont Tuesday, but Todd Schrmmmppfff said that the work was on Monday.
8 Comments:
This is the kind of minutia that only only surface during Derby Week, or Breeders Cup Week, that i find quite comical. These tv guys attempting to pick holes in various contenders over the tiniest little things, because, well, they really have nothing else to talk about. So David Junior was sweating on the Tuesday before the race. Big freaking deal, i suppose that's gonna keep him from winning on Saturday? And how would Amoss know whether the horse sweats when he's in Europe? Has he ever seen David Junior in the flesh before? Probably not. If he wants to comment on how David Junior appears to be handling the surface during his gallops, i'd have a helluva lot more interest in that. But sweat? How many times have you seen a horse being loaded into the gate with sweat all over him, then proceed to run a big race? Answer - lots of times. It's a complete non-issue as far as i'm concerned.
Btw, i think when Ouija Board's handler said that she "knew where she was", he meant the racetrack where she'd be competing. She's been through this off-the-plane-and-onto-the-track routine often enough by now that i'm sure she knows when it's gametime. Or maybe she just saw the Twin Spires on tv. 8^)
P.S. - I can't wait until Amoss tries to pick HER apart. Maybe he'll say it's "that time of the month".
Nah, no one had anything negative to say about Ouija Board. She looks magnificent, and it's hard to see how she can lose if she runs her race.
Stevens and Lyons got all over Amoss about David Junior. Amoss' point was that if he comes out like that on race day, to "put an X through him."
btw, Bernardini was pretty sweaty loading into the gate for the Travers as I recall.
Shug McGaughey, trainer of Pine Island, said "I think Balletto is the filly to beat....I think all of her races have been good and she'll probably get a good pace scenario and she's a good closer." [Downey Report]....Balleto, the Distaff answer to Perfect Drift. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. I went for my lungs on Perfect Drift in the Stephen Foster, the dirtest nose I have ever been beaten by, wait I take that back, Jaikyll killed me at Liberty Bell Park in the 70's, he dropped out of the clouds to catch Chompion and buried me for a month. But The SF beat was a tough one. I could'nt bet either of them with Chinese money. Nick
I tend to give a lot of weight to the "horse to beat" comments by other trainers and owners, especially when they mention someone other than the logical favorite.
Spun Sugar was mentioned this way by Fleet Indian's owner, now Balletto by Pine Island's trainer. Could be attempting to diss their main competitors for the Eclipse, but I think they actually fear these fillies.
Love dappled horses so Hurricane Run moves up another notch, and I agree Cash Included should romp in the opener.
I hope David Junior comes on the track perfectly Saturday, the more reason for others to play someone other than Berny the better.
Is it just me, or would anyone else have preferred for Gorella, DJ and GW to run in their proper divisions? I think it is a bit arrogant of the connections (and insulting to the BC), as if they are such super horses that they have nothing else to prove in their proper places.
I can see Gorella in the Mile, but I do totally agree about the two Euros running in the Classic. Stud plans have been announced for both, and it's like they're using the Classic as a 'nothing-to-lose' gambit to increase their horses' value at stud. Each of them would be favored in their respective proper places; it's like they're turning their noses up at the "chump change" they could win in purse money in favor of rolling the dice - with little or no risk - on the Classic.
I understand their motivation but still fell it is a bit insulting to American racing, even if the purse money means nothing to them has the value of an Eclipse Award fallen that far? Either would be favored for such an award should they win their heat.
As for Gorella, think they are more afraid of Quija Board than the mile entrants, may have been a different story if GW ran in the mile.
Does make me place QB in even higher regard when I think about it this way.
I completely disagree that David Junior is out of his element here, or that this is some kind of breeding deal like with George Washington. The problem with David Junior is that his best distance is 1 1/4 miles. The horse has made 12 starts (6 of them in Group One's), and he's never been farther than 1 1/4 miles. No Arc, no King George, etc. With a horse of David Junior's talents, surely that's not a coincidence. His connections obviously feel that 1 1/2 miles is too long for him. So wqhere's he gonna run? In the Mile? He's 0-for-2 at a mile. No, the reason David Junior is entered in the Classic is because it's the only 1 1/4 mile race available. And as far as his chances of handling the dirt are concerned, he's a Florida-bred who was purchased at one of the Calder 2yo sales (i'm guessing OBS). He should be well-equipped to handle the dirt. To me, anyone who throws this horse out does so at their own risk. I'm not suggesting he'll beat Bernardini, but he certainly could. You don't win multiple Group One's by accident.
P.S. - I also believe that Gorella is running exactly where she should run. Why should she go in the F&M Turf, just because she's a female? She's never run 1 3/8 miles before, and i'm not sure you wanna try Ouija Board at a distance that may not be your best. Regardless of her sex, Gorella stands a favorite's chance in the Mile. Females beat males all the time over in Europe, it's really a non-issue. In fact, Six Pefections won the Mile just a few years ago. If Gorella loses, it's not because she's a girl.
Walter - Fair point on David Junior, thanks.
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