tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post114908792810680742..comments2024-03-05T05:38:22.024-05:00Comments on Left at the Gate: Notes - May 31Alan Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570505944559196118noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-1149175041924276382006-06-01T11:17:00.000-04:002006-06-01T11:17:00.000-04:00Walter's last comment makes me less certain of min...Walter's last comment makes me less certain of mine but will post anyway.<BR/><BR/>The Sheikh is a true horseman and sportsman. I honestly think he believes the horse needs the time to develop further to his full potential. if anyone is ever going to run a non-gelded classic winner at four it would be these connections. <BR/><BR/>These guys think globally. I believe the ultimate goal with Bernardini and Discreet Cat is the Dubai World Cup, which means one or both will run in 2007. <BR/><BR/>Hopefully a four year old American campaign will follow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-1149111969700848352006-05-31T17:46:00.000-04:002006-05-31T17:46:00.000-04:00...i just did a search on Lamtarra, and found that......i just did a search on Lamtarra, and found that he was indeed campaigned by Godolphin...he ran only 4 times, reeling off victories in the English Derby, King George, and Arc de Triomphe...WOW...he was retired after the Arc and sent to stud in Japan...and apparently he was booed off the course after winning the Arc (over the retirement thing)...what a way to go...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-1149110803748152602006-05-31T17:26:00.000-04:002006-05-31T17:26:00.000-04:00...yeah, no doubt the Sheikh is strapped for cash.......yeah, no doubt the Sheikh is strapped for cash...the lure of a cool $30 million will be too much for him to resist... 8^P<BR/><BR/>...btw, the big 3yo retirements in Europe over the last decade or so have been Lamtarra and Dalakhani...Dalakhani was owned by the Aga Khan (another guy who's really hurting for cash), and i don't remember whether there was some kind of injury issue or not...but i don't believe so...as for Lamtarra, it was well-documented that he was retired for breeding purposes...but i wasn't paying much attention to the Euros back then, so i'm not sure who he was owned by...might've been the Sheikh, i'm not sure...bottom line though, Bernardini skipping the Belmont has nothing to do with his stud value or impending retirement...hell, if the Shieikh wanted to increase his stud value, why not run him in a prestigious Grade 1 like the Belmont, a race in which he'd be a prohibitive favorite?...i think he's simply looking after the horse's best interests, something which Godolphin (or Darley in this case) is pretty well-known for...the Sheikh knows that Bernardini/Discreet Cat have BIG futures in front of them, and it looks to me like he's concerned about asking too much too soon...both horses are very lightly raced, and i know Discreet Cta was a late foal (not sure about Bernardini)...i think he just wants to give them time to grow and develop them slowly, as opposed to potenrtially squeezing the turnip dry...keep in mind that the Sheikh lost Dubai Millineum to grass sickness at a very early age not long ago, and that hit Godolphin VERY hard...more than likely it's altered their way of thinking, as they certainly appear more conservative with their young horses than they had been in the past...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com