The weather looks absolutely miserable in Louisville, and what a pity for everyone involved, including the poor horses who will have to run in that muck. As for us handicappers, what was already a crap shoot becomes even more incomprehensible.
Could end up regretting writing this....but I'm fairly shocked at all of the enthusiasm for Devil May Care in the Daily Racing Form. Watchmaker and Welsch have her on top; Brad Free second, Crist third. She's third in the consensus box. I just don't see it....off of that one race with a perfect trip in a small field of fillies? Well, we'll see.
Speaking of fillies, oh, boy, too bad about Rachel Alexandra, eh? You never really know how a filly is going to come back a year older after some time off. However, instead of striking while the iron was hot last fall, Jess Jackson elected to ignore the sport which was imploring him to go to the Breeders Cup, instead electing to play his vindictive little game against the forces of evil who forced him to run Curlin on that horrible plastic the year before and send her to the farm for an extended break instead of running in the Classic.
Not that she's done, of course. Her 103 Beyer on Friday was a step forward, and her connections stressed that she will not be retired. Just maybe, she'll get her head fully back into the game and we'll have that big showdown once and for all. However, if you believe that last year's campaign against the boys was too much and took a lot out of her, then maybe I wasn't so dumb last year when I questioned the wisdom of running her back on two weeks rest in the Preakness. And just maybe, despite all of the hoopla at the time, (none of which seems to have had any lasting effect with respect to the sport's popularity today), the sport would have been better off today had Jess Jackson not purchased the filly, and if she had stayed the more conventional course that was planned by her original owners. Rachel Risk/Reward Don't Add Up I wrote before the Preakness. I looked pretty damn dumb afterwards. But maybe not so much now.
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Saturday, May 01, 2010
Derby Morning
Posted by Alan Mann at 10:45 AM
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6 Comments:
She had the greatest year that any 3 yr old filly ever had...and you want to speak against that?
Stately Victor, Sidney's Candy, Ice Box, Paddy O'Prado.
Alan
Did you mean get her "elegant" head back....
RG
Everyone who ran in that Woodward has come back to run like garbage.
Go American Lion!
Anyone who thinks Rachel should have run in the Breeders' Cup is a FOOL. She obviously came out of the Woodward with a problem - absolutely no other reason why you would keep a horse confined to her stall at a racetrack, with no training for five months, instead of sending her to a farm, unless she was healing.
I just love it when outsiders with no clue, and no financial interest, tell owners and trainers what they should do with their horses.
To Anonymous:--I agee, why did they not let Rachel go to the Farm? exactly, it's not just old school to let your Horse be a Horse at the Farm, just common sense--r
I always beleived Rachel was injured in that race, nothing else made sense at the time.
If they insist she was not injured, then it is only fair to downgrade her victory in that race since the competition has done nothing since.
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