Road to Derby Retrospect

re: Road to Derby Retrospect

Linda in Texas — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 15:16:53 GMT

I will be printing this off to keep in my notes. Thank you for reminding us of the greats and what they have planned for 2014. Told a fellow fan of horses and horse racing yesterday that i need to get my nose back to the grindstone as i have been lax tending to the holidays. And have a Happy Healthy And Safe New Year, Claire, i look forward to and enjoy your informative articles.

re: Road to Derby Retrospect

JayJay — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 01:09:18 GMT

Thanks for the recap, looking forward to seeing WTC win the HOTY hopefully. I'm looking forward to seeing him run next year. I'm also looking forward to seeing Black Onyx run next year. I hope they continue to run Verrazano, never believed in this horse and I don't think he'll be the horse that a lot of people thinks he is. I'm not a Verrazano hater, I just think he's another over-hyped horse. He'll win some G3 type/level races but against the top horses, I think he'll fold.

re: Road to Derby Retrospect

papillon — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 19:45:42 GMT

orb had the strongest first half of the year; won the most prestigious race in n. america (everyone remembers derby winners, no one remembers BCC winners unless the horse was already special); the best record of any 3 yo, 8:4-0-2, with a 50% win average, 75% in the money average, earned in all but 2 G1 races (will take charge is 11:5-2-0; 45% win average, 64% in the money average, earned in less than half G1 races, three of which he lost miserably--to orb); the second best record on the year; holds the head to head record over will take charge; and only lost to will take charge by 3/4 of a length, but he will end up with embarrassingly few eclipse votes to will take charge, bucking a 40 year tend for derby winners in eclipse voting.

if he'd been retired after the derby, he'd win the 3yo eclipse easily, and people would be commenting on how weak the BCC field was this year. the only horse with BCC worthy PPs in this year's running was game on dude and his dismal performance has cost him not only HOY of the year but the older male title too--to a horse with only 2 wins on the year and who ends the year 5:2-2-0 (assuming it doesn't go to wise dan).

to show how weak this year's BCC was, flat out had the third best record behind to will take charge and game on dude, and he only won 3 races and ends the year 7: 3-1-2.

that's a really sad comment on this sport, and one that would never happen in human sports.

how could anyone be shocked at orb's retirement? he was a great horse who was consistently disrespected and denigrated after the preakness, even though his post derby record was better than almost every derby winner in the last decade. john nerud wouldn't run horses in the derby races because, "it's too early in the season. You kill more horses going to the Derby than any race in America." the track record for derby winners validates this, but we hold it against horses like orb, who still have strong post derby-seasons, becuase they aren't once in a century horses.

i've followed this sport for a long time, but this was my last year.

re: Road to Derby Retrospect

Newracingfan — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:36:59 GMT

Thanks for this great recap on last year's crop of Derby hopefuls. So glad to see that some of them who were sidelined will be back - especially Black Onyx

re: Road to Derby Retrospect

Margaret Ann — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 22:12:06 GMT

It is nice to know what is going on with some of last year's Derby hopefuls. I look forward to seeing them run next year. I do not understand why Orb was retired, but ... I hope Verrazano comes back. I was sorry to see Lines of Battle disappear. Really am looking forward to Revolutionary and Java's War next year. Ah-h, one year ends, the next begins.

re: Road to Derby Retrospect

Pedigree Ann — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 15:30:39 GMT

Last year's so-called Jerome was nothing more than the old Count Fleet S. which never was able to earn a grading at that time of the year at on that surface. The so-called Withers is nothing more than the old Whirlaway S, which also was never able to earn a grading. How the grading committee allow the grading earned at a different time of the year at a different track (Belmont) be carried along with the name instead of being evaluated by the history of the actual races is beyond me. It seems to be a total travesty.