Eclipse Awards Review

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Mike Relva — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:30:44 GMT

Ranagulzion

Why don't you ask a few why they harbor a "grudge" regarding a certain trainer that actually displays class and is a credit to racing?

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Mike Relva — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:27:29 GMT

KY VET

Please. lmao

re: Eclipse Awards Review

KY VET — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:23:12 GMT

Pletcher HATERS keep betting.......you are just plain stupid.....ranagulzion almost always makes sense.....you all just knock whos on top......get used to it! pletcher willl be on top for a long time!

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Ranagulzion — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:18:49 GMT

Mike Relva,

How much do you know about that situation? A client switching trainers can be for any number of reasons. Also, who's to say that it is a loss to Pletcher? It could be a relief ...I don't know but your grudge shows in your remarks.

What has the trainer done to you ...why have you been against him from even before the LAT situation?

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Mike Relva — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:36:34 GMT

RANAGULZION

Guess you heard about Pletcher losing one of his clients who is moving his horses to Mott and Brown. That's what I call smart.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Householder — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:49:09 GMT

Alysheba was probably the best physically looking horse that I have ever seen. He would just kick his hind legs up in the walking circle. Rock Hard Ten or Quality Road would be a close second. The later were just covered with muscle.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Householder — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:58:56 GMT

You have to admit that Affirmed and Seattle Slew in the 1978 Marlboro Cup was pretty spectacular. The first and probably last time 2 Triple Crown winners face off.

1979 was pretty cool as well with a 3 year old Spectacular Bid taking on and older Affirmed in the Jockey Gold Cup.

But speaking of Giacomo, Alysheba, who also went into the Derby with only a Maiden score to his credit, did pretty well in the late 80s facing off against a rival Kentucky Derby winner. I think he ran 3-4 sub 2:00 races in a single year.

And what about Winning Color's trifecta of the Santa Anita Oaks, Santa Anita Derby, and the Kentucky Derby? I doubt this will ever be repeated.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Jason Shandler — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:26:38 GMT

Delray

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Ranagulzion — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:33:24 GMT

Mike Relva,

Regarding Pletcher and the Life At Ten issue, one shouldn't hold a grudge forever. I too was upset about it but the ownwers of the mare appear to be forgiving so why shouldn't we? Lets move on from that. Its Kentucky Derby fever time Bro and the Todd squad are on fire.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Bob from Boston — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:19:43 GMT

Which beach? There are some great ones down there.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

LAZMANNICK — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:26:30 GMT

True family man Jason. I admire that.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Jason Shandler — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:07:36 GMT

Afleet: I wound up not going to Gulfstream on Saturday. My son wanted to go to the beach instead. Had to make the family sacrifice.

Awesome Feather is indeed awesome.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Forbidden Apple — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:33:21 GMT

Ranagulzion,

You always have the last word because you are never wrong. I hope the Pletcher barn has something better than Algorithms. I don't think anyone is surprised when Pletcher wins prep races. With 300+ horses in training he should be winning. I actually had win bets on Soaring Stocks and El Padrino, they beat up on weak horses. I was more impressed with the front running wins by Redding Colliery and Aqsaam. Ron The Greek was the best horse on saturday. Lezcano dropped him to far back just before the far turn and cost himself the win. Consortium was awful, I hope he is okay. So which Pletcher horse is going to win the triple crown this year? Oh I forgot, you have already declared Union Rags as the next triple crown winner. Keep an eye on Alpha this saturday, he will improve again.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Bob from Boston — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:41:57 GMT

Is this Eclipse Award Review article from 2011 or 2012?

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Weekend — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:55:50 GMT

ahhh, the Preakness Alex won was awesome. I was in a wedding in South Carloina, so I could not watch it live, but I remember having a dream a few days before that he won by 5.5 legnths, so I bet quite a bit on him. Without that stumble, he wins by 5.5.... He was an awesome horse, another horse that people speculated had distance limitations b/c of his sire, but ignored the fact that he had a world record holder at 1.5 miles on the dam side. off the top of my head, Hawkster I think was the name. Now I have to look up the pedigree again

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Afleet Treet — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:35:57 GMT

Cassandra Says,

Afleet Alex's Preakness STILL gives me goosebumps to watch. That horse was and is one of my faves ever (I just about melted when I met him in KY...what a sweet horse he is)...His Preakness victory was perhaps the MOST amazing recovery I have ever seen and then to see the way he came back in three weeks and annihilated the Belmont field! While not nearly as impressive by margin of victory, Afleet Alex's final quarter was ran even faster than the mighty Secretariat. OH!! If only Giacomo and Closing Argument hadn't nipped him at the wire I am certain he had what it took to win the entire TC!! The jockey even said it was his ride that cost Alex the race because I firmly believe that while nice horses, Giacomo and Closing Argument were not necessarily better horses. ALEX WAS AWESOME!

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Afleet Treet — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:31:00 GMT

Jason,

Hoep you had a GREAT time at Gulfstream and got to see Awesome Feather and one of my very faves, Mucho Macho Man win their respective races. IF they both stay sound and healthy I would expect they will be top older horses in their divisions this year. It was SO awesome to see them both come back and win!!

If you were there PLEASE do tell how it went!!

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Weekend — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:49:52 GMT

I hear that they have magical hay in the Pletcher barn. They import it from Columbia for the slow workers, and Jamaica for the rank horses. You should all jump on board. I hear it is lonely at the top, and Todd is starting to wonder why he is all alone....

Like Rana, I see how loaded Pletcher is again this year. It is hard to deny the numbers. He will make all kinds of noise on the TC trail. You can keep hating on him and not betting him, and I will keep caashing tickets while the haters keep getting me juicy odds! Thanks

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Ranagulzion — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:01:51 GMT

Mike Relva,

I was one of the first ones, along with Criminal Type, on the Union Rags waggon and I see no reason to get off. However I have the greatest of respect for Todd Pletcher's record in the Derby prep races and have been warning the Pletcher detractors on here that his 3YOs are a force to reckon with. That's it. Five of his charges are on my top twelve Derby aspirants list.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Stevebiscuit — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:46:16 GMT

Pletcher can win prep races, that's about it. He could have half the field and he still won't hit the board in the Derby.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Mike Relva — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:50:15 GMT

RANAGULZION

So you're on the Pletcher bandwagon again? Wow! Bet LAT is proud of him.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Cassandra.Says — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:50:19 GMT

Soundness should count, and fragility is a grievous fault, but being injured because another horse fouls you is not unsoundness.

Barbaro did not leave the scene due to unsoundness, nor did Animal Kingdom, so that does not detract from the dominance he displayed in his Derby victory, his good Preakness in the mud, and the awesome move he made in the Belmont while seriously injured after being mugged leaving the gate.

Can anyone think of Afleet Alex's Preakness win without remembering he was knocked to his knees at the head of the stretch?

We value wins on how overpowering they were, who was in the field, and what adversity was overcome. Animal Kingdom gets bonus points for all these factors.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

LAZMANNICK — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:19:32 GMT

Growing up. You mean you actually attempted to grow up Draynay? I think you had better work a little harder at it. If you do it's possible that by the time you retire you might actually be pretty close to getting there.

re: Eclipse Awards Review

Paula Higgins — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:07:48 GMT

Well Draynay, we are going to have to disagree about Sham. Yes, Forego and Spectacular Bid were great horses, but so was Sham. Spectacular Bid had a safety pin problem and Sham had a hairline fx. Awesome Feather was awesome once again. Look forward to seeing her again and I was thrilled to see Mucho Macho Man back on track. Very happy for Kathy. Wonder what happened to Hansen?

re: Eclipse Awards Review

LAZMANNICK — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:50:03 GMT

The second quarter of the Holy Bull was much too fast IMO, especially when Hansen was out there all by himself. No need to run an uncontested second quarter in 22 seconds when the first was 23.3 and he already had the lead. This to me spells a head strong horse that will not be allowed to be rated. I love Tapit as a sire, but not for classic distances. Hansen is not going to be a 10F type IMO. He seems to be the type that has to have the lead and with his slow break today he could have been held back and rated and let the others do something to speed the opening quarter up.

I think Algorithms has a lot of upside and has done everything right. Excellent breeding by Bernardini and the dam has produced some decent progeny. However, I think that she has more of a sprinting and short distance influence with the likes of Gallant Romeo and Brown Berry and Sunny Romance in her pedigree and I don’t see where any of her progeny has won a stakes beyond 8.5F. In the Holy Bull the final quarter tailed off drastically IMO and even though Algorithms won convincingly, he still needed a personally timed 25.66 seconds to get home in a mile race.

It'll be interesting to see how the Derby picture develops as others begin to show their mettle. I think I'm going to look west for the Derby winner this year.