From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

NASCAR PRO — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:57:39 GMT

Papillon there are 5 low weights 116lbs or less in the FOY 1 highweight 122lbs and two colts rated at 120lbs.Your posts leaned towards low weights eventhough in the last decade the only FOY won by a low weight was 2009 and Quality Road in that same race the 2nd place finisher was also rated at 116 lbs.I will need more data as in morning line odds and post time odds to make a FINAL decision and submit a bet.I do like 1 low weight that is not the one you might think but even the morning line odds are not listed yet.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Mary — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:49:42 GMT

Mary, just a mention of his good looks.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Mary Zinke — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:41:49 GMT

Okay, I'll ask. What do the horses' markings have to do with how they run? Or maybe that was just a mention of UR's good looks.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

LAZMANNICK — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:02:01 GMT

I often find it puzzling when Bold Ruler is not considered a sire of classic distance horses. True, he has sired many sprinters and middle distance horses, but he has also sired at least 11, 10F stakes winners and at least 2 others that won stakes at longer distances than 10F. In addition, he won 3 of the 5 10F races he competed in, all stakes. Just a comment.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Mary — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:36:14 GMT

One can only hope that Union Rags has inherited Princequillo's ability to run long distance. Secretariat inherited it, in spite of the fact that he was a Bold Ruler. So lets just hope that Union Rags has inherited those stamina genes through his mother, Tempo.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Will — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:11:08 GMT

Mary: I hope that Secretariat strain on the tail side of his pedigree gets Union Rags the distance. I do remember that knock on Secretariat you mentioned. Last year's experience with a certain Indian Charlie colt probably colored my judgment in evaluating Union Rags. Thanks for the closer look at his pedigree.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Mary — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 03:37:28 GMT

Dennis, the wish you well clause did not wash well with me either. Union Rags is the better colt, and IMO Michael Matz was ready for a jockey change. Julien knows Churchill Downs very well.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Mary — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:48:55 GMT

Algorithms won his maiden last June and did not run again for many months, due to a hock fracture. Algorithms, IMO, has soundness issues.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Mary — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:34:09 GMT

Union Rags has Secretariat in his 5x pedigree on the tail side. He has Secretariat's 3 white socks, and he has that white blaze going down his face, like his great grand dam, Secrettame, a daughter of Secretariat.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Mary — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:52:28 GMT

The only jockey better than Leparoux at Churchill Downs is Calvin Borel.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Mary — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:47:37 GMT

I think that Michael Matz was ready for a jockey change. Castellano wanted to work Union Rags before making a decision, and MM said no; he wanted Castellano's decision before the work. Julien knows Churchill Downs.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Mary — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:37:49 GMT

Will, everyone was saying the very same thing about Secretariat, speed and no stamina to go the distance. Secretariat's dam, somethingroyal, gave to him the stamina. Look at the tail side of Union Rags' pedigree, that is where you will find the stamina. He can run all day long. Good night everyone.

By the way, Pletcher has one Kentucky Derby winner, Super Saver, and he has 10 times as many horse as Michael Matz. Michael also has one Kentucky Derby winner, Barbaro. Do the math. Pletcher horses fall short in the triple crown races.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Mary — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:32:02 GMT

Sharjyl and Secretariat, I am so tired of hearing about no Dixie Union can go the distance. Everyone said that about a certain Bold Ruler colt; and his name was Secretariat.

Secretariat was out of Somethingroyal, a Princequillo mare. Princequillo was one of the greatest long distance runners of all time.

Union Rags has stamina in the tail side of his pedigree. There he is, Union Rags' grandsire, Gone West, out of a Secretariat mare. You guys need to look at his pedigree. You are simply repeating stuff that you have read, without doing your own investigation into this horse's pedigree.

Draynay, I love you. Greg, Hansen and Union Rags are the two best colts in the country on this day.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Will — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:19:10 GMT

I have to confess that when I saw the name Toby Keith that column of Jason's became one of the few of his I took a pass on. Minnesota Kid did accurately characterize Keith's music and his fans in his blog comment. Now, if you're going to write about celebrity in your columns, Jason, why not one on the inimitable Ms. Edwards, a celebrity from the world of racing and sports entertainment, or even John G. Dooley's fellow handicapper and track personality, Jessica Pacheco. There's some classy women in the world of racing who far put to shame some of the female offerings from the world of recording artists Keith hails from. Showcase them. As for Castellano's decision the distance limitations of a Dixie Union colt when weighed against the prospects of riding a colt sired by Bernadini seems like a no brainer, but Jason's point about about the calculated nature of the decision is well taken. There are so many potential mounts on Pletcher's barn of stand outs if he choses to ride Algorithms while Matz has only the ride on Union Rags to offer Castellano. It's a business decision to go with the odds, pure and simple. Furthermore, it makes sense of Castellano's earlier statement that Union Rags was the best horse he'd ever worked including Bernardini and Ghostzapper. He may well feel that way, but the opportunity to ride so many of Pletcher's quality horses if he rides Algorithms trumps his feelings about Union Rags. As usual, this is an industry and the bottom line is business and making a living. Yet, Union Rags loses little in gaining the services of a jockey of Julien Leparoux's credentials.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

SouthernChris — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:14:08 GMT

And about the field being weak, 2 of the 4 horses (one being Sham) never raced after the Belmont. Hard to win when you don't race. My Gallant, who ran third, finished the year with 3 consecutive seconds after the Belmont. 1 to Secretariat and 2 to Forego. What a shabby horse! Twice A Prince, who ran second, ran once more in 1973 finishing third behind Forego and My Gallant.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

SouthernChris — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:08:08 GMT

Draynay, you can call the 1973 Belmont field weak all you want. The fact is no horse was beating Big Red that day. Easy Goer owns the second fastest Belmont at 2:26 a full two seconds slower than Big Red. In fact, no horse has been able to run faster than 2:25 at a 1 1/2 on dirt.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Forbidden Apple — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 13:00:26 GMT

Union Rags staggering? Someone needs to purchase new glasses and then give this horse his due respect.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

MonicaV — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:11:17 GMT

I watched the BC Juvenile again and Union Rags did not appear to me to be staggering home. He ran wide the whole race and he did run all over the stretch but he was digging in hard. Had he been given a better ride, he probably would have won. I wouldn't discount this horse at all. His best is yet to come.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

mz — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:17:55 GMT

Hey Draynay: did you cash a ticket on the 2010 KD winner?

I did.

('nuff said)

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

myntjulius — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:05:23 GMT

Everyone seems to be losing the Jockey perspective. Sure the "Derby" is a big race, but by pledging allegiance to the Pletcher stable Javier is ensuring a much greater number of potential stakes races in his win column. The Kentucky Derby is not the only prestigious race in this country.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Stephie Clare — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:17:24 GMT

Union Rags was staggering in the stretch during the BC Juvenile. He was the darling on the East Coast press. I am not sure if he can make the distance. I can see why Javier made this decision.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

LAZMANNICK — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:06:23 GMT

Draynay

Please Derby handicap expert, tell us where you buy your rose colored glasses.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Draynay — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:14:44 GMT

Lexington, my horse for the Derby will hit the board and pay me. Your horse will not. I am a Derby expert and don't you forget it. When you're on the top of the handicapping world like I am people take shots at you. I don't mind. I have tried for years to help the handicap disadvantaged and I am willing to help you too all you have to do is ask.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

steve from st louis — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:35:22 GMT

Someone has to set the record straight so that a kindergartener (Draynay) can understand the 1973 Belmont. I would guess Dray wasn't born for another 10 years or so and sometimes it's hard to get a taste for history through the written word or 16mm film. The 1-2-3 finishers of the Derby and Preakness--Secretariat,Sham and Our Native--finished those two races in the exact same order by the exact same margins. If Pancho Martin, Sham's trainer wasn't so headstrong, he probably would have skipped the Belmont as Bill Resseguet did with Our Native, who went on to win the Gr. II Ohio Derby and Gr. I Monmouth Invitational.

So Secretariat beat Sham coming from behind in the Derby and from the front end from the first turn on in the Preakness in the greatest move I've ever seen on a racetrack. You Tube that move. Big Red was last going into the first turn at Pimlico and yet he showed first going up the backstretch and held off Sham by the same margin as in the Derby. In the Belmont, Sham didn't have a chance. No horse did. Secretariat was running against the clock and, Draynay, the clock was beaten by a furlong.

re: From 'Rags' to Pletcher Riches

Bob from Boston — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:43:47 GMT

Jason,

Don't take that from Minnesota Kid. Put a boot in his a$$.

Draynay isn't a fool. A fool and his money are soon parted. Wait a minute.....