They weren't even in the same galaxy. I understand it's a short stretch but with that pace there should've been at least one horse out of the top two to show some heart.

I don't have HRTV and so had to rely on texts for updates throughout the race.

If someone could please let me know when he crosses the finish I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

First of all, and this is taking nothing away from Rachel Alexandra, who ran a phenomenal race, but comparing final times from two different days is not a good idea. Ever.

Second of all, what that race was on paper it became in reality. Two horses completely towered over the field, they did everything necessary for them to be caught in the lane and no one could catch even the staggering Silver City.

Thus, Old Fashioned did what he was supposed to do.

After the 2004 Southwest, where Smarty Jones stalked a :45 and 4/5 half mile and came home in :26 and 1/5, everyone was not enthused.

NT

i agree

no closer to be found w/ those fractions, the entire field was DD in odds (excluding the Mena horse). How many of these horses are derby caliber?

-bt-

I think they said he'll be in the starting gate for the last race if he hurries;)

I agree with you 100%. The one thing that kinda sucks is that alot of his horses are with him 100%, he hasn't had the opportunity to show us his move ups....

I think it would have been pretty unrealistic to ask for a performance any better than that.

I realize he is the clear cut early Derby Future book favorite ... but more so because of the faults of other prospects than anything else.

Silver City is a very nice sprinter - he got the lead without a great deal of pressure over a track that was kind to inside speed today - and he was no match.

If you look at Old Fashioned's Remsen win .. he was crawling on an uncontested early lead through absurdly slow early fractions. He ran the fastest final 3/8ths in the Remsen since Alydar.. so he made the best of the soft trip and pace and can't be knocked too much.

It was certainly a better performance than Hard Spun's 3yo debut... and this is a Larry Jones horse ... he's a mystic and this horse will almost certainly go forward and get better.

Great post but what did you do with Drugs because he's never posted something that was this good.;)

Well I'm definitely going to dvr the derby broadcast so I can skip through the asskissing sessions with Jones.

this years human interest story no doubt...and yeah, i can understand dvr'ing. you get right to them loading in the gate. but hopefully this year i won't have to watch a dutrow horse win it.

Freaky!

i think i'm more impressed with friesan fire at this point. but a horse who doesn't encounters traffic such as old fashioned in his last two can be hard to really judge. admittedly, watching a horse come from the back of the pack is more entertaining- but it doesn't mean he's better...

Yes that's nice and whatnot..

at the time Smarty's Southwest was panned and it was miles better than this race in overall quality. You had 4 out of 9 horses in that race that showed ability.

The race today was a snoozefest match race between unbridled song's seeds.

I'll hold off on annointing this horse the next Smarty Jones.

I'm not sure what people were expecting today, perhaps he was hyped a bit too much. But this was an solid effort to kick-start his 3-year-old season. He chased a face pace, finished well and is primed to move forward.

I don't think we were looking for an effort that would win a 10 furlong race in May on a February afternoon.

i agree it was a solid effort. he did what he was expected/supposed to do.

Not trying to annoint him a new Smarty Jones. Pointing out that there oddities about the splits at Oaklawn. It ALWAYS looks like OP 3yo's come home slow and invariably they're on a par with everyone else later. I was a naysayer on Oaklawn performances for a long time and eventually acknowledged that the Smarty Jones and Lawyer Ron and Afleet Alex and Flower Alley and even Borrego were coming home as fast.. or faster.. than any other sophomore.

Don't get caught up in the splits at Oaklawn is my only suggestion. (It's the Ozarks Pants... Eventually you'll be squeeling like a pig.)

Isn't Silver City the perfect example a horse that if they didn't rush, and kept him at 8f and shorter, you would have a potential freak. He has the feeling of a horse that will get ruined by the Triple Crown trail.

Ah, Steve.

You have this one backwards.

Oaklawn Park - especially at 9fs - it is the home of the unexplainably fast come home time.

Didn't the white Randy Moss figure out that the stretch at Oaklawn is uphill?