Yes, that was not a good sign. I don't think Mott expected THAS to run that poorly; there's a difference between not being 100% and just being bad. Had it been just a matter of not being totally cranked, the colt would have been beaten maybe a couple of lengths or so; instead he faded badly.

He just did not impress me in the same way he impressed others.

He got the softest of trips and he I don't think he finished as well off those easy setups as he should have, for a horse of his hype.

I didn't think he sucked or anything though.

As for Bernardini, who knows how good he'll be, but right now he's the odds on choice to be the sire of a triple crown winner in 2015!

I have no idea what your problem is except extreme arrogance, but go ahead and say that the horse ran a good race. I eagerly anticipate your analysis - or was your comment about War Front as much as we can expect from you. You sure have a hard time being civil.

I thought he finished very well in the Nashua, not quite as well in the Remsen for sure.

I'm sure he won't be taken off the Derby trail, but he's not a horse at this point that I could really support unless he comes back with a huge performance.

OMG he ran third! The horror! Please drop him down to a claimer after a six month lay-off.

Again, the 1-1/8 distance at gulf is ridiculously tough on outside posts. These races always produce the inside horses. If Soldat had the 7 post, I doubt he wins.

Yeah, I'm the one with the problem. The horse ran third off a four-month layoff and you're taking him off the Derby trail, no questions asked. All you ever used to do is complain about how every horse's spot is too ambitious, now you've switched to putting the second favorite for the Derby on the shelf because of a so-so comeback race behind a quality horse who walked on the lead. Your insanely overprotective attitude towards all A.P. Indy sons and grandsons is beyond tired.

Look at the rest of the comments. I'm not the only one who thinks you're being typically ridiculous.

Why so nice.

Is there a reason I should care what strangers think about me? If you're tired of my posts, please feel free to skip them - or take a nap before you read them so you won't get so tired.

You don't have to care. But drop the incredulous victim act when people react sarcastically to your routine.

If you think he's being too nice, instead of being gutless, why don't you come at me with guns blazing? I can handle it, believe me. Go ahead - say what you really feel.

Victim act? LOL I disagree with you on THAS and instead of reacting civillly, you get up on your high horse. I'm sure you'll select THAS on top in whatever race he runs in next, right? He's going to be a horse you look at carefully before wagering your hard earned $$ ?

Every time someone rolls their eyes at you, your response is 'what is your problem?' Does that not tell you something? You really think everyone else has the problem and you're the one person being reasonable?

Don't worry about who I bet on. That's not germane to this discussion in the least. The point is, anyone who thinks the horse should be taken off the Derby trail because he wasn't sharp today is completely overreacting.

So...Gourmet Dinner isn't horrible. That is all.

Fine, let's just cut the bull and get to the heart of the matter. Maybe I overreacted with that Derby comment, but whether or not you agree, I don't think THAS ran a very encouraging race. Now maybe he expended energy in the gate because he was fractious, but don't you think he expected a better performance? Yes, I'm not going to apologize for being very disappointed. I expected this horse, even at not quite 100%, to roll - I certainly didn't expect him to fade badly. I'm sure Mott will do the right thing with him, but I can't say that I have the same confidence in the horse that I did going in.

You did and Steve is ultra-sensitive to them, Betsy. It is worse than the N word!

I don't disagree that he ran a disappointing race. But I think there are enough explanations for his mediocre effort that it's borderline insane to suggest he be taken off the Derby trail.

What about her brilliant Bernardini 2nd crop stats in Feb?

2011 model of Jackson Bend. Very game and hard-trying.

He can stay on the Derby Trail, but I would consider a one-turn claiming event or possibly a start on synthetic for his next race. So what I am saying is, keep the Derby as an option but start positioning for a different goal.

Pretty much. Had him fit but not tight. He looked a couple works short.

I still think his best game would be a fast paced 7f race. I wasn't watching him close - but he seemed to have a perfect position and looked ultra menacing on the far turn only to hang in the stretch. I would have made a strong bet on him today had he run in the Hutcheson instead.

I liked To Honor And Serve's race. He was wide on both turns and had every right to be flat off of the layoff. It was the kind of performance that gets people to overreact. Funny Cide was like a fading 5th with a similar wide trip in his 3yo debut -- he was a very fast 2yo and after that race - I think he was an incredible high price in Derby futures.

Soldat had every advantage in the world going for him coming into this race - he had a great draw, you knew he would send, and speed typically dominates these Derby prep races - especially at 9fs. Soldat's going to be another in a long line of speed horses who brings strong form into the Ky Derby only to see himself get cooked by sprinter/miler speed.

:tro:

I like Gourmet Dinner. Just imagine if he went to a trainer with no ethics?

Seeing how so many Alchemist trainers - and Bob Baffert - have moved WAY up on Bill Mott... imagine if To Honor And Serve went to one as well.

What is the Hutch fig going to be 106/7

There ya go... Same approach that would have benefitted Jackson Bend.


And Funny Cide was in the 13 hole that day in the Holy Bull. Hit the gate too. 73-1 (or maybe 93-1) in the first round of KDFW. Agree Honor/Serve gets value of multiple works out of this.


A reminder of the last several FOY winners...

Eskendereya
Quality Road
Cool Coal Man
Scat Daddy
Corinthian-DQ (First Sam)
High Fly
Read the Footnotes
Trust N Luck
Booklet
Songandaprayer

Am I the only one who wants to puke every time someone writes "THAS"?

THaS crazyyyyy man

From Mrs. Weber regarding Honor/Serve: "Pulled up fine. We survive to fight the next battle."

It's hard to say - at a glance. I'm playing a few night tracks now and this figure isn't going to be an easy one imo.

The race went a little less than 2 full seconds faster than some lightly raced bums in the first race at the same distance. The 7f and 8f races there require seperate variants.

Anything good at Charles Town?

He is dating a male groom that is very good to him

The male grooms I date are all small potateo's ... you date the ones working for the star trainers at Palm Meadows. First class FreddyMo all the way.

paysons only

Thinking this was anything other than a very disappointing effort by To Honor and Serve feels like seeing what you want to see as opposed to what you really saw. For the first time he hasn't had an absolutely perfect trip, and he didn't exactly set the world on fire, and his trip was far from bad. How good is Gourmet Dinner....and he buried him. Yes, he had a better trip, but To Honor and Serve is supposed to be a superior horse to him....and it wasn't close today.

Sorry, but it seems to me that horses that are going to the Derby off two preps are likely a lot more cranked up than people seem to want to believe. To Honor and Serve packed it in after seven furlongs today. After today I am inclined to go to the " horse he was dressed up by two straight dream trips " side of the fence.

Do you think it there might be a difference when it is a horse like this who doesn't need the graded earnings to get in?

On the one hand I'm always a bit hesitant to write off a disappointing performance on the grounds that the trainer didn't have the horse "cranked," because I'm somewhat skeptical of trainers ability to control when a horse is "cranked." On the other hand, with horses on the Derby Trail, where there is one definite goal race, I suppose it is possible that connections hold something back with a horse like this whose position in the field is already assured if he's healthy.

If Drosselmeyer can win a classic then there is hope for To Honor.

Even if To Honor And Serve was fully cranked and had preps in him for this - The other speeds were herding there way out going into the first turn - and he got caught miserably wide around that first turn on what was a solid early pace being set by a very sharp horse.

When he was struggling to go with a perfectly positioned Soldat - and a good closing sprinter like Gourmet Dinner was positioned so perfectly and about to come by him on the turn- it's when horses can just hit the reset button and plain quit...even fit ones going 9fs off a layoff.

To me - that was the exact race I wanted to see if I was going to like anything about To Honor And Serve going forward.

If Soldat wasn't involved in that race - To Honor And Serve gets to control the pace rating just off that silly Maker longshot ... Dominguez's hand is forced to move early on Gourmet Dinner - he is sent along to confront a fresh To Honor And Serve on the turn - and he gets shrugged off in the stretch. To Honor And Serve wins the race and does it by putting late margins on the field...and his reputation grows.

You are sort of suggesting it is some exact science where a horse has a certain amount to give and his trainer can sort of dole it out at will. That is not the case.

I guess what it really hinges on is Uncle Mo. If he keeps it together, the others are in trouble, but if he doesn't, it's wide open. But, it's hard to be overly encouraged by To Honor and Serve today, especially given the questions his 2YO races offered. He didn't give the right answer today. But, I suppose it's early. I just don't want him going forward. But, I also hated Soldat today.