My reaction was more provoked by the ridiculousness of Mine That Bird going than anything else. I hadn't paid any attention to Atomic Rain until multiple viewings of the Wood. I actually was far more interested in West Side Bernie. I think it's apparant in the Wood that Atomic Rain had plenty of traffic to deal with in the stretch and persevered after having been part of the pace from the opening. The three horses that finished ahead of him were all rallying wider while he was pocketed. I didn't give him a thought until seeing how he hung in after things finally opened up in deepest stretch. From my vantage point, that was a very good try.
I certainly can't a fault horse for an off effort at Tampa, and while he may only be an ALW horse when it's said and done, I think he is way more worthy of a Derby slot than a Mine That Bird. We also don't know what Breen is seeing from the horse in these 2 weeks post-Wood. The timing and effort have suited him really well, and the horse may be blossoming. Spring 3 year olds can mature rapidly, and maybe Breen sees him going in the right direction and believes he is coming up to the race the right way.
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All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on the miseries or credulities of mankind. ~ Joseph Conrad
A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right. ~ Thomas Paine
Don't let anyone tell you that your dreams can't come true. They are only afraid that theirs won't and yours will. ~ Robert Evans
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