No Derby for Hard Spun ???

[MarkyD]

On his website last night:

Larry and I have been setting a plan with options for about a week now. We would both love nothing more than to run in the Kentucky Derby. Of course, we want to feel confident we have a very good chance of winning. I have thought about our options carefully and want to take the smartest approach possible. Therefore, since there is so much talk about the similarities of the surfaces of Oaklawn and Churchill, Larry and I want to test the track. He will ship down Friday and gallop for several days and then breeze at Churchill. Mario Pino will come in for that breeze. If he handles the track to Larry's satisfaction, we will run in the Derby. If he does not, we will aim for the Lexington on April 24th. The goal will be the Preakness if we skip the Kentucky Derby. Larry and I both feel these two options are the best approach for Hard Spun. I am trying my best to avoid "Derby Fever." We feel this is a very good and well thought out plan.

Rick

[slotdirt]

Just sounds like they're hedging their bets. If the horse is healthy, you have to believe Porter wants to run in the big race after what happened with Rockport Harbor a couple of years ago.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by MarkyD

On his website last night:

Larry and I have been setting a plan with options for about a week now. We would both love nothing more than to run in the Kentucky Derby. Of course, we want to feel confident we have a very good chance of winning. I have thought about our options carefully and want to take the smartest approach possible. Therefore, since there is so much talk about the similarities of the surfaces of Oaklawn and Churchill, Larry and I want to test the track. He will ship down Friday and gallop for several days and then breeze at Churchill. Mario Pino will come in for that breeze. If he handles the track to Larry's satisfaction, we will run in the Derby. If he does not, we will aim for the Lexington on April 24th. The goal will be the Preakness if we skip the Kentucky Derby. Larry and I both feel these two options are the best approach for Hard Spun. I am trying my best to avoid "Derby Fever." We feel this is a very good and well thought out plan.

Rick

What in the hell is Porter talking about? What similiarities between Oaklawn's and Churchill's surfaces? And who's doing all this talking about it? If they're so concerned about their 'well thought out plan' and the Preakness is the goal, ship to Pimlico and 'test' its' surface. Good grief. No outfit does more hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing than Fox Hill. It's unbelievable.

[NTamm1215]

There was another story about this in the Philadelphia Inquirer this morning. It's posted on racingdispatch.com in the midwest section.

In it Jones is basically dancing around the topic of whether Hard Spun will run in the Blue Grass. He makes no commitment then starts talking about how he's nervous that the Oaklawn and Churchill surfaces are very similar. He says that normally horses who like Oaklawn like Churchill because it's a bit cuppier. He also admitted that skipping the Derby, should Hard Spun show he doesn't like Churchill, is a possibility.

Very interesting development and definitely weird in my opinion.

NT

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Kasept

What in the hell is Porter talking about? What similiarities between Oaklawn's and Churchill's surfaces? And who's doing all this talking about it? If they're so concerned about their 'well thought out plan' and the Preakness is the goal, ship to Pimlico and 'test' its' surface. Good grief. No outfit does more hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing than Fox Hill. It's unbelievable.

Agreed. And I don't buy the "he didn't handle the track" crap in the Southwest. He was hung 3-4 wide the whole way around from an impossible post at a mile, and still only got beat 3 lengths to a lone speed and earned a good speed figure. Not to mention he worked what 3 times at Oaklawn and fired a bullet every time. Why do they try to excuse away every loss these days? He lost. So what. He came back and dominated his next start.

He's currently at the top of my Derby list but I hate this indecision. It's not as egregious as some other guy's decision to try to win the Derby off what amounts to 1 race campaign in 2007 and an 8 week layoff... but close.

[slotdirt]

With the news of the last couple of days, who the heck IS going to run in the Derby?

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

With the news of the last couple of days, who the heck IS going to run in the Derby?

The winner, Scat Daddy.

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

With the news of the last couple of days, who the heck IS going to run in the Derby?

An EXTREMELY fresh..............Green Monkey!!!!

[johnny pinwheel]

that horse has alot of early tactical speed the preakness is probably perfect. in the big field of the derby(usually with several that don't belong) he could be burnt in a fast pace. very rarely does a horse win up front because thay are going 1 1/4 the first time and the first half blisters the front pack. thats how some of these "bomb" closers win the race , the most recent was giacumo.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Kasept

What in the hell is Porter talking about? What similiarities between Oaklawn's and Churchill's surfaces? And who's doing all this talking about it? If they're so concerned about their 'well thought out plan' and the Preakness is the goal, ship to Pimlico and 'test' its' surface. Good grief. No outfit does more hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing than Fox Hill. It's unbelievable.

i was thinking the same thing--this is the first comparison i've ever seen between oaklawn and churchill, and is news to me.
of course there are horses who don't care for a particular surface...but hard spun had a bullet work at oaklawn, if he works well at churchill-how will they know if he likes it or not? after all, he supposedly didn't like oaklawn, but seemed to train well there.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

after the fla derby hes nutz not to take a shot...

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by MarkyD

On his website last night:

Larry and I have been setting a plan with options for about a week now. We would both love nothing more than to run in the Kentucky Derby. Of course, we want to feel confident we have a very good chance of winning. I have thought about our options carefully and want to take the smartest approach possible. Therefore, since there is so much talk about the similarities of the surfaces of Oaklawn and Churchill, Larry and I want to test the track. He will ship down Friday and gallop for several days and then breeze at Churchill. Mario Pino will come in for that breeze. If he handles the track to Larry's satisfaction, we will run in the Derby. If he does not, we will aim for the Lexington on April 24th. The goal will be the Preakness if we skip the Kentucky Derby. Larry and I both feel these two options are the best approach for Hard Spun. I am trying my best to avoid "Derby Fever." We feel this is a very good and well thought out plan.

Rick

This has to be one of the biggest crocks I have ever heard. I find it amazing that people think that they can gallop over a track for a few days and maybe breeze once and tell definitively "if he likes the surface". As someone who has trained at Churchill for the last seven years I have had plenty of horses who trained exceptionally over it and ran poorly. Also the weather at this time of the year plays so much into the way the track is playing. When it is warm like it has been the last few days it will get tight. When it gets cold the track loosens up quite a bit. Not to mention all the rain and wind we can get at a moments notice. Just shut up and run your damn horse and stop trying to outthink yourself. It is still called horse racing but I hear that a name change may be in the works.