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#1
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Sharp Cat, & Wagon Limit over Skip Away and Gentleman
Here's Sharp Cat in the '98 Beldame..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlMKutqdw5k That was the final start of her career and the final start of a perfect 4yo season - certainly one of the best individual performances ever by a female race horse. The Beyer fig was a 119. I think very few of even the great male horses in history would have had a shot with her that day. I say that because of the 45 and 1:08 pace and the condition of that track. And on that same card was when Skip Away met his waterloo in the '98 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Skip Away came into the race off of 9 straight Graded Stakes win .. had run an avg Beyer of 117.27 over his last 15 starts .. remarkable considering Cigar only exceeded a 117 twice in his career - and one of those two times was with just a 118. Coming in - Gentleman had never once lost a race if he had the lead after the opening quarter (4-for-4 with 3 Graded Stake wins) but he typically stalked paces. He was a scary good horse when right - once winning the Grade 1 Pimlico Special over Skip Away with a 126 Beyer. Taking the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup by 4 with a 121 Beyer next out - and taking the Grade 1 Pacific Classic by 3 with a 121 Beyer in the following start. A three race stretch with an avg Beyer of 122.66 and a trio of Grade 1 wins. They go head-to-head the whole way through a 1:09 3/5 half and setup Wagon Limit. This will look like a monumentally stupid ride by Bailey on Skip Away .. but if you give Gentlemen a tactical edge on a track like that you probably can't beat him no matter how great the horse under you is. And if you severely compromise your own horse to improve your chances of beating Gentlemen .. you're still supposed to beat the rest of those because Skip Away is Skip Away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drDSIeXDrAw Last edited by KirisClown : 04-16-2009 at 04:33 AM. |
#2
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Sharp Cat and Gentlemen were two all timers in my book. They both had issues though, especially Gentlemen.
Man, when that horse was on he was just incredible. |
#3
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Yeah - most of Sharp Cat's issues were just severe mental ones until she almost died after that big Beldame win and had to be retired.
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#4
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Here's Sharp Cat winning the Matron as a 2yo over that years 2yo champion Storm Song .. she wins despite ducking into the rail after seemingly being put away by Fabulously Fast.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odFAasgVT3s She was nuts her entire career. My father bet 1K on her in Vegas in a head-to-head versus Glitter Woman in the Ky Oaks. Glitter Woman ran dead last and they DQ'd Sharp Cat for bumping her. He didn't take it well. The '97 Santa Anita Derby speed duel with Silver Charm is what she's probably most rememebered for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9heETIs2PZo That race is kind of like straight out of the perfect trip picture thread. SC and SC hooking up head-to-head the whole way and Free House sitting a clear 3rd behind two dueling leaders. Hard to believe Silver Charm swept the Derby and Preakness with big figs in his next two after that performance. Last edited by KirisClown : 04-16-2009 at 04:33 AM. |
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Ah Gentlemen... I liked when he finished last at 1-20 in the SA Handicap..
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#6
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More Sharp Cat...
96 Hollywood Starlet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3etFvgh3YyI 97 Santa Ysabel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkLlKV3FWvc 97 Las Virgenes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_lLrQIgBao 97 Santa Anita Oaks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUL4Dks7qqU 97 Acorn Stakes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZR69N5t2v0 Last edited by KirisClown : 04-16-2009 at 04:34 AM. |
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Quote:
just look at Holy Bull's Fountain of Youth or Sumwonlovesyou's second start at Saratoga in '07. |
#8
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Quote:
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#9
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Last edited by KirisClown : 04-16-2009 at 04:35 AM. |
#10
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Uploaded a couple more Sharp Cat races..
1998 Chula Vista Handicap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ-cBOJX6Tg 1998 Ruffian Handicap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtAG-TRTjvU . Last edited by KirisClown : 04-16-2009 at 04:35 AM. |