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  #1  
Old 09-27-2006, 12:23 AM
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Default BC Mile - George Washington

Well it appears that the BC Mile is now over. I believe GW is going to go in the mile. He will destroy this field with great ease. What is great about this move is that it may set-up a showdown between Gorella and Ouija Board in the Filly and Mare Turf. Boy what a great race that is going to be. I would lean towards OB because of who she has been up against, but Gorella is where my heart is. But keep in mind that they both have to catch Wait A While--remember Intercontinental last year. Maybe we will see a repeat performace by Wait A While.
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  #2  
Old 09-27-2006, 01:20 AM
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isn't george washington owned by the jacksons?
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Old 09-27-2006, 01:21 AM
1st_Saturday_in_May 1st_Saturday_in_May is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by videogirl10
isn't george washington owned by the jacksons?
bred by, not owned by...
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Old 09-27-2006, 01:22 AM
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ah, i got ya..thanks
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Old 09-27-2006, 01:24 AM
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He's going, but so is Iffraaj.....

Can't wait. It's gonna be a great race.
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  #6  
Old 09-27-2006, 01:35 AM
1st_Saturday_in_May 1st_Saturday_in_May is offline
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I think GW is very beatable
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  #7  
Old 09-27-2006, 02:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1st_Saturday_in_May
I think GW is very beatable
I think if he's at his best, he'll be very tough to beat.. But the shipping, his shaky temperament, etc. makes him less than a lock.
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  #8  
Old 09-27-2006, 09:55 AM
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Odd it may seem, Araafa might be a nice price for the mile if he goes. He is usually positioned well and can be in the perfect possy to kick coming round the turn. Soumillion on board would be a plus.. George Washington may have to do a Rock Of Gibraltar type move..
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:00 AM
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George Washington has produced the two best miling performances of the season, and we know on his day he is the best miler in the world.
That said, his temperament must remain a concern, especially with the flight, and difference in raceday atmosphere he is likely to face at CD.

He is as short as 5/4 for the BCM, with Coral being the most generous at 2/1. That makes no appeal whatsoever to me for all that I think he is an exceptional racehorse, especially given that more prominent tactics than are likely to be exercised have tended to win the day in past BCMs at Churchill.

That said I wouldn't touch 5/1 on Aragorn or 6/1 Araafa. But at 8/1 Iffraaj is of some interest. One can picture Frankie giving this a similar ride as on Barathea in '94, slowing things up from the front, and getting first run on the others. I have no doubt this horse will see out a mile given those tactics.
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:05 AM
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No doubt he's an excellent racehorse but what was so spectacular about his win this past weekend? I realize he apparantly beat the best Euro milers, but even the people who assign the Time Form numbers admitted to being suspect about the field, and left the numbers open to further review. But, more importantly to me, George Washington had an absolutely dream set up in this race. Probably won't happen so sweetly in the BC Mile.

I wouldn't argue he is probably the horse to beat, but I am confused by the comparisons to Rock of Gibralter that are coming out of England, and don't quite see why he is such a short price at this point.
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind
No doubt he's an excellent racehorse but what was so spectacular about his win this past weekend? I realize he apparantly beat the best Euro milers, but even the people who assign the Time Form numbers admitted to being suspect about the field, and left the numbers open to further review. But, more importantly to me, George Washington had an absolutely dream set up in this race. Probably won't happen so sweetly in the BC Mile.

I wouldn't argue he is probably the horse to beat, but I am confused by the comparisons to Rock of Gibralter that are coming out of England, and don't quite see why he is such a short price at this point.

harry will correct me if im wrong, but i believe that GW has put up better timeform figures than the rock.. The rock won loads of races over the year but his ratings were quite low...
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:09 AM
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Default Two words..

Miesque's Approval... heh, heh, heh...
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brockguy
harry will correct me if im wrong, but i believe that GW has put up better timeform figures than the rock.. The rock won loads of races over the year but his ratings were quite low...
This last win may have been slightly higher but as I pointed out there is still some debate about those designations even by those that assigned them.

I won't pretend to know anything about how Time Form figures are created but I do know that Rock of Gibralter came to the BC with a far more impressive resume than George Washington. I realize GW was held up by an injury this summer but I am not willing to accept one perfect trip win as the confirmation of some sort of superhorse.
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:12 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kasept
Miesque's Approval... heh, heh, heh...

Are you starting from the back of the field?
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  #15  
Old 09-27-2006, 10:14 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by videogirl10
isn't george washington owned by the jacksons?
Is this a Presidental Thread ? I thought we were talking about the
Breeders Cup ??
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  #16  
Old 09-27-2006, 10:14 AM
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Remember the Rock of G a few years ago. Any horse can lose?
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:19 AM
blackthroatedwind blackthroatedwind is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by randallscott35
Remember the Rock of G a few years ago. Any horse can lose?

He hardly lost. That was as impressive a " losing " performance as there has been in BC history. I would say he gained a great deal of respect with that performance.

And believe me, there's no sour grapes, as I bet Domedriver....and got lucky.
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brockguy
harry will correct me if im wrong, but i believe that GW has put up better timeform figures than the rock.. The rock won loads of races over the year but his ratings were quite low...
You're absolutely right Kev.

Hawk Wing apart, Rock of Gibraltar was competing in a season with a particularly ordinary bunch of milers, and he never produced the form of an outstanding miler, scoring 124 when a fortunate winner of the Guineas. His best figure was 129 in the St James's Palace Stakes, but then only had to run to 124 & 122 to win the Sussex and Moulin. He recorded 125 when runner-up to Domedriver at Arlington.

George Washington put up a 129 in the Guineas, before running to just 116 at the Curragh where the combination of the heavy ground and his suspect temperament got the better of him. At Ascot on Saturday he recorded 132, that's 3lb in excess of the Rock's best Timeform figure. While his temperament remains an issue, there is every reason to believe that he's maturing as he ages.
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:22 AM
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Only the exceptional Mark of Esteem (136) in 1996 has recorded a higher TF in the QEII in the past decade.
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Old 09-27-2006, 10:24 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hwjb
You're absolutely right Kev.

Hawk Wing apart, Rock of Gibraltar was competing in a season with a particularly ordinary bunch of milers, and he never produced the form of an outstanding miler, scoring 124 when a fortunate winner of the Guineas. His best figure was 129 in the St James's Palace Stakes, but then only had to run to 124 & 122 to win the Sussex and Moulin. He recorded 125 when runner-up to Domedriver at Arlington.

George Washington put up a 129 in the Guineas, before running to just 116 at the Curragh where the combination of the heavy ground and his suspect temperament got the better of him. At Ascot on Saturday he recorded 132, that's 3lb in excess of the Rock's best Timeform figure. While his temperament remains an issue, there is every reason to believe that he's maturing as he ages.

Here's the actual story surrounding the Time Form rating....



George best winner of QEII since Dubai Millennium



by Rodney Masters and Tony O'Hehir

NOT quite yet rubbing shoulders with greatness. Although George Washington was the classiest winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes since Godolphin’s Dubai Millennium in 1999, he remains 5lb shy of the performance recorded by another Godolphin star, Mark Of Esteem, ten years ago.

Racing Post handicapper Paul Curtis raised George Washington, who was reported in good shape by trainer Aidan O'Brien on Sunday, to a rating of 131, an increase of 4lb on the 2,000 Guineas, but on Sunday questioned whether his opponents were quite of the same calibre seen in many previous runnings of the Ascot contest.

“I’ve taken a fairly positive view of the race,” explained Curtis. “George Washington looked fantastic in the Guineas, and he looked fantastic again on Saturday. However, while it was a worthy championship race because it had all the right horses - lots of Group 1 winners - there’s little doubt that Group 1 winners over a mile this year haven’t been a match for many of the equivalent winners in quite a few previousseasons. For example, last year we had the likes of Dubawi, Rakti and Starcraft.”

He added: “Going into Saturday’s race, the best performance amongst the runners to match George Washington’s 2,000 Guineas was Proclamation’s success in last year’s Sussex Stakes. “Under the circumstances, it was difficult to rate the race, but I’ve pencilled in George Washington on 131. I’ve raised both Araafa (second) and Killybegs (fourth) by 5lb, although there remains a question mark over whether they are that good and I’ll be looking to them to uphold the form.”
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