4/12-14 (OP): AR Derby, Apple Blossom (G1's) ~ Racing Festival

[cakes44]

This will get me grilled, but man it sure seems like Smith forces his horse to be the best horse BY FAR way too often.

[moses]

I wonder if Country House will ever make the huge move at the top of the stretch that I keep thinking he’s going to make.

[Alabama Stakes]

Originally Posted by cakes44

This will get me grilled, but man it sure seems like Smith forces his horse to be the best horse BY FAR way too often.

He had plenty left in the tank after that little spurt. He waited on Improbable and said forget about it when he came calling.

[RHT2004]

Midnight Bisou is actually favored over Elate. Lol do people not realize the gap in ability here, and the fact
that Elate was off the bench last time.

[Kasept]

Definitely an ability gap.. A Manitoba-bred better than Elate too.

[cakes44]

Elate looked like dogsh!t. Zero excuse.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by cakes44

Elate looked like dogsh!t. Zero excuse.

To be fair, she was bottled up inside.

[moses]

Originally Posted by RHT2004

Midnight Bisou is actually favored over Elate. Lol do people not realize the gap in ability here, and the fact
that Elate was off the bench last time.

2nd time I’ve fallen victim to Elate.

[cakes44]

Originally Posted by Kasept

To be fair, she was bottled up inside.

Yeah I guess...I’ll give you that. Zero acceleration once she got out though. I think she’s done.

[cakes44]

Heck I bet her and I was digging the trip she got.

[knickslions2]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Definitely an ability gap.. A Manitoba-bred better than Elate too.

[cal828]

Maybe she has gone bad. When that happens they seem to go very bad all at once, but maybe she just needs more ground. Where is her good race at a mile and a sixteenth? Brisnet gives her 4 triple digit figs. All are at a mile and an eighth or more and I am guessing they had a faster pace also. I want to see her in some longer races with a stronger pace before I say she's done.

[cakes44]

She never ran a lick. How the heck is more ground gonna help? She would have been better at 6f than the distance she ran today.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by cal828

Maybe she has gone bad. When that happens they seem to go very bad all at once, but maybe she just needs more ground. Where is her good race at a mile and a sixteenth? Brisnet gives her 4 triple digit figs. All are at a mile and an eighth or more and I am guessing they had a faster pace also. I want to see her in some longer races with a stronger pace before I say she's done.

She's been suspect throughout her career.

The two best horses she ever beat when winning were New Money Honey and Holy Helena (in the Alabama) and those were turf horses.

Other than that her claim to fame is failing to capitalize twice on two of the most horrendous rides ever perpetrated by Mike Smith on Abel Tasman in both the CCA Oaks 2017 and the Personal Ensign 2018 at Saratoga. Stewards I suppose could have helped out in both instances.

A ton of hype from the outset but has never actually confirmed elite status.

[cal828]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

She's been suspect throughout her career.

The two best horses she ever beat when winning were New Money Honey and Holy Helena (in the Alabama) and those were turf horses.

Other than that her claim to fame is failing to capitalize twice on two of the most horrendous rides ever perpetrated by Mike Smith on Abel Tasman in both the CCA Oaks 2017 and the Personal Ensign 2018 at Saratoga. Stewards I suppose could have helped out in both instances.

A ton of hype from the outset but has never actually confirmed elite status.

And there has been some hype about her here, but not from me. I never said she was all that great. I just said I didn't expect her to do what she has never done before which is run well at a mile and a sixteenth.