134th Preakness Field Close to Set

[CSC]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Smith is a shell of his former self at this point in his career. I won't deny he has lost more than a few steps and he is no longer a go to rider. But, when he was riding Lure and Holy Bull he was at worst the second best rider in NY in my opinion.

People forget he was the leading rider in NY from 1991-1993. He won the eclipse in 1993 and 1994 as top rider. In 1994 he won 20 grade 1 stakes and a total of 68 stakes races, which at that time broke his own record for stakes wins in a year. There is a reason he was riding good horses, he was a very good jockey. I think he's leary of going inside now due to his horrific falls in 1998. I'm not making excuses for him treating the 4 wide path as the rail nowadays, but it wasn't luck that got him those mounts. He earned them.

Actually I agree, good citations of bringing up those stats from his good years. He was always in Bailey's shadow and whether one likes Bailey personally or not, no one could dispute he was a great rider. The difference from the 2 in my opinion is Bailey could make a difference in a horse's performance often bringing in the less superior horse, problem is you still wouldn't get fair value because people bet jockies. Mike's wide moves were also well suited for Belmont and I often wonder wouldn't N.Y be better suited for his riding style, Though I do understand why he moved due to declining mounts.

[chucklestheclown]

Originally Posted by philcski

Papa Clem's work was awful, which bothers me, and I don't think GQ is good enough but I'm willing to draw a line through the Derby for all the runners and start over- clearly some handled the track and others didn't. The only two that ran to their capability were Musket Man and POTN. At 20-1 I'm willing to find out if GQ is good enough and at 12-1 I'll forgive Papa Clem's workout, but nothing less than those prices. So you might be correct in the two that I don't use.

Besides the obvious Rachel/all, I was planning a seperate box with MTB, PON, MM and PC. I was still going back and forth last night about whether or not to add GQ to it. The 8 scares me enough, along with his honest BG win, that I can't toss him from what would be a good payoff. My TriBox is RA/PON/MM.

[slotdirt]

I don't know, I've never known the connections of a speed type in a route race be really excited about having the one post. I'd much rather be outside the speed.

[philcski]

They just showed Rachel schooling on the Pimlico feed. She looks great.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by philcski

They just showed Rachel schooling on the Pimlico feed. She looks great.

I think she will get better with her new connections not worse. Surely a little Ass TLC and elixirs can only help her...

[Bernardini]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

That might be a worse field then last years survivors of Big Browns romp. Where do they get all these stiffs.

how? justify.

I think this field is just a fine and with RA is in the mix it makes it even better.

[Sightseek]

For someone who has sent Pletcher off to the Derby with plenty of horses that were hopeless, I find it comical that Lucarelli accuses Jackson of "self-serving interest" for entering Rachel.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/103774.html

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Bernardini

how? justify.

I think this field is just a fine and with RA is in the mix it makes it even better.

i think this field is better than big browns derby field, let alone the preakness...

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

For someone who has sent Pletcher off to the Derby with plenty of horses that were hopeless, I find it comical that Lucarelli accuses Jackson of "self-serving interest" for entering Rachel.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/103774.html

What a tool

[Pedigree Ann]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

Have you met Afleet Alex or Da'Tara?

Let's see, Afleet Alex was out of a mare by Hawkster, a 10f-12f turf specialist by Silver Hawk, and the second dam was by Hawaii, another long-winded turfer who sired a (real) Derby winner at Epsom. Moreover, Northern Afleet, his sire, was a winner at up to 8.5f (G2 San Fernando S) and was a half-brother to a winner of the Delaware H (10f). Stick a little speed on top of the stayers and if you're lucky, you get a horse with both speed and stamina

And Da' Tara? He was by an out-and-out stayer named Tiznow you may have heard of. Out of a mare by Pirate's Bounty, he by a staying influence named Hoist the Flag out of a dam by a son of Nashua. Dam a SP full sister to a Vanity H (G1) winner and a couple of other stakes horses, solid enough family, bit more speed back here, but you need both.

[kgar311]

Originally Posted by Bernardini

how? justify.

I think this field is just a fine and with RA is in the mix it makes it even better.

Check the date, he made that statement when the probables first came out, way before RA was sold and this field took shape.