Sumwon Update

[Scav]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Loose Leaf came roaring up the inside in the 8th at about the same path Sumwon was in.

I disagree about the Three in A Bag race. Who was so superior in there and please don't say Dr. Pleasure. Chekhov? Communicator? Three in a Bag ran his eyeballs out, but I don't think it was the track that carried him. He ran the race of his life and there was very little quality behind him. First time Tony Dutrow, at 28% isn't an accident either. It's not like the rail was so great Saturday either, because in the second the horses on the outside into the lane ran 1-2. Silver Source won the 4th from the 10 hole, with a 3-4 wide trip. And Boca grande ran well for second in the Test way out there. I think the track has been pretty fair.

The track has been fair as far as speed/closing but the middle of the track has been where you want to be. I haven't seen jocks RAIL skimming at all. they are one-two paths out.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Scav

The track has been fair as far as speed/closing but the middle of the track has been where you want to be. I haven't seen jocks RAIL skimming at all. they are one-two paths out.

Yeah, it is worth noting that both horses that finished up in 40+ after 1:13 fractions were ridden by Calvin who probably had them closer to the rail than most other jockeys do. The few other horses not on the lead I saw skim the rail seemed to stop around the same spot as well. I'll have to go back and see where Loose Leaf was when I get a chance.

[pweizer]

You couldn't ask for a more perfect condition than this.

Paul

Originally Posted by Kasept

The conditions make it interesting as it's for F&M's that broke their maiden for $50k or less and have not won another. I'm not thinking anything. Just reporting that Chuck saw the race and wants to keep the option open.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Both Friday and Saturday the opening races were won by a horse skimming the rail.

I agree that the rail was pretty good on both Friday and Saturday. I think both yesterday and today it wasn't the best place to be though.

[ddthetide]

several of us had this conversation saturday during the 10th race. NO horse went gate-to-wire until the 8th and 9th races. any horse on the lead all "bogged" down in the same place, right about the 1/8th pole and the closers ran by, word i used was quicksand.. our thought for sunday was, if we have to be on the lead, try and go gate-to-wire, after seeing it finally done. both times it was done, the lead horse had about 1 1/2 length lead and the gaps never changed by the wire.
Sumwon fought off the 8 to just before the 1/16th pole, suddenly the 8 explodes by her followed by the 6-7. she was tiring but never quit but didn't have the fight like at CD.
had it been the 7th race sunday it may have been different.

[SniperSB23]

For anyone curious this is what the Fair Grounds stakes schedule looked like last year. You can see what a perfect schedule setup there is if we could get in and win a December allowance.

http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com...takes_sked.pdf

Jan. 20 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Truly Bound Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 1/16 miles

Feb. 17 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Chou Croute Breeders’ Cup Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 1/16 miles

March 17 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Fortin Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 mile

[Many Others]

all of this is rocking good news - Carnival comes early in 2008, February 5th is Fat Tuesday, if Sumwon found herself in a nice little stakes races sometime in late January would make for a great weekend in New Orleans...

of course have to get through 2007 first, just thinkin ahead!

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

For anyone curious this is what the Fair Grounds stakes schedule looked like last year. You can see what a perfect schedule setup there is if we could get in and win a December allowance.

http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com...takes_sked.pdf

Jan. 20 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Truly Bound Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 1/16 miles

Feb. 17 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Chou Croute Breeders’ Cup Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 1/16 miles

March 17 (Sat.) $ 75,000 guar. Fortin Handicap 4YO/up fillies & mares 1 mile

Pffft. Forget those measly stakes at FG. Is Sumwon going to be 4 in April? If so, might as well run her in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

Pffft. Forget those measly stakes at FG. Is Sumwon going to be 4 in April? If so, might as well run her in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn.

Maybe after she sweeps the Fair Grounds stakes.

[pointman]

Originally Posted by pweizer

You couldn't ask for a more perfect condition than this.

Paul

She would fit this like a glove.

[mark2061mn]

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

Pffft. Forget those measly stakes at FG. Is Sumwon going to be 4 in April? If so, might as well run her in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn.

All horses celebrate their "birthday" on January 1st each year regardless which month they were foal. She will be considered a 4yr old on Jan 1st.

[Bigsmc]

Originally Posted by Scav

Those Churchill races were grueling, and don't forget she has already improved tenfold, alot going on for her in the last 4 months. She gets 75 days to chill and then she is ready to go in the durty.

Personally, from a sheet perspective, my guess is that she finally 'bounced', for lack of a better term, to about a 10.5 or 11, time to chill

She got a 76 Beyer.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Bigsmc

She got a 76 Beyer.

I ordered her TG sheet, I"ll post it as soon as I get it. May take them one more day after a weekend.

I think the 1 1/8 distance was a good try for our girl, considering how she always has tried to come back on any horse that passed her. Seeing if she could do it given a little more distance made sense to me, she's ended up repassing those winners at Arlington and CD just past the wire. Good try for our girl.

I also noticed Chuck tried a copper-mouth bit on her this race (tried a tongue-tie last race) Also noticed that Calvin, being taller than Willie, ends up a bit more forward over the horse. Neither means anything special - just things I noticed

I think, if Chuck thinks she's good for it, the race later in Saratoga sounds just up her alley. And hopefully I could be there!

Thanks to everyone for all the pictures - they are awesome. Most horse owners are lucky to get a win pic - we not only have constant comment and open dialogue from Chuck and Steve, we also have all these terrific candids and "on site reports" from every race she's been in, plus the barn pictures. Wonderful! Sumwon has an awfully thick scrapebook

[Riot]

One other thing I noticed about that race - the 8 was hung wide out the start of the first turn, but was then used, passing outside on the second half of the first turn to get up to Sumwon and lay right off her on the outside.

They thought Sum was the threat in the race, and that jock was instructed to stick with her no matter what. A complement to our girl.

[phystech]

Originally Posted by Kasept

Chuck will add more, but here's the situation. The thought had been to turnout for 90 days and launch a 4yo campaign at FG... BUT, there is an interesting substitute race (Starter ALW at 7f) at Saratoga that fits her very well the day after Travers that has Chuck intrigued. Give Chuck a few days and I think we'll know more.

Starter allowances can certainly come up salty in general but you'd have to hope this one wouldn't be AS salty because of the condition excluding alw winners. Could still run up against a tough hard knocking claimer that for some reason hasn't won an allowance race. I would think this one would be more like the $50k claimer at CD we ran in than anything else.

I also like that perhaps this is a way to save the N1X condition and still run for a nice purse before the layoff. Conditions are an owner's best friend and anytime you can take full advantage of them while maximizing your purse earnings along the way, you usually end up much better off financially.

Given the purses Sumwon has run for, I haven't been disappointed at all in her running second a few times before she breaks the N1X condition. Unless you have a horse that can run through conditions quickly on their way to stakes company, milking big purse conditions is ok with me.

[phystech]

One other thing - I'm interested to know why 90 days for the layup?

I'm used to 60 days lay just for a freshening, then 60 days to train back to a race. I've done 6 months+ for injury repairs, or even 30 days for just a quick break and back to a race with one work.

So what's the Simon secret reason for 90 days? And I promise, I won't tell anyone!!!!

[Payson Dave]

I stopped by the barn this morning...SWLY was doing real well...Chuck is still considering the starter allowance race...
Also he has a horse entered for Thursday...might not be such a bad thing if it were to come off the weeds.

[Riot]

Glad to hear Sumwon is doing well after her race - good news!

Well, at least we made the Siro's seminar and the DRF ... not the result we would have preferred, but sumwon else had as high hopes as we did, at least

From Crist's Saratoga column:

"I was charting daily-double probables looking for any support for Morakami but found none. I did, however, see a ton of late double money pour in on the Mott firster, Sunday Holiday. With nine minutes to post, the probable for a Smart Bunny-Sunday Holiday double was $63. At post time, it was down to $42, a serious hit. During that same time, the Smart Bunny-Morakami double stagnated from $110 to $114.

Unfortunately, I loved Sumwonlovesyou more than Smart Bunny in the first, and tried to get out for the meeting with a cold Sumwonlovesyou-Morakami punch, with much smaller savers on Smart Bunny-Morakami, Sumwonlovesyou-Sunday Holiday and Smart Bunny-Sunday Holiday. But Sumwonlovesyou didn't love me or nine furlongs. She got the lead and the rail and briefly looked home free but quit after a mile and Smart Bunny scored at an unexciting 5-2."

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by phystech

One other thing - I'm interested to know why 90 days for the layup?

I'm used to 60 days lay just for a freshening, then 60 days to train back to a race. I've done 6 months+ for injury repairs, or even 30 days for just a quick break and back to a race with one work.

So what's the Simon secret reason for 90 days? And I promise, I won't tell anyone!!!!

No secret really, just I would rather give her extra time away than bring her back a few weeks too soon. The best way I have found to determine the amount of time is to monitor the horse while turned out and bring her in when you think she is ready to come in. Some horses dont do well turned out and others do too well (get fat). But I believe that we will wait and revisit this subject at the end of the month.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

No secret really, just I would rather give her extra time away than bring her back a few weeks too soon. The best way I have found to determine the amount of time is to monitor the horse while turned out and bring her in when you think she is ready to come in. Some horses dont do well turned out and others do too well (get fat). But I believe that we will wait and revisit this subject at the end of the month.

Meaning I shouldn't push the shirt and tie too far to the back of the closet?