At the Races Audience Poll

[Bystander]

I was just thinking to myself, I sure hope DrugS posts his choices with detail.

[Monarchos1]

I think it will be interesting to see which races win. Some folks will vote based on performance (big Beyers, margin, etc.) while others will look at the race itself (great duel, circumstances, etc.). I thought the dead heat with Bit of Whimsy and Rutherienne was a fabulous race in the F & M turf division.

Originally Posted by Monarchos1

I think I'd have to go with the Ellis owner as person of the year. That track is so much better now that he's running it instead of Churchill and he offered that lower P4 takeout for the whole meet so simulcast players could enjoy the benefits of new ownership, too.

He's also in negotiations to lower the mutual workers "takeout."

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Bystander

I was just thinking to myself, I sure hope DrugS posts his choices with detail.

I serve at the pleasure of Carla.

[Bystander]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Look for this:


I had to do some write ins. For 2yo race of the year, I went with War Pass in the Champagne. For Sprint, I went with Fabulous Strike in the Vosburgh. For Turf Race, I voted for the Arc since it didn't specify US races only.

FM Turf, I went with Wait A While in the Ballston Spa. This was for two reasons. One, she ran great, and two, she did while Pletcher couldn't win a race at the meet.

For race of the year, I went with Curlin winning the Classic as he just dominated a very good field.

What about the Just a Game on the Belmont undercard where My Typhoon easily beat Wait a While, "the best US turf filly" ?
I can ask DrugS...

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Bystander

What about the Just a Game on the Belmont undercard where My Typhoon easily beat Wait a While, "the best US turf filly" ?
I can ask DrugS...

That race was a joke.

A five horse field where My TYphoon was left on an uncontested lead through slow fractions.

Want me to start a Fireside Chat W/ DrugS Thread? I'm that available - I will take anyones questions on any topic right up until 7:30 PM

[Bystander]

Yeah I said I COULD ask you, if mr cmorioles chooses not to respond.
I know she was loose on the lead, but with a guy I despise yelling in my ear, "Wait a While's the BEST horse in training" as they went into the gate, I relish the fact that My Typhoon beat her. And remember- Wait a While went WITH My Typhoon early, and crumpled like a filthy tube sock.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Bystander

Yeah I said I COULD ask you,

I was kind of hoping you'd ask where I had to be to call the Fireside Chat W/ DrugS thread off at 7:30 .... ironically .. the answer had something to do with a crumpled up tube sock.

[Bystander]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I was kind of hoping you'd ask where I had to be to call the Fireside Chat W/ DrugS thread off at 7:30 .... ironically .. the answer had something to do with a crumpled up tube sock.

I'm too smart for you, Drugs, hasn't this already been established?

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Bystander

And remember- Wait a While went WITH My Typhoon early, and crumpled like a filthy tube sock.

That's completely false. Inexplicably, Garrett Gomez took back with Wait A While and opted to watch Eddie Castro set pedestrian fractions en route to an easy victory. There was no duel and Wait A While did not crumble.

Wait A While then conclusively beat the opportunistic My Typhoon in the Ballston Spa by a rather handy margin.

NT

[Bystander]

I don't believe I used the word "duel," and if you watch the race- as I did just now- Wait a While sat right outside My Typhoon for most of the race- yes, My Typhoon set a very slow pace, and yes, Gomez had a death hold on Wait a While, but she was right there the entire trip and when they quickened, she had nothing.

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Bystander

I don't believe I used the word "duel," and if you watch the race- as I did just now- Wait a While sat right outside My Typhoon for most of the race- yes, My Typhoon set a very slow pace, and yes, Gomez had a death hold on Wait a While, but she was right there the entire trip and when they quickened, she had nothing.

This is why I picked the race I did. Wait A While stunk all year. Then, when Pletcher horses were running absolutely horribly, she popped the huge one. I can only imagine he saved his last dose for that day.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Lawyer Ron's huge Woodward win was a few days later I think.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Bystander

I don't believe I used the word "duel," and if you watch the race- as I did just now- Wait a While sat right outside My Typhoon for most of the race- yes, My Typhoon set a very slow pace, and yes, Gomez had a death hold on Wait a While, but she was right there the entire trip and when they quickened, she had nothing.

I've watched the race plenty of times to know that Gomez keeping a hammer lock on Wait a While was going to be too much to overcome. His ride in that particular race was inexplicable. Wait a While already had a wire to wire victory earlier in the spring yet he decided to choke her down. Castro rationed My Typhoon's speed early very well, but to say that that particular effort proved anything other than that Gomez had a horrible Belmont day is wrong in my opinion.

I was a fan of the Ballston Spa not for precisely the same reasons as some others, but more because it really had a talented and deep field. It was a good effort by Wait A While, who did indeed hail from the frigid Todd Pletcher barn at the time.

NT

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Lawyer Ron's huge Woodward win was a few days later I think.

He was the only horse, other than Wait A While, that ran much the whole meet. I didn't really figure he could lose that day, even given the Pletcher slump.

Can we add a question to the poll? Who had the worst training meet of the year?

a) Pletcher, Sar
b) Asmussen, PID

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Having to witness option B first-hand was downright painful.

I'm not so sure Curlin wouldn't have found a way to lose there.

[Bystander]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

I've watched the race plenty of times to know that Gomez keeping a hammer lock on Wait a While was going to be too much to overcome. His ride in that particular race was inexplicable. Wait a While already had a wire to wire victory earlier in the spring yet he decided to choke her down. Castro rationed My Typhoon's speed early very well, but to say that that particular effort proved anything other than that Gomez had a horrible Belmont day is wrong in my opinion.

I was a fan of the Ballston Spa not for precisely the same reasons as some others, but more because it really had a talented and deep field. It was a good effort by Wait A While, who did indeed hail from the frigid Todd Pletcher barn at the time.

NT

OK, fair enough. At least you didn't work tube socks into your reasoning.
She didn't "crumble," but, in my opinion and at 7-10, she showed absolutley nothing.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Bystander

OK, fair enough. At least you didn't work tube socks into your reasoning.
She didn't "crumble," but, in my opinion and at 7-10, she showed absolutley nothing.

Agreed. I suppose I was more disappointed in myself for still believing at the time that Mauralakana was a Grade II caliber horse. I was wrong.

NT

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I could find no such poll at that link.

However, I think it's pretty clear that the "race of the year" is either...

Curlin's Buckpasser like comeback after not getting his trip early and being left for dead to beat the Derby winner in the Preakness.

Or, Rags To Riches beating Curlin in a great Belmont stretch clash.

Perhaps the Street Sense over Any Given Saturday Tampa Derby would be a clear cut and distant 3rd.

For me, It's the Preakness.

The Belmont featured a painfully slow pace - one of the more bizarre tactical rides you'll ever see in Gomez rating Hard Spun off that slow pace - and the race really had an inconclusive feel to it from a post race analysis standpoint.

I know a lot of people thought R2R ran by far the best race - I think Cannon said she had everything but the guy who ran on the track to punch Artax on the Preakness undercard go against her - but her "trouble" in that race all seemed highly overrated to me. When you consider how laughably slow the pace was - the bad stumble at the start meant nothing as long as she didn't hurt herself in doing so. The wide trip on the turns was also greatly overrated - when you consider it was a slow paced race - and at Belmont Park, where skimming the rail isn't exactly a great advantage.

Her main rivals Curlin and Hard Spun both looked out of their game. To a much lesser extent, Curlin didn't look very comfortable down inside of traffic behind the crawl pace...and to a greater extent, Hard Spun had no chance from off the lead in a slow paced 12 furlong race.

What about R2R sick win in Ca. when see circled the field and was 7 wide into a speed favoring track. That to me was preety special.. How about when that midget of a horse EC CRUSHED in BC. That was pretty spectular eventhough I hate that horse.

[Monarchos1]

I notice Jess Jackson as an option for person on the poll. Gary West made a compelling case for him on the show today and in a column earlier this week. Hard to argue with West's logic even if one doesn't care for the winemaker.