Circular Quay

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Will do, but I think I might be able to get ahold of a bandage Street Sense wore in the Tampa Derby. Will that work better?

NT

!!OOOOOOOOOO!!

[Port Conway Lane]

The horse was as good as most of the 2 yo's in that crop. Things didn't pan out in his five races last year and he's 1 for 2 this year, 1 for 1 after getting blinkers and didn't lag back to last place like he's done in almost every start of his career. I give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment.

[Cajungator26]

Thought he looked good yesterday and like others am a little concerned that he might be a 'horse for the course', but at this point, there's only one way to find out...

Not sure what race the fat man was watching, but CQ was on his right lead going down the backstretch. He switched exiting the final turn (I'm assuming he meant the final turn and not the first turn as he was SUPPOSED to be on his left lead around the first turn. ) To say that those two were gutless yesterday is quite ridiculous. Both horses were very game.

[NTamm1215]

I guess maybe I just saw him as a bit mis-managed last year. While there was no problem with taking the Louisiana route to the Derby, the decision to go into the Ky Derby fresh was hard to understand. Then the decision to bring him back in the Preakness was tough to understand (although Hank Goldberg loved him in the Preakness). He was then put in the Va Derby and was actually sent off as the favorite. He is obviously not a turf horse so that race was a toss.

Ideally, is he still the same closing sprinter most thought he'd be at the beginning of 2007? Could be but yesterday's performance was solid.

NT

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

I guess maybe I just saw him as a bit mis-managed last year. While there was no problem with taking the Louisiana route to the Derby, the decision to go into the Ky Derby fresh was hard to understand. Then the decision to bring him back in the Preakness was tough to understand (although Hank Goldberg loved him in the Preakness). He was then put in the Va Derby and was actually sent off as the favorite. He is obviously not a turf horse so that race was a toss.

Ideally, is he still the same closing sprinter most thought he'd be at the beginning of 2007? Could be but yesterday's performance was solid.

NT

Apparently, he's holding his weight better now and has filled out a bit. He is a very small horse and from what I understand, had a hard time keeping weight on last year. If this problem has improved, it should probably help him a lot.

[the_fat_man]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

Not sure what race the fat man was watching, but CQ was on his right lead going down the backstretch. He switched exiting the final turn (I'm assuming he meant the final turn and not the first turn as he was SUPPOSED to be on his left lead around the first turn. )

If you look at the run to the 1st turn again, you might just notice that while the others are righty, the RUNT is lefty. Of course, the horse would be lefty on the turn (though I've seen TWO exceptions in the past year). And there are times, believe it or not, that horses are LEFTY on the backstretch. Happens alot in turf sprints, for example.

So, assuming, if I were looking for an excuse, that the RUNT took the 1st turn lefty and REMAINED lefty on the backstretch and 2nd turn, I'd upgrade his performance (as he'd have run 3/4 of the race lefty).

Clearer?

[paisjpq]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

http://www.racingdispatch.com/Handic...aturday_Night/

Send it to KYRIM. Size 9 5/8ths.

so close to a perfect 10.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

If you look at the run to the 1st turn again, you might just notice that while the others are righty, the RUNT is lefty. Of course, the horse would be lefty on the turn (though I've seen TWO exceptions in the past year). And there are times, believe it or not, that horses are LEFTY on the backstretch. Happens alot in turf sprints, for example.

So, assuming, if I were looking for an excuse, that the RUNT took the 1st turn lefty and REMAINED lefty on the backstretch and 2nd turn, I'd upgrade his performance (as he'd have run 3/4 of the race lefty).

Clearer?

Of course some horses are going to be on their wrong lead entering the stretch, but they're not supposed to be, do you agree? CQ was not on his wrong lead down the backstretch yesterday. He was on his 'right' lead which is what he was supposed to be on. I'll have to watch the replay again to see what lead he was on breaking from the starting gate. To be honest, I didn't pay attention to that.

[lemoncrush]

Cq was a Grade 1 winner at the age of 2, a Grade 2 winner at the age of 3, and now a grade 2 winner at the age of 4. Not the worst resume in the world.

For having a bad stretch to end his 3-yo campaign, I was really impressed with how he ran yesterday with blinkers.
HE usually is completely disinterested in running until the end (if at all).
And I never thought he would go 1-1/8 and win.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Not that he really blew me or anyone else away with his win in the NO Handicap yesterday, but this horse has taken quite the beating on this board. Maybe and I mean MAYBE he could become an interesting addition to the very weak handicap division.

NT

I thought he beat only a modest field of gr 2 horses yesterday, however the one positive thing he showed me yesterday was he wasn't miles out of it early on leaving him with less to do as he usually is too far out of it to make an impact in a race. If he can show that yesterday wasn't an abberation, he could be an improved horse this yr.

[blackthroatedwind]

I thought he ran a nice race yesterday. You could say he had a good trip, but unlike last year he was close to a slowish pace, and did what he had to. No reason he can't have a solid year. The more decent handicap horses the better.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I thought he ran a nice race yesterday. You could say he had a good trip, but unlike last year he was close to a slowish pace, and did what he had to. No reason he can't have a solid year. The more decent handicap horses the better.

Agree more horses the better it is for racing.

[Danzig]

i thought it was a heck of a race, with drama from start to finish. no records set, no huge imposts, but a fine battle between two horses. they won't go down in history or anything, but it was fun to watch.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i thought it was a heck of a race, with drama from start to finish. no records set, no huge imposts, but a fine battle between two horses. they won't go down in history or anything, but it was fun to watch.

It was a great stretch duel and a fun race.

Nobody is pretending these are superstars, but they're pretty good, and they put on a helluva show yesterday. May there be more throughout the year.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i thought it was a heck of a race, with drama from start to finish. no records set, no huge imposts, but a fine battle between two horses. they won't go down in history or anything, but it was fun to watch.

Not to mention it was for 500K, not a bad payday for a race this early on. Forgot to mention can't remember if Circular Quay ever raced with blinkers on but he looked like a different horse yesterday.

[Danzig]

it was a nice payday, and he surprised me with his tenacity. i really didn't think he had it in him. so many former derby starters end up flopping, i wasn't sure what to expect. it was a nice surprise.

[blackthroatedwind]

I didn't think he wanted any part of 1 1/8 miles. In fact, I didn't think he was much horse at all.

Sometimes it's good to be wrong.

[CSC]

I thought he didn't want any part of John Velazquez or Mike Smith.

[sumitas]

I hope he hold together. 6 Native Dancers, 3 Raise A Natives can give some talent but also lots of problems.

[jcs11204]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It was a great stretch duel and a fun race.

Nobody is pretending these are superstars, but they're pretty good, and they put on a helluva show yesterday. May there be more throughout the year.

i think they both could be superstars in this weak division...
no one knows if curlin will return from dubai the same horse, i think especially grasshopper could be great.