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#1
05-07-2007, 07:25 AM
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118 Beyer for FS, Ghostzapper's TG fig record might be in danger
On Saturday, Fabulous Strike had a 4-to-5 wide trip, carried 126lbs, and ran 118 on the Beyer scale. He ran a negative six on the Thoro-Graph's in his prior start....
I believe Ghostzapper is the fastest horse in Thoro-Graph sheet history, with back-to-back negative 6.5's he earned in his prior two starts coming into the Breeders Cup Classic...where he bounced to a negative 4.5 and won with ease. While I am a tremendously loyal Ghostzapper fan---I'd really love to see the all-time record, outright fastest, Jerry Brown figure ever achieved, have been earned in the five furlong Panhandle Stakes at Mountaineer. That would just warm my heart. Of course, if anyone remembers back a couple years, Mineshaft was marooned out in something like post positon 11 for the Stephen Foster at Chuchill Downs. He was also the highweight. He had a very wide trip on both turns, and was nipped in a very fast running of the Foster. It turned out, Mineshaft got something crazy fast like a negative 5 that day, meaning the all-time fastest figure in the history of the Thoro-Graph sheets (which I believe go back to the late-80's) was actually earned in a LOSING effort! I guess in defense of them, Mineshaft never lost another race again, and was eventually named horse of the year. Cannon Shell is right that it's often wise to be a little skeptical about some figures earned in West Virgina. Charles Town's commonly run 4.5 furlong races can sometimes yield some whacky numbers, and the Mountaineer dirt is a very peculiar surface. However, the Beyer's he's been running there seem pretty cut and dry. I'm sure he really has a fondness for that track. If anyone has a chance to watch film of this race (Saturday's 9th at Mountaineer) I'd recommend they do. The horse ran his final 1/8th in 12.08 seconds, inspite of the fact the rider was visibly restraining him for almost the entire stretch run. His ears were pricked and it looked more like a workout than a race. It may be a longshot, but I really hope this leads to Jerry Brown releasing 'Are Race Horses Getting Faster? - Pt. 6A' and doing another slide show presentation about track cushion, and clay versus sand..... Last edited by The Indomitable DrugS : 05-07-2007 at 07:52 AM. 
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#3
05-07-2007, 08:32 AM
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Well, again, to be fair....Perfect Drift was far from a hanger or seconditis type back at that time.
At the end of his 4-year-old season, his career record was 18-9-3-1, and the Foster was in the middle of what was an excellent 4yo season. He toyed with the excellent Congaree later in the year, and won every dirt start that year except for the Breeders Cup Classic....which his connections insisted he would skip (for of all things, the freaking Melbourne Cup) earier in the year. It wasn't until a week or two before the Classic until they finally gave in and ran him. In that Stephen Foster, the 3rd place finisher, beaten 10 lengths, was Aldebaran. Going into Aldebaran's 2003 season, his career record was 17-3-11-2 (!!) He had won the Met Mile in his start prior to the '03 Stephen Foster, and came into the race with 3 wins and 1 second exclusively in Grade 1 company, in his four prior starts.
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#4
05-07-2007, 08:48 AM
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I saw the race Derby night at the OTB. There is no question that if Whitney let him run a little in the stretch he could have gone a second faster and the race probably didn't take much out of him. I'm curious to see if Beattie runs him back in the Waterford Park Hand. on Preakness Day or does he wait an run him back on Belmont Day in the True North Hand., both are at at 6 furlongs. There is also the MD. Breeders Cup on Preakeness undercard. It's also hard to believe that this top sprinter broke his maiden at Penn Nat.
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#5
05-07-2007, 09:04 AM
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In this case, he was not ridden the whole length of the stretch, and was under restraint for much of it---and the horses ears weren't pinned, they were pricking back and fourth and he was well within himself. If he does run a second faster---that means he runs his final furlong in 11.08, over a track that was producing some VERY slow times all day long--even when considering the moderate ability of the horses racing over it. I think he could have run a little faster if fully extended---but, probably only 1/5 or 2/5ths tops...probably the former. I fully expect his next start will be at Belmont
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#7
05-07-2007, 09:51 AM
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I have a fascination with record speed figures...and certainly a fascination with the trainer of Fabulous Strike's miracle working capabilites....
However, I also have had a fascination with Smokey Stover ever since his amazing career debut, and unless they run the race at MNR...I'd give Smokey the edge....
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#8
05-07-2007, 10:52 AM
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Let me ask you a question, I am of the opinion that Smokey Stover is faster, and a better sprinter than Lost In The Fog. I know I'll catch hell for saying that from the legions of LITF fans. But I don't say this to disparage LITF, I'm just trying to put things in proper perspective. Was just wondering if you had any thoughts on this.
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#9
05-07-2007, 11:21 AM
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Both horses had (have in the case of Smokey) a world of talent.
LITF was a lot more polished of a race horse than SS....and he had better natural speed...and that speed is certainly a weapon in sprints. Smokey has really always been a monster talent...but, he had bad habits out of the gate, often would draw an inside post, and somehow seemed to find himself having one bad trip after another for a string of several races there. Another SS (Street Sense) has developed a habit of getting one dream trip after another and seeming to be a super lucky horse---Smokey was almost the complete opposite...every race, win or lose, he'd leave you with the impression he was so much the best. Lately, he's breaking clean, and his bad habits have gone away....and while some people might not want to hear it....I actually think he's got even a little more talent than LITF had....he certainly didn't have all the intangibles, but he's really become a better gate horse lately, and he's the best sprinter in the land when he doesn't get himself in trouble. I annoyed the hell out of some people by talking him up after he was running races that wouldn't look impressive on paper. I told people on another board that he could win the Breeders Cup Sprint, and was the right bet if he made the race last year---they passed the Breeders Cup for a stake at TuP, which he lost to a nice horse in nice time after making things hard for himself. People had fun with me about that....but since that race, he's been nothing short of awesome.
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#10
05-07-2007, 11:46 AM
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#11
05-07-2007, 11:47 AM
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__________________
please use generalizations and non-truths when arguing your side, thank you
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#12
05-07-2007, 11:49 AM
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#13
05-07-2007, 11:55 AM
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I know he's a god.
__________________
please use generalizations and non-truths when arguing your side, thank you
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#14
05-07-2007, 12:21 PM
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remember Frankel's horse Euchre who ran like a monster beyer at prarie meadows, anyone remember the sheet #
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