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#1
10-26-2008, 09:05 AM
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Breeder's Cup WrapUp Thoughts
Well, it's over...Two grueling days, a lot of races, so what did you think?
My thoughts.. Got to start out by saying the ATR show all week was exceptional and if there was some award for horse racing coverage, it should win something. The insight and opinions helped put me on several winners. The ProRide surface; I have to say I had no problem with it and think it played fair. I think the best horses won except when a jockey made the wrong move. You could say that it cost Curlin the win, but you could also say he was moved way too soon leaving nothing for the finish. We'll never know. I'm interested now about the different artificial surfaces. ProRide is 87% regular dirt/sand. What are the others? It appears that not all these are the same so you can make a claim that there are now 4,5 or 6 different surfaces. Someone made the comment that the Keeneland surface is very different. This makes it difficult to cap. Still, I had no problem with the ProRide and as I did very well over the weekend, I guess I'm an artifical capper. The horses seemed to like it too as no injuries I heard. The TV coverage was poor. I wish these guys would watch an English TV coverage. The stars calling the jocks "riders up" was the low point. Also, having 10 different announcers was as mind spinning as the camera angles and would put anyone on dramamine. My head is still spinning. The number of races was too much. Maybe I'll get use to it but the addition of all those races made it a seemed watered down. Certainly it made it a challenge for owner/trainers to decide which race was best to enter. The horse and match ups were the highlight. Euro's vs. US horses, East Coast/West Coast, dirt horses/artifical horses, distance horses/speed horses all made each race very interesting and a heck of a lot of fun to cap. All in all, the races were fantastic. You can make a claim that here were horses that didn't belong in a Breeder's Cup, but looking at some of the winners (Desert Code for example), it appears that the day found the best horses.
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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things. 
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#3
10-26-2008, 09:48 AM
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Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all. Abraham Lincoln
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#4
10-26-2008, 10:01 AM
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#5
10-26-2008, 11:07 AM
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As my head hit the pillow last night(a happy man), one thought for some reason or another had me scratching it.
How in the HELL did Red Rock Canyon finish 6th and not dead last in the Turf? Better Talk Now ran a disgrace of a race if he wasnt able to outfinish that horse.
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"A person who saw no important difference between the fire outside a Neandrathal's cave and a working thermo-nuclear reactor might tell you that junk bonds and derivatives BOTH serve to energize capital" - Nathan Israel
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#6
10-26-2008, 11:12 AM
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1st) the jockeys on Grand Couturier and Better Talk Now should get bans for ill-judged rides.
2nd) didn't Raven's Pass make the exact same move as Curlin?
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"Pound for pound the greatest sportsman Britain has ever produced." John Francome on A. P. McCoy.
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#9
10-26-2008, 11:36 AM
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#10
10-26-2008, 11:42 AM
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Bet Asmussen is wishing he had gone with his first mind and not brought Curlin out here for this. Couldn't even beat Tiago. He'd still get my vote but I'm sure a lot of voters will be swayed or come close to it as far as him vs. Zenyatta for HOY.
I've said for 20 years that the QE II Stakes at Ascot is a better prep for the Classic than for the BC Mile. Midnight Lute is something. Zarkava is REALLY something. Anyone that still wants to debate that these junk tracks play favorably for grass horses, I hereby enter into evidence exhibit A, the BC Classic. I wish Zenyatta had been in the Classic. American trainers should have to be sent to Europe to do one year of studying. Maybe then, we could see more fillies do what Goldikova did, what Zarkava did, and what Zenyatta could have done this year......take on and beat the boys. The temperature was over 90 degrees and the Euro's dominated the day. It was 100 last time at SA and they were very successful then too. I'd hope that one day, this silly notion that the warm temps of Southern California put them at a disadvantage. Probably won't though. I think it's as ingrained in the minds of players as the silly thoughts about Pimlico. How about that Baffert guy.
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The real horses of the year (1986-2020) Manila, Java Gold, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Go for Wand, In Excess, Paseana, Kotashaan, Holy Bull, Cigar, Alphabet Soup, Formal Gold, Skip Away, Artax, Tiznow, Point Given, Azeri, Candy Ride, Smarty Jones, Ghostzapper, Invasor, Curlin, Zenyatta, Zenyatta, Goldikova, Havre de Grace, Wise Dan, Wise Dan, California Chrome, American Pharoah, Arrogate, Gun Runner, Accelerate, Maximum Security, Gamine
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#11
10-26-2008, 11:49 AM
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With the honourable exception of Giant's Causeway (who was a well-beaten second at Ascot) when before has the QEII figured in the Breeders' Cup Classic shake down?
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"Pound for pound the greatest sportsman Britain has ever produced." John Francome on A. P. McCoy.
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#12
10-26-2008, 12:12 PM
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Dearest Trickski may have been the worst bet in that race. Lets take a look at her wins this year. In the La Brea she gets two lengths clear as the controlling pace, it was a moderate pace at best. In the A Gleam she pops the gate and sets a pace 20 points slower then the final time, again she is never challenged on the lead until its to late. In the Ranch Barnardo again she faces zero pace pressure and sets a very moderate pace and hangs on by a nose. Now she has to deal with Dream Rush and Indian Blessing. While she did get clear it took crazy in sane fractions to do it, and she wilted as expected. What should have been taken out of the race is that Indian Blessing was right there off that crazy pace and held a very good second, it was an exceptional effort.
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#13
10-26-2008, 12:15 PM
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#14
10-26-2008, 12:25 PM
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they are next year
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#15
10-26-2008, 12:29 PM
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Looking forward to 2010
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ySSg4QG8g
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#16
10-26-2008, 12:43 PM
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The racing was great. No problems with the surface. The best horses of the day won. Nothing more exciting than seeing several good horses in it with an eight to go. I even won a little. Nicest BC in a long time. What a gorgeous facility. Can't wait for next year. So nice I'm considering flying out next year to be there in person.
They need to lose the purple saddle cloths. Please. Even gold saddlecloths with purple letters would possibly work better!
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"Have the clean racing people run any ads explaining that giving a horse a Starbucks and a chocolate poppyseed muffin for breakfast would likely result in a ten year suspension for the trainer?" - Dr. Andrew Roberts
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#17
10-26-2008, 12:47 PM
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#18
10-26-2008, 12:51 PM
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and another thing...
Stardom Bound...how about that filly. Simply awesome and hope she races next year as if she improves, .......wow, she's unstopable. Also, she put to rest that you can't make a big move on the synthetic. I wonder how she would run on dirt.
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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
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#19
10-26-2008, 12:52 PM
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The track was really easy to get in and out of considering it was the Breeders Cup, You wont regret the trip.
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#20
10-26-2008, 03:31 PM
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Shadeed, Milligram, Warning, Zilzal, Markofdistinction, Bigstone, Mark of Esteem, Desert Prince, and Air Express (?) all came over here and lost. There were three losers from that race that came over and won the Mile (Miesque, Ridgewood Pearl, and Barathea) while Excellent Art was a very close second. Why does this happen? Because those horses are true milers and they usually lack the stamina that it takes to win the QE II, even though that race is run at a mile. So look at what's been happening since 2000. First, Giant's Causeway comes over and very nearly wins the Classic. He was arguable better at longer distances than at a mile. Falbrav won the race and lost by less than a length in the BC Turf and he was arguably better at longer distances than a mile. Same with Ratki. Then you have these two this year. My point is that even though they haven't historically used it that way, I've always felt that horses that do well in the QE II, especially winners, would have fared better if given a shot in the Classic because usually, they don't have the quickness required for an American run mile but they do have the stamina for American 10f races. I guarantee you that if next year's QE II winner comes over for the BC, it will be for the Classic and not the Mile.
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The real horses of the year (1986-2020) Manila, Java Gold, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Go for Wand, In Excess, Paseana, Kotashaan, Holy Bull, Cigar, Alphabet Soup, Formal Gold, Skip Away, Artax, Tiznow, Point Given, Azeri, Candy Ride, Smarty Jones, Ghostzapper, Invasor, Curlin, Zenyatta, Zenyatta, Goldikova, Havre de Grace, Wise Dan, Wise Dan, California Chrome, American Pharoah, Arrogate, Gun Runner, Accelerate, Maximum Security, Gamine
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