Take The Points

eajinabi · #1 05-18-2009, 02:59 AM

Did something go amiss on this horse on Saturday? That horse dropped as bad as a stone in water. I was really expecting a really improved effort but produced his worst race yet. Blinkers On, good works, fresh but just dissapointed.

He probably is the need the lead type and just did not work out for him on saturday cause of Big Drama shifting outwards at the start. From then you could see Prado struggling with him at the 3/8ths.

Probably look for him in the Cigar Mile.

Kasept · #2 05-18-2009, 06:43 AM

I think he was mismanaged. The sudden ship to California for the Sham, taking him off dirt, was one of the most ridiculous recent decisions on a Derby Trail. He was making steady progress, having leaped forward in that first start at three, and Pletcher sends him to the new surface which promptly dulled his form and likely got him muscle sore from the synthetic. It's been downhill from there culminating with Saturday's pop and stop. One proviso on the criticism here is that it may well have been partly or all Jack Wolf's call to go out West.

Bobby Fischer · #3 05-18-2009, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasept

I think he was mismanaged. The sudden ship to California for the Sham, taking him off dirt, was one of the most ridiculous recent decisions on a Derby Trail. He was making steady progress, having leaped forward in that first start at three, and Pletcher sends him to the new surface which promptly dulled his form and likely got him muscle sore from the synthetic. It's been downhill from there culminating with Saturday's pop and stop. One proviso on the criticism here is that it may well have been partly or all Jack Wolf's call to go out West.

Agreed. Pretty hard to develop into a top horse when you get shuttled around in your developmental stage. Hard to tell how good he is/ could have been by now with a steady course. He didn't look like a contender in the Preakness but he had every right to run a more competitive race.
The Preakness was also very tough on that "chasing" group of horses.

eajinabi · #4 05-18-2009, 09:21 PM

I probably look for him to be on a long layoff until the Cigar Mile.

Travis Stone · #5 05-18-2009, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

You don't think they'll find a start for him before the end of November?

Well with a slop forecast for the Jerome per the Almanac, there are very few options left.

philcski · #6 05-18-2009, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

Well with a slop forecast for the Jerome per the Almanac, there are very few options left.

I laughed

eajinabi · #7 05-19-2009, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

You don't think they'll find a start for him before the end of November?

I was thinkinking the Cigar Mile cause thats where Pletcher spots his "Coulda been" Triple Crown nominated horses. But I am pretty sure he will spot him a race before it just as a gauge.

chucklestheclown · #8 05-19-2009, 12:31 AM

While I am a huge PON fan I think this horse had to have gotten hurt to finish this poorly. Yes, I had him on the bottom of my super ticket.

ateamstupid · #9 05-19-2009, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

There is a whole summer of races for the horse to run in. He's not as bad as he was on Saturday and if he's healthy, I see no reason why we won't see him again pretty soon. He's still pretty lightly raced. You're acting like Pletcher just shuts them down after the triple crown to point for the Cigar Mile. I'm sure he likes winning the race, but it's not the kind of race you aim for with a 3 year old at this point.

He has to prep for the Malibu somewhere.

eajinabi · #10 05-19-2009, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

He has to prep for the Malibu somewhere.

I hope he doesnt send him to synthetic again.

eajinabi · #11 05-19-2009, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

There is a whole summer of races for the horse to run in. He's not as bad as he was on Saturday and if he's healthy, I see no reason why we won't see him again pretty soon. He's still pretty lightly raced. You're acting like Pletcher just shuts them down after the triple crown to point for the Cigar Mile. I'm sure he likes winning the race, but it's not the kind of race you aim for with a 3 year old at this point.

Thats the Nick Zito method. Running them in any 3 yo race and TRY to hit the board approach.

Take The Points has run in three bad races so far. I just feel he needs some time off instead of rushing into any 3 yr old race at this point.

Thunder Gulch · #12 05-19-2009, 10:24 AM

Nothing wrong with him, he just has the talent of a decent classified allowance horse, and they keep running him in Graded company.

HaloWishingwell · #13 05-19-2009, 03:33 PM

Pletcher mismanaging a Triple Crown horse? That's rare.

Linny · #14 05-19-2009, 03:59 PM

Not sure why they would take a horse that was running well on dirt, hoping to get into the biggest dirt race of the 3yo season and send him to run on Poly.
By winning an allowance in Jan at GP he marked himself as a candidate for the Derby trail. (In retrospect, nothing much came out of that race, but hey, alot of us thought that Danger to Society looked serious winning HIS allowance.)

Instead of pointing for the FOY or the TB Derby or one of the FG or Oaklawn races on dirt, he goes to Cali for a pair of Poly races? I know trainers say synthetics are great for training over but in Cali you have to race on them too. Maybe he thought he'd move up on poly and earn more graded money. As it turned out, he could have gone in the Derby off his second to the 'Mousse and his 4th to POTN. I did think he'd run better than last on Sat, though I didn't use him either.
There's no reason not to send him (if he's healthy) to Belmont to try a NW2x (albeit against olders) or maybe KY where he might find a NW2x against straight 3yos. There might be some 3yo overnight stakes at Belmont for him as well.
I agree that if he's OK, run him. The issue is that he needs to run where he belongs.