BC Distaff gets more commitments

Baghdaria, Bushfire, and Lemons Forever are in and longshot Soul Search is probable......Baghdaria is the only real surprise here, but Amoss said she's doing to good to skip teh chance and that she loves and trains brilliantly at CD.....

Originally Posted by Cunningham Racing

Baghdaria, Bushfire, and Lemons Forever are in and longshot Soul Search is probable......Baghdaria is the only real surprise here, but Amoss said she's doing to good to skip teh chance and that she loves and trains brilliantly at CD.....

Be interesting to see how Lemons Forever does in this race. The race seems to be setting up just like the Oaks did. Good speed with Fleet Indian and Bushfire (of course FI showed she can rate) will set it up for a stalker or closer. Be real impressed if a horse won this race on the front end.

Originally Posted by eurobounce

Be interesting to see how Lemons Forever does in this race. The race seems to be setting up just like the Oaks did. Good speed with Fleet Indian and Bushfire (of course FI showed she can rate) will set it up for a stalker or closer. Be real impressed if a horse won this race on the front end.

I agree...It seems like its stacking up as a classic betting race with a solid mix of all styles of horses...in my opinion, that usually favors horses with tactical speed to put themselves into the race for first jump on the speed because they also don't usually have the troubled trips weaving through traffic that deep closers do......

...I think Happy Ticket gets a great trip stalking in the second flight and beats this group by getting firs jump on the tiring leaders down that long CD stretch and holds off the hard-luck Balleto, who I think is a better closer than Pine Island...

[alysheba4]

the worst distaff in the 22 year running.......

[blackthroatedwind]

So as not to disappoint in your obvious desire for a reaction....prey tell what is " hard luck " about Balletto? Is there a skeleton in her closet that we should know about that has made her the equine chandelier?

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

So as not to disappoint in your obvious desire for a reaction....prey tell what is " hard luck " about Balletto? Is there a skeleton in her closet that we should know about that has made her the equine chandelier?

After her two year old year she went to Dubai and fell in love with a handsome young horse. They decided to send her back to the states to race and she plead with them to leave her with the love of her life, but to no avail. Upon being shipped back to the States to compete, she was heartbroken and vowed never to pass the lead horse in the stretch.

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

So as not to disappoint in your obvious desire for a reaction....prey tell what is " hard luck " about Balletto? Is there a skeleton in her closet that we should know about that has made her the equine chandelier?

A) She incurred physical problems thaqt almost retired her and did put her on the shelf for a couple of years

B) She ran winning races in her last three starts and hung in her losses to Fleet Indian last time out and to Spun Sugar at Saratoga, and she was up against Fleet Indian being lone speed in the race prior to her last....when you run three wining races and don't get the win picture for any of them, well, I would call that as 'hard luck' as it gets...she has done it to herself though...I will say that...she is a hanger and should have put Fleet Indian and Spun Sugar both away IMO in those races...

Ive always liked this filly....

[blackthroatedwind]

I have to admit, of the two tales, Mike's grabbed me the most.

On Joel's more maudlin tale....she certainly had no chance in the Personal Ensign, and definitely ran well under the circumstances, but her disgraceful hang jobs in the other two races were pretty pathetic. You know, she probably is " faster " than Pine Island, but somehow if the two of them should hook up for the money in the BC Distaff I think the result is virtually a fait accompli.

That being said, I will sadly waste money on Balletto in multi-race bets again, if for no other reason than my heart is breaking over Mike's tale of sadness.

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I have to admit, of the two tales, Mike's grabbed me the most.

On Joel's more maudlin tale....she certainly had no chance in the Personal Ensign, and definitely ran well under the circumstances, but her disgraceful hang jobs in the other two races were pretty pathetic. You know, she probably is " faster " than Pine Island, but somehow if the two of them should hook up for the money in the BC Distaff I think the result is virtually a fait accompli.

That being said, I will sadly waste money on Balletto in multi-race bets again, if for no other reason than my heart is breaking over Mike's tale of sadness.

Every night she stands in her stall and dreams of her hero, now a pony for one of the shiekh's kids(A storm cat who cost 7 figures at auction, one start at an obscure track in England and was a well beaten 10th). He taught her what it was all about to take a stand and refuse to win for these people who thought they could buy all the racing world. As she departed with tears in her eyes, he said to her " when you see the white bridle on another mare, it means shes part of the band of freedom fighters who refuse to yield to this attempt at dominance. Don't pass the mare with the white bridle, and when you refuse to pass, I shall be proud of you, and love you with all my heart".
As a tribute to her true love's wishes, when she sees the white bridle on a mare, she says you go first.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by alysheba4

the worst distaff in the 22 year running.......

i disagree.

go pine island!!!!

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I have to admit, of the two tales, Mike's grabbed me the most.

On Joel's more maudlin tale....she certainly had no chance in the Personal Ensign, and definitely ran well under the circumstances, but her disgraceful hang jobs in the other two races were pretty pathetic. You know, she probably is " faster " than Pine Island, but somehow if the two of them should hook up for the money in the BC Distaff I think the result is virtually a fait accompli.

That being said, I will sadly waste money on Balletto in multi-race bets again, if for no other reason than my heart is breaking over Mike's tale of sadness.

I will say this, I like her chances in the Distaff because of the way it is likely to set up with a big field...to me, big fields benefit hangers because they are less likely to get into a scenario where they have to duel for an extended period of time with just one horse....it should be a calvary charge in the stretch at CD IMO and I think the bigger numbers of horses helps fool hangers....I can seriously see her running better in the Distaff because she won't get complacent in focusing on one horse to finish up with AKA - hang with....if horses are finishing every where and she just runs without having to focus on a single competitor then it'll give her a better shot...

I think many horses that are hangers do so because they were trained to do so in the mornings with other horses finishing up with them....the more horses in with a chance running around Balleto should favor her finish IMO...

And yes, I think she is faster than Pine Island.....I just don't like this year's 3YO filly crop and I can't take Pine Island seriosuly for struggling to run down Teammate in a couple of races like she did.....Balleto has at least been running down faster mares....

Pine Island will have to try to catch the likes of Happy Ticket in the stretch IMO and she is levels above Teammate.....

Originally Posted by Cunningham Racing

I will say this, I like her chances in the Distaff because of the way it is likely to set up with a big field...to me, big fields benefit hangers because they are less likely to get into a scenario where they have to duel for an extended period of time with just one horse....it should be a calvary charge in the stretch at CD IMO and I think the bigger numbers of horses helps fool hangers....I can seriously see her running better in the Distaff because she won't get complacent in focusing on one horse to finish up with AKA - hang with....if horses are finishing every where and she just runs without having to focus on a single competitor then it'll give her a better shot...

I think many horses that are hangers do so because they were trained to do so in the mornings with other horses finishing up with them....the more horses in with a chance running around Balleto should favor her finish IMO...

And yes, I think she is faster than Pine Island.....I just don't like this year's 3YO filly crop and I can't take Pine Island seriosuly for struggling to run down Teammate in a couple of races like she did.....Balleto has at least been running down faster mares....

Pine Island will have to try to catch the likes of Happy Ticket in the stretch IMO and she is levels above Teammate.....

You know Joel I agree that Pine Island has been slower, but she survived a boot camp that consisted of the CCA(10f), then the Alabama 4 weeks later(10F), and then just three weeks later the Gazelle(9f). Thats 29 furlongs of grade one racing in just 49 days.
Nobody I've ever seen in my life is better than Shug, period and end of story.
He may not posess the barn he once had, but hes still the guy who won 5 graded stakes in one afternoon at Belmont, and got a filly who had a rod in her leg to go undefeated in a 3 year campaign. He also got a horse with ankles the size of bowling balls to win back to back Breeders Cups.
This filly, off the 29 furlongs in just 49 days, is now going to be fitter than any horse in the race. And having survived the boot camp that she did, has now had time to recharge her batteries, and build on that tremendous workload that surely left both her muscles and aerobic system in A-1 condition.
Shes a true two turn specialist, and winning at a mile and an eigth last time out off three weeks rest at one turn, was no small feat.
Shes going to be ready to fire her absolute lifetime top race, and I repeat will be fresh and ready to go while the others have been banging heads and wearing themselves out in gut wrenchers.
Put me down as someone who thinks that she can and will get the job done here. And if she and Balleto are the two who are finishing at the end, I have little doubt as to who will hit the line first.

[blackthroatedwind]

If Pine Island is slower it is hardly by much and as a late developing 3YO she has considerably more upside than the likes of Balletto. And while I mean this as no criticism of Balletto's trainer Tom Albertrani there is probably no trainer better in the game at improving horses than Shug.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Every night she stands in her stall and dreams of her hero, now a pony for one of the shiekh's kids(A storm cat who cost 7 figures at auction, one start at an obscure track in England and was a well beaten 10th). He taught her what it was all about to take a stand and refuse to win for these people who thought they could buy all the racing world. As she departed with tears in her eyes, he said to her " when you see the white bridle on another mare, it means shes part of the band of freedom fighters who refuse to yield to this attempt at dominance. Don't pass the mare with the white bridle, and when you refuse to pass, I shall be proud of you, and love you with all my heart".
As a tribute to her true love's wishes, when she sees the white bridle on a mare, she says you go first.

Ohhhh, good story! Can I be your agent, we'll be down at B&N in no time signing books and giving public readings! How is this for a title "The Broken Hearted Mare Who Couldn't and The Pine Island That Could"

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Ohhhh, good story! Can I be your agent, we'll be down at B&N in no time signing books and giving public readings! How is this for a title "The Broken Hearted Mare Who Couldn't and The Pine Island That Could"

LOL!!!!
That man named Shug could never train another horse and the Sheikh's will still never win the races that he did. And Todd is only 38 and just getting warmed up. Noone can buy this game.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by oracle80

LOL!!!!
That man named Shug could never train another horse and the Sheikh's will still never win the races that he did. And Todd is only 38 and just getting warmed up. Noone can buy this game.

But if you get your book published fast YOU could buy the game!

Originally Posted by Sightseek

But if you get your book published fast YOU could buy the game!

Start the presses!