Triple Crown 2021 Proves its Quality
With the Belmont Stakes still relatively fresh in people’s minds, here are my thoughts on the race, the Triple Crown, and especially Essential Quality. ~ Steve Haskin
Triple Crown 2021 Proves its Quality
By Steve Haskin
There are two questions regarding the 2021 Triple Crown: how will it be remembered and how do we hope it will be remembered? The first question cannot be answered in full until the Medina Spirit/Bob Baffert mess is resolved. We are all aware that Medina Spirit’s betamethasone positive, whether it is determined it was administered by injection or ointment, has left a stain on the Run for the Roses that precipitated a two-year ban for Baffert by Churchill Downs stewards. So the man who has become the face of the Kentucky Derby with seven victories and is almost as recognizable as the twin spires as of now will not be seen at the Downs until 2024, some three months after his 71st birthday.
We saw some compelling human interest stories, from Gail Rice and Christine Whitman and their sale and purchase of the $1,000 colt with the obscure pedigree who won the Derby to small-time owners and breeders John and Diane Fradkin, who wound up with a Preakness winner from an unraced mare whose dam they purchased as a yearling for $10,500 and who never finished in the money in four claiming races. It is a family that goes back several generations of New Jersey breeding.
The repercussions from the Kentucky Derby positive blood test sadly will be felt for awhile, as we wade through a morass of litigation before we find out if Medina Spirit will be stripped of his Derby victory, which would tarnish the race even further considering most people believe the colt earned the victory on his own.
Now let’s take the optimistic path of what we hope will be remembered. Looking down the road after the chaos has subsided, I believe, or hope, what we will remember most is Essential Quality boosting the reputation of this year’s crop of 3-year-olds and the quality of the Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes in such exciting and impressive fashion.This group of sophomores, considered by many as subpar or mediocre at best, especially after the injury to Life is Good, took on a whole new look following the exceptional performance by Essential Quality, as well as Hot Rod Charlie, and the lofty speed figures they earned. The Belmont also gave us a sense of continuity, as the two horses who battled to the wire were the same two horses who battled to the wire in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile seven months earlier. And both horses won prestigious Derby preps (Blue Grass Stakes and Louisiana Derby) in between.
If Medina Spirit is disqualified and runner-up Mandaloun is declared the winner, at least the Juddmonte colt, who went into the Kentucky Derby off a dismal effort in the Louisiana Derby, proved his performance at Churchill Downs was the real Mandaloun by overcoming a terrible trip in this past Sunday’s Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park, winning in gutsy fashion.
With Essential Quality, the Belmont was not just an impressive performance by a very talented colt; this was the champion 2-year-old, who had lost only one race in his career. And many believe he was the best horse in that race. Not only did Essential Quality get mugged at the start of the Kentucky Derby, costing him valuable early position, he was hung out four-wide on both turns, which forced him to run 68 feet farther than the victorious Medina Spirit.
It’s not as if Essential Quality ran much better in the Belmont than Hot Rod Charlie, who many felt actually ran a better race fighting on the lead with Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World through torrid early fractions and continuing to battle the length of the stretch, while finishing 11 lengths ahead of Preakness winner Rombauer in third. What made this race so memorable for Essential Quality was the fact that he showed once again, even going a mile and a half, that he is machine-like in his ability to adjust his running style according to the pace. It is extremely rare to see a horse display such adaptability race after race, as if he knows exactly where he should be. Of course, credit has to go to jockey Luis Saez, but very few horses will allow themselves to be so pliable in the hands of its rider.
Let’s look at his career starts. In his debut going six furlongs, the opening quarter was run in a scorching :21 2/5 and he took back 7 ½ lengths before drawing off to a four-length victory. In his two-turn debut, the grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, they crawled the opening half in :48 4/5 and three-quarters in 1:13 2/5 and he adjusted by pressing the pace from the start before again drawing off to a comfortable score. In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile they flew the opening fractions in :45 1/5 and 1:10 2/5 and he dropped nine lengths off the pace before running down Hot Rod Charlie. We’ll skip the Southwest Stakes because there was no way to judge the pace on such a sloppy track. But even then he stayed within two to three lengths of the leaders before drawing away to win by 4 ¼ lengths. In the Blue Grass Stakes, the pace was slow with a half in :48 1/5 and three-quarters in 1:12, and he again adjusted by pressing the front-running Highly Motivated every step of the way before wearing him down in the final yards. Then in the Belmont Stakes, they went the opening quarter in an outrageous :22 3/5 (a full second faster than Secretariat) and half in :46 2/5 (only a fifth slower than Secretariat), and he dropped seven lengths off the pace before running down a gutsy Hot Rod Charlie to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
This is what I meant by machine-like. It’s as if he is programmed to put himself in the exact spot that would give him the best chance to win. Only in the Kentucky Derby did that program get knocked out of whack by outside forces that prevented him from being where he wanted to be.
I went back and tried to find a horse who I can compare Essential Quality to when it comes to versatility, adaptability, consistency, and professionalism. The first horse that came to mind was Spectacular Bid. But it’s not fair to compare any horse, especially this early in his career, to one of the truly all-time greats. In addition, The Bid could press a very fast pace and just keep going, running his opponents into the ground. But other than that there are similarities when it comes to always being in the right spot to win. We’re certainly not going to compare him to Secretariat, to whom pace had little meaning and who could do things no one had ever seen before. Sunday Silence and Easy Goer were both versatile, but not to this extent and occasionally put themselves in a position to get beat.
Before I went any further I came to the realization that it was futile and meaningless to try to find a horse with whom to compare him. He just goes out and does his thing every race in all manner of ways, whether at six furlongs or 1 ½ miles or on a fast or sloppy track, and it’s time we start enjoying him for what he is and what he is capable of doing.
Niall Brennan, who gave him his early training before sending him to Brad Cox, could see all his attributes early on. “He was always very good for a Tapit, whose offspring can be quite hot or even common,” he said. “But he always showed class and had a lot of ability. He would play around a bit sometimes, but just feeling good. He was intelligent and alert and picked up on things quickly when we started breezing. We always breeze in pairs and he was naturally competitive and improved every week. He did things so easily we felt he would keep improving when we sent him to Brad.”
So, 13 months after leaving Brennan we are still seeing that class and ability and certainly that competitiveness. And he is still improving every week. Once again we can only compare him to a well-made machine that keeps working at high efficiency, can be used in many different ways, and never needs servicing.
As for my own dealings with him on the Derby Rankings, after having ranked him No. 1 the first two weeks I became enamored first with Greatest Honour and then Rock Your World, and always had Known Agenda right up there. That was in good part to their strong stamina pedigrees top and bottom (when am I going to learn?). The main reason I kept Essential Quality at No. 2 and No. 3 were my concerns about him excelling at classic distances, certainly not because of Tapit, but because his dam, third dam, and broodmare sire were sprinters. His second dam did produce a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner, but she was by the stamina-oriented Tiznow, and the other five stakes in which she won or placed were all sprints. I thought I was right with my concerns when, even with his bad trip, Essential Quality failed to catch Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, and Hot Rod Charlie despite having the entire Churchill Downs stretch to do so. But then Tapit, the sire king of the Belmont Stakes, came pouring out in the final leg of the Triple Crown, as he had done on three other occasions, and made the speed in his female family seem insignificant, as he ran the best race of his life, earning impressive speed figures.
Just like that, he and Hot Rod Charlie made this crop of 3-year-olds look a lot faster with their respective 109 and 108 Beyer numbers and Essential Quality’s negative-1 ½ Thoro-Graph number, his third negative number of the year, along with a “zero. In short, he never regresses.
So the 2021 Triple Crown is in the books. Some of the pages may be seared along the edges and will continue to smolder for a while, but there is still enough strong content to leave one with the promise of an exciting July and August when the Haskell, Jim Dandy and Travers will bring the Triple Crown participants together again, and possibly introduce a second wave of brilliant newcomers, such as Flightline, Stage Raider, and Following Sea. Who is not looking forward to another battle between Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie, who in their three confrontations have been separated by a total in 2 ¼ lengths?
There usually is one race and one performance that a horse will use as the bridge from star to superstar. Essential Quality is nearing that bridge, if he hasn’t already crossed it. And if there is one thing Thoroughbred racing needs right now it is a superstar to bring some positive energy back to the sport.
Photos courtesy of New York Racing Association and Alex Evers
2022 Derby Watch: Winchell homebred Red Run, by Gun Runner out of the Tapit mare Red House (full sister to champion Untapable). He became Gun Runner’s first winner last month with a 5f romp at CD. He’ll likely be entered in the Bashford Manor on Saturday at CD.
Thanks, Eddie! He hadn’t galloped onto my radar, yet, but it will be fun to keep an eye out. (And did you notice his name backwards is “Nurder”?)
LOL. Nurder….Missed it by THAT much! It’s been a while since backwards Derby winner Bro, and a very long time since RJ Pooh.
Hah! I loved JR Pooh! Wasn’t he named after the guy who wrote the tales of orcs in the 100 Acre Woods? (Maybe I’m getting him confused with JRR Pooh).
I apologize –RJ Pooh
No wonder your screen name is Profsdottir. 🙂
Thanks Eddie!
There’s a stat to look up…when was the last Derby winner that had won a race by June 20th….I think Affirmed had won early, he won the Hollywood Juvy race, and I’m sure there have been many—but I wonder if it’s been lately….a 2yo WINNER by June 20th that won the roses…..
Hey, Matthew. Red Run broke his maiden in his debut on May 9. These days, Derby winners — heck, Derby runners! — don’t get their career starts so early. Chrome was an exception; he debuted on April 26, then won his next start on May 17. You have to go back to Sunny’s Halo to find a future Derby winner debuting in May (he won). I’m not really sure why Asmussen started RR so early. Did he believe that the distance-bred RR was ready to win in May and didn’t need to let him develop into the fall? Or did he see distance limitations in the colt’s training, deciding to focus on early 2yo races? Someone should ask him. 🙂
Go invent TURTLE RACING …..they live long. When was the last time you saw a Turtle breakdown?….shatter a cannon bone?
Chip an Ankle? Bleed thru their nose?……..Go ahead……..really exciting……..
Horses are fast, big, powerful………..this is why it is exciting.
Trouble is I bet on turtles sometimes–in horse races!
$33.40 Jimmy Blue Jeans, Kent’s first stakes winner as a sober liver–said he was a drunk for 30 years…51 and looking good, Del Mar awaits! No one knew he’d crack the top ten, he has!
Congrats! You go way out of your way in order to gain disdain from readers. Guess what? You succeeded!
HORSES ARE BORN TO DIE…….
Everyone is shocked by the numbers. You want to blame someone? Blame Mother Nature! You could say that nature made HORSES this way, to feed other animals. Horses die often of colic, many diseases. Their legs are skinny. They were built to die. No one with any common sense, can argue this.
Posting numbers, without reason for deaths, is very wrong. People are shocked, because very few knew. Horses die. It is what they do.
Hamsters rarely live 4 years. Who is to blame?….Nature. Billions of Birds die flying into objects each year. Should we clip their wings?
Horses Die out in fields/pastures. Alot. Horses in the wild die at a high rate.
These reports of death rates, are meant to create hysteria. Horses are made to die. They always have, they always will…..
People do not understand that there is a reason Bob has a high rate.
Congrats! You go way out of your way in order to gain disdain from readers. Guess what? You succeeded!
Yes……notice you never say where i am wrong……because i am not…….EVERYONE just found this out?……it has always been…..
Nature does things for a reason.
Look up how many wild horses die…….look how many horses die out in fields. This animal dies, because it has to stand to live. Many diseases kill it. Colic kills. on and on……..
What i said is true.
This narrative that horsemen don’t care about horses……it total BS……..
What’s BS is your knee jerk reaction each time to defend only one trainer. Absurd!
I thought everyone hated him because he cheats?…..Now it is his fault that horses die?……put down your PITCHFORK. It has nothing to do with the trainer. Any trainer.
Put down your blinkers!
A rather interesting title for this blog. The obvious questions regarding quality have to be. Can quality be identified before it is proven? What parameters should be used to assess quality?
There were 4 member of the Derby class of 2021 ranked at #1.
Essential Quality was assigned the @#1 ranking for weeks 1 & 2.
Greatest Honour was assigned the @#1 ranking for weeks 3 to10
Known Agenda was assigned the @#1 ranking for wee k#11
Rock Your World was assigned the @#1 ranking for weeks #12 to 15
What role quality played in the demotion of Essential Quality to #2 & #3 and the elevation of Greatest Honor, Known Agenda and Rock Your World to #1 at different intervals?
Greatest Honour required 4 starts to break his maiden. He subsequently outclassed suspect groups in both the Holy Bull and FOY. It should be noted his speed figures were progressively lower after his maiden win. It is reasonable to conclude that GH was exposed in the FL Derby. His 3rd place finish behind 2 last out allowance winners bears testament to this cold fact Greatest Honour’s resume reflected nothing that suggested he was a better quality colt than Essential Quality.
Known Agenda was dropped to the allowance level for his first win as a 3YO after two graded stakes defeat by a combined 13 1/2L. In the FL Derby his best opponent emerged as a fellow last out Allowance winner making his stakes debut. Despite not changing leads Soup and Sandwich was only beaten 2 1/2L. It wouldn’t be stretch conclude that a FL Derby in which the winner and runner-up were last out allowance winner, was unlikely to produce a KD winner. Known Agenda’s resume reflected nothing that suggested he was a better quality colt than Essential Quality.
Rock Your World recorded one win on dirt albeit an impressive one. His exercise works on dirt left a lot to be desired. Further, consecutive G1 wins on dirt by turf horses are extremely rare. Rock Your World’s late lead change in the stretch of the SA Derby reflected a lack of comfort on the surface. Despite Rock Your World undefeated status. His resume was not sufficient to suggest he was a better quality colt than Essential Quality.
Quality can be defined as the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something. The 4 colts above exhibited excellence. However, Essential Quality’s excellence was of a significantly higher degree. He therefore had the quality advantage and should never have been ranked below the 3 above.
The results of the TC series highlighted what was already known by most about Essential Quality, even if said was not properly acknowledged by others.
Welcome back, Coldfacts. I guess that because you’ve been away for so long, you needed to dredge up the Derby Rankings as the basis for your post. What you might have missed was that Essential Quality won the Belmont Stakes, not the Kentucky Derby. In his final DERBY rankings, Steve had EQ at #3. In essence, the rankings represent the ranker’s guess as to where runner will finish. EQ finished 4th. Where did you predict that EQ would finish? As Sherlock Holmes said, “It is easy to be wise after the event.”
Hey thats a good point…..EQ was ranked 3rd, and finished 4th….oh oh Steve was wrong again!!!
Considering it was his first dirt race…and he beat Medina Spirit 4 lengths, galloping out like a monster—why was it so wrong to rank him #!? Hindsight is 20-20, but for you it’s like Mr Magoo going to Ted Williams! EASY to see Essential is #1—but after the SA Derby, it wasn’t yet a conclusion–‘still isn’t…. I also think Rombauer, and Hot Rod Charlie are pretty solid animals—Looking forward to November—looks like a decent crop at the top–and the older division has perked up!
Here he is again…….to irritate the writer……”i don’t understand the titles” AGAIN?……Another year of coldcuts’ pick not hitting the top 3…………..and another post somehow putting down a list………at least 17 years…..not hitting the top 3……in the derby….
Yet this cheap shot……of where Steve was wrong?…..
Truth is……if Greatest Honor, won……or KA won……or RYW won the derby…….Coldcuts would still bring up where Steve WAS wrong……they would just be different names……
This poster literally is right 2 times a year…….i’m not lying. He is just a Contrarian.
And people don’t realize why he is here? one reason…..to get under the writers skin….to irritate………Steve has OTTOMAX……
I dont respond to him anymore or even read his posts. Judging by the responses, maybe he will crawl back in the hole he was hiding in the past few months.
I’m not sure how you can critique Greatest Honour as not beating quality opposition. In the Fountain of Youth Stakes, Greatest Honour defeated Drain the Clock on a track and distance that was in the favor of Drain the Clock. Most would agree that Drain the Clock is the leading 3 year old sprinter/miler and was recently a Grade 1 winner. The Florida Derby resulted in Greatest Honor being shelved for a few months giving reason for a subpar performance in that race.
Your argument is weakened when trying to fudge unsubstantiated support.
Steve,
Your articles continue to be just as spectacular today as last year and the year before and the year before that, and…
Thank you so much for your passion and attention to detail!
YOu’re a national treasure!
Thank you so much Tex
Steve, in a discussion below about bad efforts in a final Derby prep, you said that a Derby winner has to be peaking on the first Saturday in May. Of course, most of us are looking for that progression. But how is it determined? Speed figures don’t seem to help. Since 2000, 8 Derby winners had lower or equal BSFs in the last prep compared to the next-to-last prep. For Brisnet figures, there were 11 Derby winners with lower or equal numbers in the final prep compared to the penultimate prep. Do the Thoro-Graph numbers show a more consistent pattern for improving horses?
There was a time when you could identify an improving horse by its form cycle. But that’s not as easy to do now that Derby hopefuls run less frequently. What are you looking for (other than figures) in predicting a peak performance in the Derby?
There is a big difference between a hosre peaking and knowing when a horse is peaking. One is pure form and physiological and the other is determining it by speed figures, which didnt exist when horses were peaking 50 years ago. You just tried to figure it out by your own observations. So there is a horse peaking in reality and a horse peaking in by handicapping methods. The closest we can come with now is analyzing the form cycle through Thoro-Graph and Ragozin numbers, but they are not just speed figures like Beyer, you have to know how to analyze the form cycle, and even then it is not always accurate. You can usually see the completed puzzle after the fact. When I covered the Derby and was the only one reporting on works and physical condition before TVG and YouTube and Twitter I was there for two weeks watching each horse ini the morning and grazing in the afternoon. I looked for horses who were improving each day in their coat and in their training. It’s not about a work or how a horse looked on Derby Day, it was about progression. I hit several big price Derby winners or Derby placed horses, such as Sea Hero, Super Saver, Bluegrass Cat, Monarchos, Animal Kingdom. I remember Atswhatimtaknbout came to CD with a bad skin rash. I watched him graze every afternoon and every afternoon his skin rash got better and I could see dapples popping out. By Derby time the rash was gone and his coat was fully dappled and gleaming . I bet him at 30-1 despite his horrible name and he got in tons of trouble then came flying late to finish 4th beaten about a length and I still insist with a clean trip he would have beaten Funny Cide who he blew past right after the wire. No way speed figs would helped you pick him out. But he definitely peaked on that day. But the Derby gods would never let a horse with that name win the Derby.
Except all horses in every derby were “doing great”……”training great”…….if RYW won the belmont, or KA….people would say it was because they were working “great”…….
People win a race, and think it was because they were RIGHT. It was the reason they thought it was…..a great work, or 6 letters in the name, or color of silks……..
Many thanks for the thorough reply, Steve. Watching the horses up close at CD for two weeks was obviously a valuable experience. Even though you no longer report from Churchill, your observations are always helpful. As a fan and as a non-serious, infrequent bettor, I’ll have to rely on the PPs, race replays, history, and the observations of people such as yourself. Very funny about the Derby gods and Atswhatimtaknbout. But somehow the gods were perceptive exactly 100 years ago when they prevented a colt named Black Servant from winning. 🙂
And that’s why we follow your every word so closely, Steve. Must have been wonderful to spend two weeks just looking at horses, but I’m sure the pressure mitigated that!
Lot of work but fun tomes
Hello Steve – I am looking forward to attending the 500 K 1 1/8 Ohio Derby at Thistledown on 6-26. It looks like a wide open competitive field with some very good horses such as Proxy,King Fury,Promise Keeper,O Besos. It’s fun to follow the derby trail and get to see some derby trail horses such as King Fury,Proxy, and O Besos in person. Maybe Proxy will finally put it all together, the talent is there. IMO Promise Keeper could be the one to beat after his strong Peter Pan Performance.
Thats a very good field. Good to see the Ohio Derby draw so many good horses. I visited Proxy at Fair Hill last month. One of these days hes going to get his head straight. Also would like to see King Fury emerge as a leading 3yo
For sure,will be competitive.
All praise to Steve, who has made a silk purse out of a sow’s ear of a Triple Crown from a media standpoint. The horses, of course, were superb.
I see Essential Quality is targeting the Travers, with a possible prep in the Jim Dandy. Just bought a season pass to the Saratoga clubhouse. I hope I make the two-hour trip more than once!
Lol. I try. Or as I say make foie gras from chopped liver. But this could actually prove to be a good crop
Just saw a list of the possible Haskell field. Jeez, couldn’t they get better horses for this race?
Medina Spirit, Ky Derby winner
Rombauer, Preakness winner
Mandaloun, Ky Derby 2nd
Hot Rod Charlie, La Derby winner, Ky Derby 3rd, & Belmont 2nd
Midnight Bourbon, La Derby 2nd & Preakness 2nd
Weyburn, Gotham winner
Following Sea, allowance winner
😉
Medina doesn’t need a whip! At that place that’s a big plus!
He pricks his ears…..many times on lead…….i would say he does need a whip…..
Interesting to see Following Sea, an allowance winner, on this list of accomplished horses. But, if you have followed Following Sea, it is not a surprise. Seems this colt is naturally very good. My buddy texted me about him after his first race. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have know about him.
Following Sea is by Runhappy. Out of a Speightown mare.
Considering its a month away we can only hope everyone shows up. To get five horses who won or placed in Triple Crown races would be awesome. Now we just have to see which jockeys will show up…with no insurance?
The Jockeys Guild is making a big mistake by overreacting to the Monmouth whip issue. Why punish your Guild members for trying to ply their trade under circumstances which they have no control over?
Speaking of jockeys, Steve, would you consider doing a column now and then on jockeys, whether historical or current? You’ve done a lot of great articles on horses, owners, breeders and trainers but the jockeys don’t seem to get much ink.
I cant think of any jockey I would want to do an entire column on.
Lyle Dorf!
Good one, Eddie. Lyle Dorf was one of Tim Conway’s best characters. That skit with Johnny Carson is on You Tube (albeit a grainy video).
Thanks, Dewey. Tim has passed, but Dorf lives on!
I think Lyle Dorf a/o Tim Conway should have been given an honorary membership in the HOF. The Dorf character brought a lot of attention and good humor to horseracing. They could have a plaque in the jockeys’ section and show a video of his best material. Visitors would leave smiling, that’s for sure.
I second that motion!
OK I can think of one.
Looking forward to your story!
Sorry to hear that. There are many interesting stories concerning jockeys. I.e., one that readily comes to mind is the fascinating life’s journey of Jimmy Winkfield as described by Joe Drape in his book, ‘Black Maestro’ (p. 2006). His 92 years were filled with hardships dappled with success from the 1901 and 1902 Kentucky Derbys to celebrity status as a rider and trainer for many prestigious owners in Europe. His 1919 rescue of 250 thoroughbreds in Bolshevik Russia was testimony to Winkfield’s love of horses. ‘Black Maestro’ is a good read and I always thought it would have made a great movie. The late Chadwick Boseman would have been perfect for the role.
There have been two books written about Winkfield. I would have nothing to add. I’m not really into doing tons of research about a jockey who rode well over 100 years ago. I enjoy writing columns about back stories from my own era.that I can tell people about. I haveent written any columns on Citation Whirlaway, Man o’ War or Seabiscuit either. It’s all been told.
I get your point, Steve. I just enjoy reading your take on just about anything. Suffice it to say, my collection of books on jockeys will have to do….. I just wish there were more.
Did you read Lenny Shulmans a wild ride?
No, I haven’t. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks!
He has chapters on all the top jockeys. You’ll love it
Lenny Shulman’s book that you refer to is ‘The Ride of Their Lives’. I just ordered it. Thanks again, Steve.
Go way back to George Woolfe for one. Don’t want to go that far back what about Mike Smith? Knee replacement surgery and still riding. I know Laura Hillenbrand covered a lot of what it was like then to compared to what is like now for jockeys in her book on Seabiscuit. That book was published in 2002 though. I know you have shared at least one jockey story in your works. Winning in one state, had to hop a plane, getting locked out of their apartment? Share that one again.
Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabisquit was a great read. She had mentioned doing a book on George Woolfe but it never came to fruition for one reason or another.
I believe she was having some health issues when she wrote the Seabiscuit book
I totally disagree…..i think all jockeys should not ride there. It’s their lives that are at stake……The jokeys are the experts……they should make the rules…
“Jersey Joe” Bravo is one rider who won’t be riding there…and that was his home track….
The Queen has a 2YO homebred colt (Spring is Sprung) running tomorrow at Ascot in race 6. 15-1
Enjoyed reading this! It is so nice to see Essential Quality given the recognition he deserves, along with Hot Rod Charlie. Both horses very impressive in the Belmont. Regardless of what is going on post-Derby, I think it was a fantastic Belmont. As for the other situation, I still believe Medina Spirit’s win was unaffected by the betamethasone. I do wish Bob Baffert would stop challenging the result and stop suing people. It is terrible for the sport. He should be negotiating the suspensions instead of making the KHRC and the NYRA angry. The truth is we will never know if it was the ointment, the ointment and injection, or just an injection. But the ruleS are what they are and if the trainer was Joe from Kokomo, Churchill Downs would have done the same thing.
You are so right about Baffert, Paula. I’ve been a fan of his since the Silver Charm days, but he needs to own his mistakes.
Thanks for the excellent recap, Steve. It’s impossible to have anything but ambivalent feelings about this year’s Triple Crown. For me, a longtime super-fan of Baffert, it’s especially painful and embarrassing. But I am deferring judgment until all the facts are known and the matter (finally) resolved. In the meantime, Essential Quality’s performance in the Belmont was spectacular, and you’re right, we do have a potentially excellent second half of the season to look forward to. This could, indeed, be a special crop of 3 year olds.
One question I’ve been attempting to answer after this year’s TC concerns the performance of horses that ran poorly in the final Derby prep and of horses that ran poorly in the Derby before running in the Belmont.
I’ve avoided betting on good horses in the Derby that ran poorly in the final prep. The Derby record of that type of horse is just too overwhelming. No horse since 1957 has won the Derby after finishing off the board in its previous race. Bad trips or untroubled trips in the prep, they ALL lost the Derby. Moreover, horses that were off the board in the final prep and finished second in the Derby are few and far between. Before Mandaloun this year, the last horse to be OTB in the final prep and second in the KD was Bet Twice in 1987. He finished 5th by 4 lengths after a troubled trip in the Florida Derby, which isn’t really a “bad” race.
What explains that poor record? In typical day-to-day handicapping, we often throw out a bad last race for a multitude of reasons. But none of those reasons apply to the jump from the prep to the Derby. We don’t excuse a bad final prep because the Derby is a step up in class, even if the prep was the Fla or SA derby. So how did Mandaloun nearly break through? Steve has mentioned the new distance of the La Derby and the 6 weeks between races as possible factors in being able to bounce back. I can’t argue with that reasoning, but not enough data exists for me to be convinced.
Until this year, I’ve also been skeptical of horses with bad races in the Derby that next ran in the Belmont even though eight of them have won since 2000. This year, with the likely winner at an unattractive price, I went with one of the three “bad Derby” horses. In retrospect, I was HOPING for a rebound. There was no LOGICAL reason to expect one.
My saver trifecta box paid me in the Derby. ..I liked Mandaloun from before his first start, he had one of the best work lines I saw in this crop, abd he is a big framed animal….but if not for THE VET saying he stringhalted and rushed early, I wouldn’t have used him….I thought he ran well the other day, missed the break and made the sweeping move around, only wonby nose but no whip…and Weyburn is a nice animal….
You answered your own question I believe when you said n typical day to day handicapping. The Derby is the furthest thing from typical day to day handicapping. I believe a horse has to b peaking on Derby Day and thats hard to do when youre coming of a bad race. As for Mandaloun, I cant explain that other than he did have a big effort the race before and he was definitely flourishing at Churchill Downs. Who knows what was bugging him on La. Derby day.
Not sure I did answer my own question. LOL. I acknowledged the big difference between day-to-day handicapping and handicapping the derby.But giving the Belmont question more thought, the answer to why so many horses have won the Belmont after a derby flop may simply be that a 20-horse field can screw up any horse even if it’s not apparent that the horse had any visible trouble.
There ya go. You answered your own question again. lol
Ha ha! All that I have to do now is figure out which ones will run big and which will suck.
I mentioned in a previous post about Maximum Security finishing second in the ungraded Pegasus and then scoring in a string of big races. I think Mandaloun has the ability to win some big races this year.
Mandaloun crossfired in many races early in races. I wont call it Strighalt, although it could be. In La derby, he was 4 or 5 lengths behind, then in 1 pole was with the leaders. He ran off after jock pulled him out of trouble. This took alot of energy. The horses are not tired at all…..to move 4 lengths in 1 pole, is pretty fast.
In the derby, he did everything perfect….People always think a poor break from the gate is just luck……it isnt…..the poor break on sunday, was predictable. Mandaloun at the start of his races, does funky things…..this race, i could not see if he cross fired, but he again was on left lead. He usually is on his left lead out of gate.
Is something bothering him?….maybe. Whatever it is, it is not normal.
Thank you for giving Essential Quality his props. Following the Belmont, all you could read about was Hot Rod Charlie. I can’t help but think people’s feeling about his owner is being transferred to a really fine horse. Other things first, but I’m already thrilled about the prospect of seeing him in the Dubai World Cup.
Great writing Steve. EQ will be making his mark this year. The sooner the Baffert mess gets resolved the better. Whatever the outcome hope it means standardizing some of these regs across the country.
Don’t beat yourself up either looking at pedigrees. I look at them as well. Sometimes it is the horse is just that special regardless of sire or dam. You know the history of this sport much better then I! You can look back and pick out the ones that out performed their breeding.
If you get the chance go and watch Dream Horse. Nice little racing movie based on a true story over in Wales of all places. Not going to spoil it for you but the ending was nice.
I saw the documentary they made in real time when it happened so I know the story and the people, But I do want to see the movie.
Why can’t STEVE ask a trainer, any trainer when a joint is injected?…..After the SA derby, a horse has swelling in their body correct? From the trauma of the race. When would you inject a joint? ASAP? to get the swelling down? Or, let the swelling damage tissues for 3 weeks, then inject the week of the race?……..common sense would say which one?……….Who has brought this point up?……no one. So, why would the narrative of everyone be he injected days before race?…..He cheated?
Really?…..So why not just say this important fact that provet brings up, is just provet being a “know it all”……
No one knows, on here when we give injections. No. It is cheating. Knowledge and what is true means nothing.
I bring up an injection is given by the vet, not the trainer. It would be on the bill. Then people come back at me saying they probably hid it?……it is legal!…..but still, he cheated.
I bring these things up, and get “you talk like you know everything”?
You inject a joint, and it is easy to controll and keep swelling down because there is no big trauma , until you run. You dont do it right before a race…..
Thank you for putting my name in capital letters, but who are asking being this is not directed at me? And why are you talking about yourself in the third person? One other thing, what point are you trying to make? You lost me.
The narrative is ….it was a failed test from an injection. That Bob was trying to “cheat”. This is what the people with pitchforks are pushing.
Why can’t any Journalist ask any trainer, “when do you inject a joint?…After a race? Or days before?. Wouldn’t this be important for people to know? The answer is not days before the derby. Then ask any trainer about lidocaine. Do they use LIDO on race day?…the answer is no. Then ask if they have ever used Scope. No trainer even uses it.
Why has this not been asked? On of off record.
The whole topic is BOB trying to cheat. Asking any trainer or a few, would tell you important facts. People still think these things were cheating. Why not ask off the record these questions?. If people knew the joint injections are not given right before the race. but actually after the SA derby, then people would realize how wrong their narrative is.
They want Bob banned for these minor things.
No trainer uses LIDO in a race……fans don’t know this. They think we use it. Why can’t you or someone that does non fiction ask trainers about these things?
No, i’m not blaming you. Have you seen any articles about this? What is so hard to ask these questions? Is Lido ever used race day?……No……why?…..”that would be insane”……then that issue is dead……Have you ever heard of any trainer using scope?…..”no”……”that would be insane”…….
Do you inject joints right before races? or a little after the last race..?…….
People dont want to know. They want to believe what they want to believe because they are convinced Baffert is a cheater. Baffert has made mistakes, but if youre going to cheat youre not going to use an ointment. They hear the word steroid and positive and they think cheating. No one is going to convince them otherwise.
Thank you. Very well stated. Whether it is ointment, a Salonpas patch from his assistant trainer, or even contaminated feed that affected five other barns you might have Bob Baffert and Jimmy Barnes writing a book about the wrong way to cheat.
To me it’s either team Baffert cheats or not. It’s black and white. This is not cheating.
Actually, they are not claiming it was from a patch anymore. They said the lido MIGHT have, after the positive. They then came back later and said it was from other contamination. There were other horses that they that showed Lido….but they didnt have enough to fail.
In other words the guy wasnt wearing a patch at that time.
So a few horses had lido that day, only his horse had too much…We don’t use lido…….so other horses having it shows there was some contamination.
While they are at it why not smear every top trainer in the country? This entire thing makes me so sick! No trainer is perfect for crying out loud. Baffert has made mistakes and so have the rest of them. Baffert for the past what 30 years has been sent some really fine colts and fillies to train. Therefore the odds of his winning with them do go up.
Please name one sport anywhere that hasn’t had it’s share of scandals including the Olympics. When I heard the story being reported on Newsmax of all places I did send a comment in to the editor. What I wrote was unless you are going to bother to take the time to really dig into both sides of this story then don’t comment on a sport you know nothing about. I must not have been the only one either as it would seem they have turned their focus back on politics and their scandals.
I have no problem with them making Baffert pay a fine or even stripping Medina of the Derby win. What I do have a problem with is the extreme other penalties they have dumped on the man! After everything he has done for the sport these other penalties are just to put the guy out of business forever. It does recall the line in the Seabiscuit movie that you just don’t toss aside someone because they are banged up a little bit. That is exactly what they did in baseball to Pete Rose. Sure he got caught gambling but did that change what he accomplished on the field? No and he is still paying the price as he should have been in the hall of fame for his achievements as a player.
I really hope something positive will come out of this in the end.
Great post…i’ve said the same thing over and over. Why this sport can’t understand this happens all the time, is beyond stupidity.
We need to do what EVERY SPORT DOES. Make failed positive tests be CHEATING DRUGS. CLASS 1
Olympics don’t have positive tests for tylenol in the news. Horses are tested for everything.
The public hears failed test, and hear CHEATING . All we have to do is change the language. Call overs something else.
dq AND SUSPEND CLASS 1.PEDs……FINES for others……call the therapeutic overs.
Punish the trainers, not the horse and owners.
The problem is getting all the states in the nation to agree on what is and isn’t allowed and how much. Seriously they are talking pictograms in a 1500 lb horse! Having worked in factories most of my adult life I was subject to random drug screens at work. Common sense stuff like don’t smoke pot and if a doctor had prescribed a med you best have it listed before they screened you. Saw quite a few fired for taking a family member prescription and of course using pot.
Someone else mentioned above Bob should chill with the lawsuits but I disagree. If as reported his vet said use it to clear up the skin problem why are they just dumping on him? Now that it is known this ointment can cause a failed screen on race day pretty sure nobody will be using it much around the race track. So that is one positive. If they had found close to a gram of it then yeah something else going on but they didn’t even come close to that.
I know Gamine had failed her test even though they waited 4 extra days after the injection protocol before they entered her. Nobody is reporting how much that sample failed by that I know of. I personally would like to know what her sample came back at. At least they would have a comparison between known injection and ointment. If they could get the Gamine ruling overturned which they did, what was the difference between her sample and Medina’s? Then acount for the weight difference between the 2 as many colts are bigger. Am I making any kind of sense here?
What gets my ire is…Horse Race bloggers who should know better–piling on! I GET outsiders, heck, there’s always been people who think our sport is a big cheat-fest, but you try to say this isn’t right on some of these blogs, and you get slammed! By people who are convinced Bob juices up his horses, cheats to win…
Another silly comment on another site-stating BB doesn’t work horses hard and fast.
This discussion is funny…..Saying bringing up beyers, means i go by beyers?…..why?…….It is the #1 used method. The most popular used figs.
This thought that it doesn’t matter how fast they are is wrong.
Yes, they finally ran a fast race……they SHOULD BE RUNNING 108 OR 109……..
This is a good crop then…….if ypu go on this race……YES AFTER THE RACE, this is not hard to understand.
If you go on this one race, who can argue?……..no one……they were not great, then ran fast……
Alot of whining about nothing.
Beyer must be honored that his figures determine how good a crop is. With his figures, why would anyone even bother using their eyes, brain, and observations.
then use a diff one……..you thought Greatest honor and KA ran fast……..
Please dont tell me what I thought. I never said they ran fast. I said I believe they were talented horses. Did Medina Spirit or Rombauer have fast speed fgures? I liked Vino Rosso because he was a good horse and everyone said he was slow. He just wasnt ready for the Derby, but he was a good horse. So is Greatest Honour and Rock Your World. Youre too hung up on Beyer numbers and nothing else.
It’s refreshing to read that you’ve not given up on Rock Your World, I haven’t either. I’m anxious to hear if Sadler will point him to a turf race for his next outing, or keep him on dirt. I expected much more from RYW in the Belmont, but he was all in after one mile. Hopefully, he’ll improve as he continues to mature moving forward.
BTW, Hes Our Maker is a 2yr. old colt that’s a full brother to RYW, (same breeders, Ron and Deborah McAnally). I can only assume John Sadler will be the assigned trainer, but Hes Our Maker has yet to record an official work. He’s a colt to keep an eye on this summer.
Kosta told me theyre probably putting him back on grass.
That makes sense. Two consecutive bad races against the best 3yos…that doesn’t bode well for success in that class. Sure, he might win at the G2/G3 level on the dirt, but he might win at the G1 level on turf. You won’t know until you try.
Thanks for the reply Steve
It comes as no surprise that RYW’s connections will point him back to a turf race, similar to the path Catholic Boy took during his 3yr. old season. Just out of curiosity, the next time you talk to Kosta Hronis, ask him if Hronis Racing LLC, are the owners of Hes Our Maker, the 2yr. old full brother to RYW.
Just as a suggestion, Pete and Kosta Hronis, two farm boy from Delano, California, would make an interesting back story on how and why they got into the horse racing business.
You’re not the “know all/be all. Not by far!
Beyers aren’t the end all.
Interesting reading your thoughts on the Triple Crown races with an emphasis on the Belmont Stakes. I always felt Essential Quality and Greatest Honour were the leading contenders for the Triple Crown races while Rock Your World and Known Agenda were more upset winners than real contenders. Hot Rod Charlie was a real surprise with tremendous heart. Often the Grade 1 laurels in the US can be misplaced, as seen above.
As for Essential Quality, he always reminded me of an intelligent, superior European runner who knows instinctively how to win races. Professional racehorse, champion performer. The record of Breeders’ Cup 2 year old champion and Belmont Stakes Classic winner will stand alone for quite some time and the best advertisement when it comes to stud duty.
The return of Greatest Honour and, hopefully, more news on Flightline’s reappearance are to look forward to. Yes, the second part of the racing year should be fascinating. Royal Ascot in a few hour’s time, bliss. Thanks, Steve.
Davids, what’s your take on some of the upcoming Ascot races? Any that you like down the road for the BC Turf?
Well, the inclement weather may impact on the upcoming races and performances of some. Form on wet tracks at Ascot is a good measure usually. I’m over the moon for Jim Bolger with Poetic Flare’s smashing win in the St James Palace, easily the highlight on the first day. What a sterling performance by Poetic Flare over the past six weeks.
You can’t really gauge performances at Royal Ascot with the Breeders’ Cup for obvious reasons, too distant at this stage. Good to softer going etc.
The return of Love in the Prince of Wales Stakes, Stradivarius in the Gold Cup, Andreas Vesalius in the Norfolk Stakes, and Snow Lantern in the Coronation Stakes are highlights for me. These races are not dissimilar to Breeders’ Cup races in quality fields and desirability to win. Better to watch than bet really. Enjoy, even better go when life gets back to normal. It’s an experience.
Thanks! I’m tuned in now. It’s definitely better for me to watch than to bet. I haven’t a clue about these races!
Hopefully, you are enjoying the experience. I’m sure you’ll pick up the style of racing quite quickly. Many UK racetracks have their own idiosyncrasies which can impact dramatically on how races are run. Have a read through Wikipedia as they describe many of the foibles each track has.
Hey, I picked Subjectivist in the Gold Cup!! No wager, but exciting nonetheless. Stradivarius was hemmed in for most of the race but didn’t have enough punch when clear. Beautiful racing at Ascot. Loving it.
Clever ride by Joe Fanning, accelerated which caught the field napping. These stayers don’t have miler speed to catch a leader who has outmaneuvered them. That’s racing.
Fantastic racing with more to come. Good for you.
The problem with racing superstars is they don’t race long enough or often enough to hold onto the new fans they might attract. I wonder what percent of people who got hooked by Z, Rachel, CC, the 2 recent TC winners, etc. are still paying attention…
I’m hoping Godolphin follows their same pattern as they did with Mystic Guide and Maxfield. But I guess they can be good but not that good at 3 in order to race at 4.
I for one am not concerned with how the quality of “the crop” is viewed. I’ve never found comparisons between horses or athletes of different generations to be interesting or valid. “Would Muhammed Ali beat Joe Louis?” “Who was the greatest hitter: Ruth or Williams?” “Man o’War or Secretariat?” The answers are UNKNOWABLE. What if speed figures didn’t exist?Would we see things in a different light? How these horses stack up against each other is what makes racing interesting to me. And as time goes on, new horses are added to my personal pantheon of favorites.
Horse racing, and the Triple Crown in particular, is still an exciting sport, as evidenced by the closest 4-horse finish in Derby history, a great performance by Rombauer (and great backstory, too), and a champion by Tapit winning the Belmont. I’ll continue to enjoy each new crop as it comes along. Comparisons? I don’t need no stinkin’ comparisons!
What does assessing the quality of a crop have to do with comparisons to other crops?. Is anyone ranking this crop with other crops or just trying to determine how strong it is, which no one will be able to do until the end of the year. There’s a difference between judging a crop and judging the classic crop. They can be totally different.
When someone says a crop is weak, it isn’t really related to only the current horses. By saying “weak” they’re saying the crop is WEAKER than previous crops. There has to be a standard. So what is the standard? What are you calculating at the end of the year? How the 3yos do against older horses? Anyway, I was simply expressing my preference about enjoying racing and horses. There’s a negativity in the discussions here (not your column) and elsewhere that I think is sad.
What do you mean by previous crops? All of them? The good ones? The bad ones? If an apple tastes sour I dont need to compare it to other apples. A crop can look weak compared to 1957 or 1987 or 2007, but look good compared to the horses Big Brown faced or Gato del Sol’s year. I like to judge a crop by what I see (over the course of the entire year), and unlike Provet, that is not based solely on speed figures. This crop has held its form since since the Breeders’ Cup and I think a lot of the horses are just reaching their peak. And lets see what happens when Life is Good and Greatest Honour return, and we have several exciting newcomers ready to emerge.
Yes. That is what I was trying to say…to judge by what you SEE. It’s like what corporate personnel departments have become. They are unable or unwilling to make personal judgements about the qualifications and about the value of prospective employees, so they rely on tests and background investigations. Even seasoned horsemen seem to rely on speed figures and pedigrees rather than their own ability to judge the horses in their stables.
Totally agree. I never understand crop evaluation, especially this early. That is like evaluating an NFL draft class by what they do as rookies.
I too agree. It is hard to judge year by year when they don’t race as often as they did 40 years ago. Every track a little different. Racing in the slop or on a dry fast track.
2nd place Derby horse won next start…3rd place ran huge….4th place won huge…
Medina—-would love Monmouth, talk about a horse that doesn’t need a whip—2021 Kentucky Derby looks like a key race….it’s early, but this looks like a formfull crop, a good crop….Again, it’s early.
2nd barely beat a bad field……he didnt run good
How much did he need? He won…..,period!
Bad field for the Pegasus, really? The Gotham winner, the Remsen winner, and an undefeated horse? What kind of field were you expecting. Weyburn is a damn good horse and Mandaloun did not ave a good trip. Every field is bad to you. 9 out of 10 horses have something wrong with them”bad field”…”He didnt run good.” bad, didnt…favorite words. BTW it’s “he didnt run well.”
please…….remsen winner?.he cant run anymore……and …weyburn wouldve been 40-1 in derby the avg derby……
It was 150k race……..Weyburn ran good…..its after the race…..a horse regresses, and it doesnt matter?…..why is there always excuses? like KA…..or Rock………you argued with me on those too…..
The truth is……Mand regressed……like i thought…..it was not a great race……i’m right…….somehow, knowing what actually happened is Bad in your book……..
From derby winner to barely beating 150k?…….
“Like I thought.” “I was right.” Why do you even bother coming here and arguing with us morons? It must be frustrating for you to be so much more intelligent than everyone else.
You typed the remsen winner…….who cant even run…….and Weyburn………
I said it was a 150k weak race…….and you are mocking me?…………nice!…………..
If you believe Weyburn is not a good horse then Im done arguing with you
Bravo Mr. Haskin!
Weyburn has a fine pedigree, one of the last of the POTNs. Like Letruska, he was underrated. Ontario bred, I suspect they’ll try him in the Canadian TC. Still, notwithstanding Mandaloun’s “bad trip,” it was an unimpressive win, particularly since he would have been caught in another eighth. Not al all sold on this horse.
My point is WHEN do we EVER get a Kentucky Derby that becomes a “key” race….seems so many go off form after the Derby. some winners never again win again…
If you mean by a key race where multiple runners win their next race, I’m not sure about how often. But just in 2019, we saw…
Maximum Security — was 2nd in the ungraded Pegasus (take notice, folks who are Mandaloun skeptics!), then reeled off six straight graded wins, including four G1s.
War of Will — won the Preakness.
Code of Honor — won the Dwyer, then the Travers and the JCGC.
Tacitus — was 2nd in the Belmont, then was in the money in several big races before winning the Suburban.
Improbable — was Eclipse Award Champion Older Dirt Male in 2020.
Game Winner — won the G3 Los Alamitos Derby
By My Standards — won an allowance, then two G2s.
Vekoma — won a listed stakes, then the G1 Carter and the G1 Metropolitan.
I meant next recent start–agree about the 2019 Derby having all of them back as four year olds–that was great—I think all three TC winners this year are good horses, as is Hot Rod Charlie—the older division has perked up—lots to look forward to–too ban Cezanne got hurt, he might have been the best of them all—
Thank you Steve. I really enjoyed this year’s TC races, especially the Belmont. I might have mentioned this before so forgive. I was cheering for both Essential Quality and Charlie coming down the stretch. Sounds crazy I guess?? It was just an overall feel good race. Looking forward to EQ, Charlie, Rock Your World and Rombauer all racing this summer and fall. So agree with your last sentence that the sport needs a superstar every now and then.
I was right there with you, Lynda, cheering both horses on. What a pair!
Smiley Face emoji!
Why does one fast race……mean the people that said the crop is weak…..were wrong?…….Every prep was below avg….if horses were not running fast, finally ran fast…….yes……after the race, you can say they improved……
So, when EQ loses his next race, Is the crop weak again?
A 5k claimer runs 3rd 5 times in a row, then wins by 12…..means that horse was 10k horse all year?……
Truth is, it WAS WEAK…….. Then they ran a fast race…..if both those horses go off form, then it might be weak again….
The point is…..it WAS weak……few horses barely had a 100 beyer going into derby….that is weak…..
Some horses regress, some go on and improve…….
EQ losing upcoming race? lol Oh, ” his paddle”. lol
The point is……after the race IS EASY…….what happens one day, has nothing to do with before……..yes……the race was fast…..yes that race was one of the fastest in years…….
You laugh at a horse i said looked the best on paper…..i liked EQ and hot rod in derby……why laugh?…..I leaned towards Hot rod, but stayed out of the belmont…….why do you think?…..i never liked KA or Rock……i wasnt sure Hot rod would win…..you laugh, like i was wrong on something……so? He paddles…..did i know this?…..yes…..did i pick him and hot rod? yes……..
You laugh?…….How many times did i say he looks best on paper?…..he was 6-5………why laugh?
Do i think he will win Travers?…..no…….probably not…….gotta see whos in it, but no….
Laughing when your statement, EQ losing his next race. How do you know?
Do you remember Draynay? He hated Zenyatta, called her “Zenyatta’s Pride”, as an insult–comparing her to the undefeated Pepper’s Pride, who only raced against New Mexico Breds….Draynay always bet against Zenyatta, calling her overrated, and after her final race, he actually posted about how he “told us so”—and he cashed big on Blame, at 5-1—-saying “I WAS RIGHT”….19 for 20……
Bingo! Another blowhard whose IQ was in minus column, at best! Him and a few couldn’t comprehend how difficult it is to ALWAYS close from last going wide in nearly every race. She was a super nova. Saw her race 3 times. Zen, Cigar and CA Chrome are my all time favs. Had private visit w/ Chrome three yrs ago. Cigar, saw many times in Kentucky, including exactly weeks prior to his death. Already knew of his passing before posted on any racing source. Unlike pro vet, I actually know people.
Zenyatta ran mostly slow races…….this is true. Many put her down for this. She would go only as fast as needed…..many dont know this…..that guy was not smart.
Because they walked in front of her, she lagged back—come home times were off the charts—she walks outta there…1:15 six….gets there anyway name any other mare in history that would be favored in the Classic, you won’t be able to find any other Zenyatta was favored twice
She is my all time fav………..the people that said most her races were slow, were correct……that was their reason for not rating her high……i always knew she had more…….i think if Bob had her she would have been better, faster…….but probably have a shorter career…….running slow made her last…….i think she was better than she even showed………
Do not bring Baffert in conversation regarding Zenyatta! Prior to 2018 Derby told author, Patricia McQueen that if BB or Lukas trained her, the horse wouldn’t made it to the track! She was where she needed,cause unlike your hero-John places horses welfare FIRST ALWAYS!
Jess Jackson pondered if he owned Zenyatta, and Shirreffs had Rachel…..he said he would never race Big Z vs fillies, and would consider the Arc…..I agree with VET we never knew how good she was, I know she was very exhausted after her loss, but if only they kept her for her 7yo season, Belmont….Saratoga…..DIRT RACING….she was the female Man O War…..
A friend told me trainers were running thru shed row just to see her disembark from her van, going into Oaklawn for her 2nd Apple Blossom….big time trainers, I don’t know of anything like that, not even for Secretariat, or Bid….
Good Jackson and co. were never near her,she was in proper hands……period! RA- never same from pushing her. Glad Zen never ran again. And………. pro v. is NEVER on point!
I knew.
Nothing personal, but do you talk like you write or do you actually put sentences together? I respect your opinions and it’s OK if you believe you are smarter than everyone else. But a truly smart person doesnt let everyone know it…..constantly.
Correct! Narcissistic behavior 24/7.
Ridiculous post…..they implied i didnt like EQ because he paddles……why dont you bash specific things or topics?……
“you think you know it all” is weak……i can say the same to you……..do better…..
I’ll try. And I never implied you think you know it all. I implied you know you know it all.
Why can’t you be specific?……topics, what i am wrong on…..instead of smart comments post what you think im wrong on. “you’re a know it all” is weak…….
Tell me right now that you dont know it all. If you dont believe you know it all then you tell me specific examples of when youve been wrong. Just admit in your mind you are never wrong. I’ll accept that. Just say “Im never wrong” or tell me when you have been wrong
I thought I was wrong, once….but realized I was mistaken…
LOL. Conundrum of the month! No…I was wrong. Conundrum of the YEAR.
He’s absurd!
You amuse me, like a clown.
I thought all three Triple Crown races were strong….hard to gauge a crop, until they face older horses….hard to judge prep races, they’re preps…..Derby was fast…Preakness was fast….Belmont was fast, much faster than older horses ran on same card….I didn’t read anybody saying you were wrong, the preps WERE dull….
Crops improve. I remember when Alysheba, who was DQ’d in the Blue Grass Stakes, won the Derby in 2:03 and change on a track that was playing fast early on and everyone said it was a bad crop…too slow. By the end of the year it was one of the strongest and deepest crops ever.
Thunder Gulch too…was soso before the Derby–three year olds improve, and Thunder won the Derby by nearly 5 lengths, paid $50…..after that he won everything, everywhere–he was put through the D Wayne Lukas plan—run ’till you can’t! Terrific championship year! 2021 preps may not have been good, but 2021 Triple Crown as far as I’m concerned was solid–all three! I’m not saying it’s a twosome, I’m talking a threesome–Rombauer is good, too! Maybe not 12 furlong good–but his Preakness was solid.
Well, he did manage to bury me n the Preakness, before going on that tear…
Thunder Gulch was so-so before the Derby? He won the FOY and the Florida Derby just prior to his 4th in the Blue Grass. And he won the Remsen as a 2yo.
well ok but he paid $50
So, the crop got better……why does this make them wrong?….both can be right. How easy is it to say AFTER?……….
Mine That Bird was slow………then he improved a ton……He WAS slow……..After he won the Derby, it was easy to say he is fast…..
So, basically people cant have a correct opinion until a horse’s career is over?……
Why all the pushback on what MIGHT happen?…..
A Quarterback plays horrible for 5 years……someone says he is playing horrible. but we shouldnt say that because he might have a great year?………this crop argument is silly………
I thought Essential Quality was 3 lengths best in the Derby, but if he ran in the Preakness, he would have been tested by Rombauer, I think Rombauer is a good horse…..I wonder if Rock Yoyr Workd had not gone in the Belmont, would Hot Rod have won for fun? Japanese horse wasn’t in his class….
Yikes. Bob Baffert is now suing the NYRA for damages for his suspension and now has transferred his own horse, Du Jour, to Bill Mott to run in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby July 10th.
Can it get any crazier than this?
Drama seriously needs to end…. and I’m speaking of this trainer who feels rules don’t apply to him.
I just wonder…..when Bob went public about this mess, did that anger Churchill, to the point if penalizing him so severely? I know Bob is sending Du Juor to Mott, but as the Churchill ruling reads—he won’t be able to do that for the Derby, he is OUT.
You are wrong……someone that works under him can’t…………any owner can transfer any horse, any time………bob can train a horse, and the owner can transfer the horse to a different trainer………All of his Owners can do what they want……
This is a ban on Bob……not owners…….
so…Bob can train him up to the night before? I really don’t know….
Yes…….not night before……change must be made before entries…..why penalize owners?…..
So, yes…….its about Bob……not the horses he trains……
So yes……Bob trainees can run up till the derby, and switch to another barn…..He will be punished, not the horses he trains……
The owner pays the new trainer……
No one can stop any owner if he wants to pay Bob any money……Not that bob would ask or accept any………Bob doesnt care about money….he has enough……..
Agreed!
What is the problem?
Problem? lol
You say he thinks the rules don’t apply to him…….You think he doesnt know this stuff wouldnt be found in a test?……
Are you on payroll? Asking cause you’re ALWAYS defending him at every turn. Unreal!
Defending what? The positives for dumb stuff and overs of therapeutics? I argue it is not an attempt to cheat. It’s not about the trainer. If it was diff trainer, i would say same thing.
Your comment are wrong, and strange. “Doesnt think the rules apply to him” means what?……do you not think all of these things would show up?
I have posted there will be a DQ……i think the punishment is way out of wack.
Do you close your eyes to all the crap over past 12 months?