Unscientific Study

[Silver Charm]

I will weigh in one more time and then I am out. Shug and the Phipps group are great and I was not intending to knock them.

I only used them to identify people who have the best of everything at their disposal and still have difficulty winning big on a consistent basis. If the stock they produce every year was run thru the old select summer sales the Total Value would be unimaginable. And yet the horses wouldn\'t run any faster regardless of who bought them. Same goes for Farish. Mineshaft was a big score but otherwise things have been pretty lean.

And even with Mineshaft they sent him to Europe first.

 

[miff]

Lets not forget that Shug does not rush 2yr olds and lets them dictate their own coming.It is also worth mentioning that this outfit races \"cold turkey\" compared to just about any other big outfit in NY.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

bellsbendboy Wrote:
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> As a clarification CTC the Phipps visit Claiborne
> every ten years or so. Seth makes almost all their
> mating decisions.  He is the best horseman around
> as he can identify every horse on the farm
> immediately by sight. Getting First Samurai is a
> major coup. About half of the Phipps mares are
> bred off the farm. They are certainly not
> infatuated with the Derby by any means. bbb

I do know many of the Phipps mares are at Claiborne. I know they lost a coin flip in an alternating foal agreement for Secretariat. I don\'t know who plans the Phipps pairings, my offer of course was tongue in cheek, not because I wouldn\'t get them to the Derby, I would, but I understand the egos involved. If it is Seth you\'d have to agree he\'s got a lot of room to improve from the last 2-3 crops to hit the track.

I disagree entirely about First Samurai. I don\'t like him or his sire, excepting grass and I don\'t like Samurai to finish in the Top 5 in the Derby or to make much of a stallion off what will essentially be a B miler record. He\'s weak in all four branches. Now, if Claiborne can get Henny Hughes you might be talking.

[bellsbendboy]

CTC I graduated from the University of Kentucky and spent most of that time foaling mares at Claiborne. For what its worth I pulled Slew of Gold out of his mother and sadly lost a Spectacular Bid-Chris Evert colt a few hours later.

I cannot recall the Phipps ever visiting the farm.  As far as First Samurai goes he is a monster. I do not think he can get ten furlongs but they have him to beat Saturday. His work this morning (and last weeks 7/8\'s) were awesome and I\'ve heard Gomez is trying to get back on Point Determined because Bejarano will probably stay on board. He is a can\'t miss sire. bbb

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

bellsbendboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CTC I graduated from the University of Kentucky
> and spent most of that time foaling mares at
> Claiborne. For what its worth I pulled Slew of
> Gold out of his mother and sadly lost a
> Spectacular Bid-Chris Evert colt a few hours
> later.
>
> I cannot recall the Phipps ever visiting the farm.
>  As far as First Samurai goes he is a monster. I
> do not think he can get ten furlongs but they have
> him to beat Saturday. His work this morning (and
> last weeks 7/8\'s) were awesome and I\'ve heard
> Gomez is trying to get back on Point Determined
> because Bejarano will probably stay on board. He
> is a can\'t miss sire. bbb

Because I appreciate it so much, thats quite humbling for me. Slew O\' Gold out of Alluvial the same mare that got Coastal I believe.

And the Triple Tiara winner. I think Chief\'s Crown comes down from that mare and the great Baffert money burner Tribunal.

I don\'t know what to say. The closest I ever got to it was a visit to Claiborne 10 years ago. Easy Goer had suddenly passed away and I wanted to see his stall. There was a brass name plaque there inscribed with the names Bold Ruler, Secretariat and Easy Goer. Each having occupied that very stall in his time. My eyes watered and I cherish a photo of me standing beside that plaque. Such is the stuff of fanaticism. But theres something more to it and it has something to do with what you described.

I would not be surprised if First Samurai is able to win Saturday, but there are some very good horses that will be lining up against him at Churchill Downs and whatever figure the Great One assigned him for that Hallandale Slop run will be all but impossible to match under the twin spires.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

not even close

he went bankrupt 10 years ago and so did his clients