Can anyone tell me why D of C is shipping to Aqueduct for the Wood rather than
running one week later in the Arkansas Derby?
I understand that trainer Carroll may want to have 4 weeks as opposed to 3 weeks
for his colt to recuperate before the Derby, but isn\'t that extra week kind of
cancelled out by the additional shipping and acclimation that D of C is going
to be subjected to? (Yes I know the thinking is that air travel is not as
taxing on horses as old fashioned over the road travel).
D of C simply could have been left at OP after his win in the Southwest,
trained up to the Ark Derby, and then shipped up to CD or Kee assuming all went
well in Hot Springs. Instead he will ship to Ozone Park, to a surface and
surroundings he is not familiar with, and then assuming all is well ship to KY.
Is there some bonus (other than frequent flyer miles) that I am not aware of?
Hmm.
Elsewhere on the board, some hard boiled bashers of the breed are lamenting a
lack of quality among this year\'s Derby aspirants. With apologies to Edward M.
Kennedy, let me say this about that:
1) Last year\'s crop will prove to be a tough act to follow: Street Sense was
super honest and finally broke the Juvie/Derby hex; Curlin was brilliant and
looks to put a cap on a stellar career in Dubai next weekend; Rags to Riches
had one of the great 3YO filly campaigns of all time taking into account her
dominant wins against her own gender and her defeat of a game but slightly
weary Curlin in the Belmont; and Hard Spun was a hard trying but slightly one
dimensional sort who had the hard luck of racing in a year when more than
tactical speed was needed.
2) Two ways in which a crop of 3YOs was traditionally judged for quality was to
evaluate their performance (a) against older horses and (b) as older horses;
(b) has unfortunately practically become a moot point.
3) Although it doesn\'t offer an instant measure of the crop, some would wait to
see how the 3YOs eventually acquitted themselves in the breeding shed.
4) Judging a crop \"by the numbers\". The only numbers worth discussing are the
TGs, and again I will restate my belief that an administrative decision was
made on Varick Street to tighten the scale, to reduce negativity. Possibly a
backlash to superfast prep numbers given to Smarty Jones (who confirmed them in
the Derby) and Bellamy Road (who did not).
5) The influence of Horatio Luro and the lower Manhattan mavens. Horatio Luro
warned about \"squeezing the lemon\". TG and the men of Rag warn against racing
in the preps in a manner which will render a colt a bounce candidate on Derby
Day. Possible that Derby candidates of recent years, especially those without
earnings issues,are prepped more lightly and are not fully cranked for the prep
races that they do run in? Is it possible that the result of this conservatism
is a crop which some are calling slow?
I think we are looking at a good betting Derby,even if short priced bet against
War Pass has already been retired to stud. Pyro would assume the role of a
short priced favorite and if this colt\'s Nawlins races are any indication, he
will need a charmed trip (a la Street Sense) to get the job done.
