Can we talk about something else??

[miff]

The return from Dubai angle is becoming less of a factor than it was years ago.Trainers are now finding ways to help their horses recover from that trip. A few years back that was not the case.

Benny the Bull ran well back from Dubai. If there are current stats, I think the last 2 years would show that horses are handling it better than before.


Mike

[jbelfior]

Miff:

Good point, I agree.

Perhaps I\'m reaching by saying that IMO, Curlin may be mortal at 1 1/8th compared to his immortality at 1 1/4. He likes to crank up somewhere on the turn and perhaps the weight may delay that where the stretch run may end up being more of a challenge than may appear on paper.

This could end up being a similar situation to last week where I\'m right, but wrong. If CURLIN gets beat tomorrow, I\'m not right if I have the horse that runs 4th.


Good Luck,
Joe B.

[miff]

Joe B,

I think the weight spread is huge but the most likely alternatives,Grasshopper(awful in last two) Einstein(much better on grass) and Brass Hat(not nearly as fast as his figs)make it a tough proposition.

Have to see the pp\'s and figs, maybe someone sitting on a big effort and getting a big weight spot.

Mike

[alm]

I don\'t think anyone on this thread has been talking about East-West issues as a fundamental thing.  Miff was talking about Lava Man being an overrated horse.  I don\'t think he would have said Silver Charm was an overrated horse because he raced there before coming east for the Derby.

Frankly, he\'s right about this horse.  It\'s great that the horse has given you a lot of thrills, given his record, given his age etc.  He\'s still not that good.

I\'ve made the same point about Kelso, my boyhood hero.  He beat everybody for 5 years...only \'everybody\' was largely nobody when you actually see who they were.  He fell into a seam in time when several bad crops got to the races.  He was a good horse who looked like a great horse as a result.

FYI, the names of a few good but not great horses who clocked Kelso more than once: Beau Purple, Gun Bow, Iron Peg.  A real murderers\' row.

[miff]

Al,

Sunday Silence, Affirmed and many others were great Cali horses. Up until a few years ago, I would bet out on Cali shippers when they came east,as they were always under rated,imo.I look for fast horses and care less where they come from.

Currently, Heatseeker and Zenyatta are two of the fastest horses in their divisions, both from Cali.


Mike

[BitPlayer]

Has this horse ever NOT taken the long way around?  I\'m wondering whether all the wide trips are a function of the jock (Martinez) or of the horse not being comfortable running inside.

[Flighted Iron]

Like the 2 grass efforts and the switch back to dirt.Hopefully it\'s a stock
Borel ride and pace up front.Hope your chase is over. Good luck.

   Respectfully,
    Flighted Iron

[Ron G.]

Some fun:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nike_signs_big_brown_to_90_million