Los Angeles Handicap

[Silver Charm]

Wasnt Mike Smith squeezing Chantal, in a personal sense, for a while there. And maybe still.

She just put the squeeze on him there almost unbelievably when she had NO horse.

The 1 was much the best. This should stay up! but it is California....

[Rick B.]

Silver Charm Wrote:
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> She just put the squeeze on him there almost
> unbelievably when she had NO horse.

Respectfully disagree. She had just regained control of her horse, who was starting to get out a bit in response to her left-handed whip. Once she got control, she went for the same hole that Smith went for at the same time, only to have Smith knock her and her horse once, twice, thrice, out to the right.

Can\'t do that. Don\'t care how much horse you have, or how badly you need running room.

> The 1 was much the best. This should stay up! but
> it is California....

Huh? Since when is hanging on by a rapidly diminishing 1/2 length \"much the best\"?

IMO, you need to watch this race again, dispassionately, and see what *really* happened.

Disclaimer: I had exactly $0.00 invested in the race, and I thought the stews got it right. Anytime a rider \"manufactures\" a hole like the way Smith did, I want to see it punished.

[Ill-bred]

Thought the DQ was unfortunate but logical.

[P-Dub]

Damn Silver.

First you pass on Ryehill Dreameer, then you think this horse should stay up??  Not your best couple days here.

Couldn\'t agree more with Rick, that was a no brainer DQ.

BTW, how much did Matt Carothers have on Amazombie??  I usually respect his opinions, but he was downright embarrassing with his post race comments. What race was he watching??

[JimP]

Was this the same Mike Smith that according to many on this forum always goes around horses? Was that him aggressively forcing his horse through that hole between horses? And getting DQ\'ed for being overly aggressive? Must be some other Mike Smith.

[miff]

Jim P,

There was no other possible trip for Mike Smith the way the race unfolded.Best horse, but did cause bumping. Thought there was a 25% chance he would stay since the outcome was probably going to be the same with or without bumping.

The bit about which jockey rides in which path ignores about a zillion racing things, strictly for the Kool Aid drinkers.Many horses are intentionally kept off the fence for starters.

Mike

[Silver Charm]

Both Carruthers and Shrupp thought he should stay up! Only Frank Lyons felt he should come down and he also said he LOVED Sydneys Candy at even money.

Ok so since we are talking EVEN money and you brought up Ryehill Dreamer I will walk you through my though process there. Flawed or whatever.

As Sydneys Candy flashed at I even money and The Usual QT was 2-1 I figured SC woyuld go to 4-5 and QT to 5/2 when the late money came in. Looking back at with the QT going to 9-5 I NEVER make my bet. But I didnt know that then......The thinking was with the Win Bet and the Exacta Box I would get the back .75-.80 cents on the dollar on my Bet if ONLY QT won. If I bet Ryehill to win I was looking at 4-1 on the Wager if only HE won.  

I do not like 2 horse Exacta Boxes. Hate\'em!!! But there is a point with Field Size where the percentages are ok. 6-7 horses or less??? I\'m not really sure. If its a 9-12 horse field its almost stupid and I BELIEVE you need the 3rd horse in your Bet. Thats just me and how I look at it.  

My resources personally now are thin so I dont randomly attack races with my money. I tried to beat the favorite and on the Win side wasnt comfortable getting 4-1 on a horse who may not run well or at least back to his two previous races. So I was conservative and took \"the most likely winner\".

The bumping incident and resulting DQ was a poor one. Why because there is not Consistency in what these judges do. The Big Cap was a NASCAR wreck mess and they left it as if. Chantal, after steering right to engage the runner up. notice Amazombie coming off the rail to grab that hole and she steered left to close it. And so they bumped...and maybe bumped again! And then this time the Stewards decided maintaining your own correct path matters.

BTW-I broke even for the weekend. Yesterday I caught the 6th race grass winner at CD in the 6th(?) and the $20 winner in the race after that. That was enough.

I guess I havent lost anything off my fastball. Because I still can ruffle feathers here.....

[Rick B.]

Silver Charm Wrote:
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> Both Carruthers and Shrupp thought he should stay
> up! Only Frank Lyons felt he should come down...

So, the talking heads said leave him up, and the former trainer / actual horse person forecasted a DQ. Go figure.

An aside: Mike Joyce got off the line of the week during an appearance on Carothers\' \":58 Flat\" show. Mike recently got a buzz cut, Matt commented on it and noted that he himself couldn\'t go with that style.

Mike J. said something to the effect of, \"No, it would damage your personality, which is 40% hair.\"

[P-Dub]

JimP,

Its called selective analysis, you only see what you want to see. You can give example after example of Mike Smith cutting a corner or going inside,  but what fun is that??  Better to entertain each other with yet more witty \"Smith goes wide comments\".  One would expect more from this site, which has the most articulate and knowledgeable people anywhere.

Mike,

So Smith went inside only because he was forced to?? Cmon Mike.  If he is \"wide  Mikey\" he cold have circled wide like he \"always\" does.

Silver,

Nice to see you get a couple of winners, CD money and Hollywood money have the same exchange rate. Nice hits.

[miff]

Paul,

There was no point in that race that Mike Smith could have gotten off the rail, if he could have, he\'d a won by a few.He was pinned in the whole race.

Unless you were watching when Smith was riding all the Phipps/Mc Gaugthey \"Cadillacs\" back when, you would not know why he is called Wide Mikey.


Mike