Baffert Comes Right Back

[gteasy]

Is this how you would handle a 2YO?...Candrea and Drill are entered at Delta Downs two weeks after NE\'s in the Breeders\' Cup...seems a bit abrupt...feedback anyone?

gteasy

[spa]

Bet your money $$$$$$$

[Flighted Iron]

gteasy,

Is this how you would handle a 2YO?...


it\'s like the person who goes to the firing range with a carload of guns.when one
jams he doesn\'t have to stop firing.in answer to the question,no no and hell no.

mjs

[miff]

Does anyone observe closely? Horses have run back and won within days of their last race.Baffy said that neither one ran a step at CD, came back healthy and worked well. Why would you leave them in the barn?

[Lost Cause]

gteasy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is this how you would handle a 2YO?...Candrea and
> Drill are entered at Delta Downs two weeks after
> NE\'s in the Breeders\' Cup...seems a bit
> abrupt...feedback anyone?
>
> gteasy


Always hate playing horses right after the BC  race only because they were trained to peak for that race and regress after.  On the other hand this is a 1 million dollar and a half million dollar race that usually attracts second tier two year olds and it doesn\'t look like his horses ran a step in those BC races;  I would have to take a shot at the big payday myself.  With that said, i\'ll still play against him with the theory above since they will most likely be favored.

[TGJB]

Mike-- the why has nothing to do with this start, it has to do with what happens going forward. Forget all the shipping for a minute-- give me the names of a few good 2yos in the last 10 years that ran 2 weeks or less apart and then stayed sound through a campaign. I think Rachel might have, can\'t think of any others.

[miff]

JB,

First,as you know, horses do not go bad ONLY because of how frequently they race as 2 yr olds.Young horses go bad many more times over working, galloping, jogging or breezing than they do racing. Of course, they \'work/exercise every day\' race less frequently.A fair number go bad before they even start.

ALL modern horses are  ticking time bombs,imo, whether you baby them or drill them.Don\'t know offhand about your question but do know that the level of caution exercised today with 2 yr olds by trainers vs what happened 10+ years back is night and day.

Old man Woody rolling in his grave but he dealt with much more sound animals.




Mike

[TGJB]

Mike-- of course there are lots of ways horses can go bad. But thast doesn\'t mean some things are not more stressful and dangerous than others.

Anecdote, not proof-- some years ago we bought a 2yo called Bet Me Best for the Prestons. Condition of the sale was that he run in the Louisiana Day Of Champions 2yo race, where he was going to be 2/5. I told the farm manager if that\'s the only way okay, but it\'s going to cost us down the line. He won, we gave him a couple of months, then ran him back in the Hutcheson. He won again, came back bad, and we missed the rest of his 3yo year.

[miff]

JB,

Heard many stories like that which is somewhat incongruous with Bramblage and other vet experts that encourage a certain amount 2 yr old training/stress to strengthen the horses skeletal structure for the future.

Would it make sense to never train/race a two year at all? Less is better not necessarily a proven benefit from what I\'ve seen.


Mike

[TGJB]

Agree withat as well. But there is lots of romm between no racing and short rest.

[gteasy]

I\'ll accept that they didn\'t run a jump at CD, but of the two I prefer Candrea who ran well at FPX(yes, the mare has not thrown a router)...the pattern on Drill feels less impressive for a barn that likes to ask the question early...good chance for quick return on $640,000 for the pair...now for the Sheets.

gteasy

[plasticman]

The value of the BC Juvy to the winner was about a million. The value of the Delta Jackpot to the winner is what, 600k? Drill was 9-1 to win that million and he\'ll be 3-5 to win 600k. Why \'gamble\' on a 9-1 shot to win a million if that \'gamble\' is going to hurt your chances for the \'easy payday\' 2 weeks later?

If Drill was \'freshened\' and \'pointed\' for the Jackpot while everyone else was knocking themselves out going for the mil at churchill, wouldnt he have MORE of a chance than he already has anyway?

Now, as it stands, greed might have cost them ANY real money. Why get greedy when you can freshen and point for a 2nd tier million dollar race?

The worst way a trainer can manage a horse is using the \'kicking down the barn\' theory. That has nothing to do with how a horse is supposed to be managed.

[alm]

They all need training to build bone, but what happens once they begin racing all depends on the horse.  Some are softboned and it doesn\'t matter how much they are coddled...they will go bad.  Those that can withstand training, in my limited personal experience, need a racing regimen like Jerry suggests once they get underway.  Their bones keep reforming for quite some time and without substantial time between races the process won\'t calm down if they aren\'t given time.  In that regard the BS about \'listening to the horse\' is just that...BS.  Their muscles and personality may say \'go\', but their bones are quiet...and you have to respect them.

[gteasy]

This was why I started this thread, and you articulated it very well...I like the axiom that a ship is as stressful as a work...these animals shipped twice on short rest...Puype kept Turbulent Descent in the barn prior to the BC to avoid an extra ship, and I am looking forward to her next start as she has been handled properly...the ride on Drill was amusing...it looked like the barn felt they couldn\'t get anything unless they contested the pace...Drill was pushed every step of the way, and in this case the pace collapsed...win early barns like Baffert and Pletcher provide so much value when you can identify over-the-top situations.

gteasy