If I may be so bold as to reply. I want to acknowledge your early post regarding Orb as the real deal. I believe Orb is the real deal for all of the reasons so many have already pointed out. If he is a true champion, the post should stop him, but given the draw, I think it\'s going to be a bit more of a jockeys\' race now. We have all seen a worthy horse get boxed in and steered around as they keep the pace down, allowing a lesser horse to sprint away at an opportune moment. The race, as any race, could be won or lost in the first sixteenth. IMHO, victory in the Preakness can get away from you really quick. (Animal Kingdom). I don’t have stats on this, but far from moving too soon, I always fear the worthy will move too late in the Preakness. It has been said many times, the finish line comes up quick in this race. Or getting so far back there is just too much left to do. Rosario\'s hot golden timing and touch has got to be spot on for this one. So tomorrow I’m going to bet Orb...and probably whatever horse Mike Smith is on underneath. We all just want a clean fair race. As for IMLD, to the extent of my ability to read the figs, I agree his numbers look impressive. But I am not impressed with how he achieved them. Specifically I mean, who did he beat? Shanghai Bobby, who everyone pretty much agrees is an outstanding sprinter/miler perhaps at best, not a classic horse. Also, I get get the gist reading here, that horses whose success has been limited to Fla., aren’t too highly regarded. He’s been spanked a few times by rivals in here. And something in my gut just doesn’t ring true about him. I see questions marks all over. I don’t expect him to be in the picture by the sixteenth pole, if he doesn’t wilt sooner.
Also, I realize that the thousands and thousands of racing fans looking for a $2 keepsake will skew the odds tomorrow. But this is where I look forward to the Belmont. While everyone gets set to bail on him in the Belmont the second he crosses the finish line first at Pimlico, I am gonna tie on tighter than ever. Horizontals, verticals, diagonals, I will be all over him from top to bottom and all around, too, because at that point, that’s the last place I will be looking for him to bounce. I have no numbers to base that on. It is not emotional investment speaking. That is my gut sense, all things considered. (I guess I’m hanging out flapping in the wind now.) And if I am right, major serious kudos to the connections, and the horse himself, and I will have a $2 keepsake from Pimlico.
I apologize for not sticking strictly to the subject of figs and fig making. On a Wednesay, this would be a race for me to walk away from, that much I understand. From here on out, I will try to stick more strictly to the subject of figs. Thanks for your patience. This is a busy time for \'cappers everywhere, I don\'t expect a reply. I just hope my thoughts haven\'t wasted your time.
