My horse was TONS the best.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=215x145840#146007

I like Ice Box. Despite the 6 week layoff, he's got three 9 furlong races this spring. Check out his Fla Derby where he came from the clouds--despite not changing leads in the stretch....

F#$K racing luck. My horse was FLYING after a world of trouble all the way around. Had $5 bucks win-place and a $2 exacta, so I made about a buck and a Q profit on my $50 play.

[KamaAina]

1. Watch him spoil it in the Preakness or Belmont.

:scared:

[Earth Bound Misfit]

2. If I know Zito, he'll skip the Preakness and point him to the Belmont.

Triple Crown spoiler on his "home" track. Damn, I really liked this horse, but I didn't like "Paddy" in my trifecta part wheels (2-4-13/1-2-4-13/ 1-2-4-13) I coulda had a big day.

[TZ]

3. I don't know about that

The conditions were so sloppy, with the last minute sun probably making it even stickier, that it's really hard to make a judgement IMO. We could see a totally different placement of horses in the Preakness ..,

[Earth Bound Misfit]

4. The conditions played a large part in why I liked him TODAY.

Not just the slop--the large field, abundance of speed the post positions of the two "favorites", etc.
Next out? New race, new players, new conditions. Zito's got nothing to gain running him in the Preakness (can't win triple crown) and the track doesn't suit his running style. He's best suited or at least better suited for the Belmont's 12 furlongs, IMHO.

[Awsi Dooger]

5. Great view of Ice Box from the overhead shot

It was spotlighting Super Saver but if you followed Ice Box it was remarkable how eager and athletic he looked, despite all the trouble.

Borel probably would have won aboard Ice Box. He had option inside/outside near the top of the stretch and Lezcano chose to go outside a horse who was in the two path. Bad move. Ice Box ran into a wall of several merging horses and was checked severely. Once he got clear on the outside he was terrific but it was obviously too late.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

6. Yes, that's right. Gary Stevens pointed out his hideous, nightmare trip

using that same overhead shot. The DRF's chart had this horse being checked & altering course more often than a brown person in Arizona under the new dreadful law. http://www.drf.com/drfChartIndexPick.do?TRK=CD&CTY=USA&DATE=20100501

Speaking of Borel, do you think the oldtimers like Angel Cordero, Jorge Velasquez, Jacinto Vasquez, Patrick Valezuela, Jerry Bailey, Shoe, Laffit Pincay, McCarron, etc....would CONTINUALLY just let this guy park himself on the rail and allow him la dee da into the clear at the top of the stretch ANY FUCKING TIME HE WANTED, YEAR AFTER YEAR, RACE AFTER RACE? I seriously doubt it. Would've been more like: "You want some rail? I got some fv%#ing rail for you to EAT, muthafv$%er."

[Condem]

7. Aaaahhhhh. Back in the day.

If you were down to your last two bucks at the track...you put it on Cordero. Came through many a time.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

8. You bring back memories...

The "Master of the pace" Cordero was cunning, bold, ruthless and an mean, ornery S.O.B.--in other words a GREAT rider. The "Codex" race comes to mind instantly. He also had style (patented dismount), personality and a flair for the dramatic. These pedestrian passengers who call themselves stakes-race jockeys nowadays would be riding 2k claimers at the old Charlestown in WV if they had to compete with those guys, IMHO. Not to mention the old school horsemen like Woody (My way or the HIGHWAY) Stevens.

***SIGH*** I must be gettin' old, I sound like my Dad (RIP) talking about Arcaro & the like.

[Condem]

9. I speak specifically of the '81 Preakness. Pleasant Colony??...

...anyway, not the point. Pimlico had a race after the Preakness. So that year we wandered from the infield to watch the race in the stands. A lot of folks had left so the finish line was wide open. We watched the field "thunder down the stretch" and that sensation will never leave me. I couldn't tell you the horse that won, but I could tell you who was aboard. Angel. I won some jing. A great moment.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. Cordero would have bounced Borel toward the outer rail

And not care about the PR aspect. I still chuckle sometimes about that 1980 Preakness, including yesterday afternoon. I rooted for Genuine Risk at the time but the filly thumped in the nose, and the ensuing outrage, is such a unique memory it busts me up.

I'm convinced the current riders think they ARE covering the rail. They simply have a ridiculously conservative definition. The two path is the rail. Borel understands he can snuggle closer, and also that tiring young horses will veer outside, not inside. The ratio has to be at least 5/1. So he charges confidently toward anyone in front of him, knowing the odds favor that horse drifting out by the time he arrives. The other guys panic and instinctively head outside.

If you look at that overhead shot, the one where they followed Super Saver with the arrow, far back of that Ice Box and Lookin at Lucky competed for the same hole. Lucky got there first and Ice Box was checked. But it was a poor decision by Lezcano to be there in the first place. That was after the choice to move outside instead of aggressively pursuing the narrow opening on the rail.

Ice Box was my third choice. I felt stupid for excluding him. Stretch runners in the slop normally are compromised but I need to hammer into my head that the Derby is so unique there's always opportunity to charge past wilting horses late, if you're legit.

[trumad]

11. I was pissed that the Horse I pimped all winter---Odysseus

ran a poor race at the Blue Grass and didn't qualify for the KY Derby--- Found out later he had a bone chip during that race...

I was pissed because Odysseus beat Super Saver in the Tampa Bay Derby.

Oh well...such is Horse Racing..

BTW: Good write up as usual Awsi...

[Earth Bound Misfit]

12. Spot on analysis, thank you for posting it.

You, you're very good, you! You got a fv@%ing gift. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZtbASCE7ZY

:toast:

[Awsi Dooger]

13. LOL, thanks for the link

Right now I'd like to be as good as the guy with the toupee

[trumad]

14. Awsi is second to none here in the Sports forum.

Easily one of my favorites.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

15. + 1

You aaiiight, too.