Who was that black and cherry freighttrain down the stretch?

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:25 pm

Seven furlongs is nowhere near Boca Grande's best distance. The name "Boca Grande" will look pretty nice on the Alabama trophy!

Betsy · Postby **Betsy** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:07 pm

You're talking to the world's biggest AP Indy fan and I'm sorry to say that Boca Grande is not that good. Have you watched any of her races? She has zippo speed and last I checked, she didn't win the Test. Exactly what is her best distance? She ran horribly at a mile in the Acorn and even worse at 1 1/8 in the Mother Goose. She has zero shot in the Alabama, even if Rags doesn't go. If Rags goes, then it's that daughter of Indy who will have her name inscribed on the trophy.

It really pains me to say things like this about my favorite sire's offspring, but Boca Grande has not lived up to the promise she showed last year. Maybe she'll do better next year, but she's not a top filly, not even close.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:19 pm

I've heard and read it all before....Shug has a goal with her, but nobody learns from history - she's a 1 1/4 mile filly that hasn't yet tried the distance. Meanwhile, Cotton Blossom has looked pretty washed up in her last two races, hasn't she? :lol:

Come back after the Alabama, Betsy. I'll be here!

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:27 pm

i'm actually with Rok on this one.. assuming that Rag's isn't in the Alabama.. which I dont' care what anyone says.. I dont' think she is.

that was a horse in this race begging for more distance, she was just getting cranked up and the joc wasn't riding her all THAT hard.

Maven · Postby **Maven** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:14 pm

I actually had Boca Grande as my second choice, although I did not have the winner. She should have been inhaling these fillies. She did make a nice run.

Maybe Boca Grande and Folk can have a match race to determine who wins Champion 3 year old filly, hell, maybe even Horse of the Year.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:40 pm

Really, Maven? You liked Boca Grande today despite your writing that, "She's second rate?"

Oh, all of a sudden she should have been "inhaling" fillies like Cotton Blossom, huh? Shall I quote what you wrote after the Acorn...when I wrote that Shug was only playing with Boca Grande in the Acorn?

To your credit, you've earned my respect by commenting on this thread, either one way or the other. I suspect that many will "cut and run" now that their prior comments have been proven to be totally ridiculous.

Maven · Postby **Maven** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:45 pm

I don't consider a single filly in this race top tier, so why wouldn't I like Boca Grande in their company?

I was also expecting a torrid pace up front, which is why Boca Grande was my number 2 choice. I don't think she has much speed, but I did see the race collapsing upfront and her there to pick off most of the field.

You're under the impression I think she's a bad mare. Not the case. But I find your constant parading of her ridiculous and annoying. She's a G2 horse until she proves otherwise.

Maybe if you're lucky and the stars align, she'll figure out things like Octave did in the midst of YOU calling HER second tier and a dog.

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:47 pm

Maven wrote:I don't consider a single filly in this race top tier, so why wouldn't I like Boca Grande in their company?

I was also expecting a torrid pace up front, which is why Boca Grande was my number 2 choice. I don't think she has much speed, but I did see the race collapsing upfront and her there to pick off most of the field.

You're under the impression I think she's a bad mare. Not the case. But I find your constant parading of her ridiculous and annoying. She's a G2 horse until she proves otherwise.

Maybe if you're lucky and the stars align, she'll figure out things like Octave did in the midst of YOU calling HER second tier and a dog.

with all due respect, how can you not be impressed with Dream Rush. she blew away the field in her last race, and won this one.

just because she wont' stretch out doesn't mean she isn't an awesome filly

Maven · Postby **Maven** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:51 pm

She can win every race from here on out under a mile, and she wont get champion 3 yo filly. I think she's a very real threat in the F&M Sprint, but we all know we're talking about the major filly races... at least I thought that was a given. They'd be absolutely foolish to stretch her out.

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:55 pm

yes they would....

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:55 pm

Shug's goal ALL ALONG has been Alabama. Octave had her fun beating a filly with only three career starts in the CCAO...she'll get spanked in the Alabama just like Cotton Blossom did today. Julien Laparoux took BC six wide today and didn't even get in to her down the lane...it was just a serious prep to crank her up for the Alabama.

If you don't believe that Shug points for races, watch the Youtube clip at the end of this post. Tell me where Pletcher's best filly EVER finished.

Maven · Postby **Maven** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:57 pm

Really? I thought you said Shug's goal was the filly triple crown? Then when she got spanked in each of the races, then YOUR goal for Shug became the Alabama.

Let's not confuse reality with what floats around in your head.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 5:16 pm

If you go back, I wrote over and over that I thought the CCAO was her goal. (ie, "He who wins the CCAO laughs loudest.") Apparently, the CCAO wasn't the goal or she would have run in it...the Alabama was (maybe she needed a little more maturity). I had the right idea, though - 1 1/4 mile is what she needs.

And, indeed, she is maturing. Cotton Blossom, winner of the Acorn, couldn't be found with a telescope today. Case closed.

Cotton Blossom won the Adirondack and finished 2nd in the Spinaway at Saratoga last year. Because Boca Grande blew her doors off today, you notice how quiet Horsenuts is with his "horses for courses" rant? LMAO!!!!

petersd · Postby **petersd** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 11:32 am

If Boca Grande and Rags to Rickes run in the Alabama, and if Rags to Riches wins, will you finally acknowledge that the Phipps filly is not the equal of Rags, or will you come up with one more statement like "No, the Alabama OBVIOUSLY wasn't the goal as Shug didn't have her tuned up as anyone could see, but watch out for the Breeders Cup Distaff!!"
Don't know what Beyer figure she earned for her Test run, but previous to that she had a career high 85. I had a filly who ran better then that four times in her career, and never got better then a 2nd in a Grade 3 (Including a 93 and a 103 which BG has yet to sniff - and those were as an early 3 year old). Frankly, my filly and three that she beat that I can think of off the top of my head (Hystericalady, Victorina and G City Gal) would have turned BG into goo at a mile and under.
Beats Rags in the Alabama and I will proclaim that Boca Grande is a great racehorse. If she Rags wins, will you do the same?
The world wonders....

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 12:11 pm

petersd wrote:....Beats Rags in the Alabama and I will proclaim that Boca Grande is a great racehorse. If she Rags wins, will you do the same?
The world wonders....

Yup. Just don't make up any excuses for Rags (she was sick, she missed some training...). If she runs, she's 100% fit and sound...anything less and Pletcher should lose his trainer's license, shouldn't he? Would you run a filly worth that much at less than 100%?

Who made Beyer the last word on talent? BG's Test Stakes Beyer number means squat in the context that the Test was just a prep race. What were Pleasant Home's Beyers against Ashado's coming into the 2005 BC Distaff? Whatever they were, you can see from the Youtube clip provided below that Beyer was proven to be an idiot in that race.

If you believe in Beyers, consider: Wanderin Boy earned a 119 in the Whitney. Cigar's best career Beyer was 118...so on Cigar's best day, Wandering Boy would have still beaten him for second money in the Whitney? Beyer says "Yes!" - that's pretty funny, don't you think? :lol: