Lawyer Ron

Toccet02 · Postby **Toccet02** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:19 am

Can't believe no one's talking about his poor effort in the Classic. (or maybe I just missed it)
Anyone know reasons, excuses, theories?
Is he going to race next year?

I feel like everybody has jumped off his bandwagon.
I was hoping he'd win, myself and I still like him!

larrygene · Postby **larrygene** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:24 pm

I like LR myself and wonder what happened? Couldn't handle the track? Hurt himself? Bad ride? What?? Why such a poor performance?

About jumping off the bandwagon, maybe that's why all these BC winners are retiring and going to stud. Nobody remembers who finished second!!!

larrygene · Postby **larrygene** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:25 pm

I like LR myself and wonder what happened? Couldn't handle the track? Hurt himself? Bad ride? What?? Why such a poor performance?

About jumping off the bandwagon, maybe that's why all these BC winners are retiring and going to stud. Nobody remembers who finished second!!!

larrygene · Postby **larrygene** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:26 pm

Sorry for the double post.

Tesio · Postby **Tesio** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:32 pm

Couldn't his excuse be that his previous 3 starts took a lot out of him?

He ran EXTREMELY fast in his 2 at the Spa, and then came back shortly after to run a hard used 2nd to Curlin in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

He is a very nice horse but maybe the campaign took something out of him.

larrygene · Postby **larrygene** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:46 pm

I do agree. But, I also believe no one was going to outrun Curlin.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:57 pm

Tesio wrote:Couldn't his excuse be that his previous 3 starts took a lot out of him?

He peaked in the preps, like most Pletcher horses do. That's why Pletcher is 3-61 in BC races and riding a long O'fer in the KY Derby.

horsenuts · Postby **horsenuts** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:07 pm

Rokeby Forever wrote:
Tesio wrote:Couldn't his excuse be that his previous 3 starts took a lot out of him?

He peaked in the preps, like most Pletcher horses do. That's why Pletcher is 3-61 in BC races and riding a long O'fer in the KY Derby.

I thought English Channel looked good.... but that's just me.. who knows maybe he'd peaked too... Honey Rider liked good as well and Octave also. As for LR.... off track appeared to be his biggest problem.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:12 pm

Don't you think he should win a couple just on sheer numbers? 3-61 is just plain sad - any batter that goes into a 3-61 slump would be riding the bench.

Why did Unbridled Belle run - he knows she hates the mud and he ran her, anyway. The geniuses on TV didn't think to ask him that.

Tesio · Postby **Tesio** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:22 pm

I don't believe any of those 3 horses were campaigned as hard as Lawyer Ron the 3 months leading into the BC.

In the Hirsch, English Channel beat a very weak field and only had to be used for about an eighth of a mile.

Honey Ryder was a fresh horse leading into the BC.

Octave didn't fire when 2nd to Bear Now on Sept 22 in Delaware.

Lawyer Ron ran his eyeballs out 3 times since July 28th. Hard used in all races with figures that jump off the sheets. I believe Rok was right when he said LR peaked in his preps.

I also feel Pletcher would have preferred to skip the JCGC and train him up to the Classic off of those 2 huge wins at Saratoga.

Or, LR could just be a Saratoga freak.

zinn21 · Postby **zinn21** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:24 pm

He was slipping and sliding. It was obvious. That said, Curlin was very impressive.

horsenuts · Postby **horsenuts** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:41 pm

Rokeby Forever wrote:Don't you think he should win a couple just on sheer numbers? 3-61 is just plain sad - any batter that goes into a 3-61 slump would be riding the bench.

Why did Unbridled Belle run - he knows she hates the mud and he ran her, anyway. The geniuses on TV didn't think to ask him that.

Bobby Frankel was awful in the BC until recently. Yet somehow Frankel managed to survive.

Don't worry about TP his horses still "managed" to earn around $2.5 million on BC day alone. He also won the last TC race run and won the two biggest races at Saratoga for older horses. Save your sympathy for someone who actually needs it.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:48 pm

horsenuts wrote:Save your sympathy for someone who actually needs it.

Like the connections behind his 200 two year olds? If they don't win early, they don't win!

sunday_silence · Postby **sunday_silence** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:03 pm

Anyone heard buzz on whether or not he'll retire?

Tesio · Postby **Tesio** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:08 pm

Frankel was never 3 for 61. When does this no longer become a "slump"?

Pletcher for the most part gets the best of the best year in and year out. Looking at his BC record and his record in the Triple Crown races can we maybe draw the conclusion that, as great a trainer as he is, he does not excel at training a horse up to a big race.

There are many trainers who excel at this. Kiaran McLaughlin, Frankel and Carl Nafzger sure showed it more than once. Pletcher can no doubt train a horse with antone. But his inability to win these major, high profile races definitely says something.