One for the Little Guy?

[TJ]

Here's an interesting prospect (who isn't among racings elite) stabled down here at Calder with a decent blue collar trainer Leo Azpurua Jr. The horse is owned by his dad who was also a good trainer. He's bred to run all day and will be tested for class at Gulfstream Park and a tentative engagement with Boys At Tosconova in the Holy Bull going a mile. Looked like they tried to put the squeeze on him coming out of the gate....but it didn't phase Manicero, who took back and moved to the lead at will. There's something about this colt who is by the sire Mass Media who's 2YO's got to the races this year. He's like his connections, blue collar and hard working:>) What do you think of him? TJ
http://www1.drf.com/displayVideo.do?tra ... ountry=USA

[Patuxet]

Thanks for posting this, TJ. An impressive horse with an equally impressive classic-connected bottom line. I look forward to seeing him tested with stronger competition.

The Azpuruas are a family of fine horsemen. I have an incipient 3YO Milwaukee Brew filly with Eduardo Jr.in Ocala. I couldn't be happier with his careful and patient technique.

Allison

[zinn21]

Nice colt. I always like a young horse that will go inside and not be intimidated. Very nice way of going with a powerful stride and a couple of gears. Looks like he is very competitive.

[TJ]

Nice colt. I always like a young horse that will go inside and not be intimidated. Very nice way of going with a powerful stride and a couple of gears. Looks like he is very competitive.

Hi Zinn,
I said "there's something about this colt" and you listed just about all of it....but it is his especially powerful stride that makes me look twice. His numbers are well below the top of his class, but I have a feeling they will improve in leaps and bounds as he stretches out. Did you see the start of this race....he was sandwiched between the two on either side of him....almost looked intentional, but Saez and Manicero gave it back, especially to the one inside of him and it did nothing to take Manicero's mind off business. TJ

[TJ]

Thanks for posting this, TJ. An impressive horse with an equally impressive classic-connected bottom line. I look forward to seeing him tested with stronger competition.

The Azpuruas are a family of fine horsemen. I have an incipient 3YO Milwaukee Brew filly with Eduardo Jr.in Ocala. I couldn't be happier with his careful and patient technique.

Allison

Hi Patuxet,
Yes, most certainly good horseman.....let's hope this horse can do well for them. TJ

[zinn21]

TJ wrote:

Did you see the start of this race....he was sandwiched between the two on either side of him....

Yes I saw that and his body language was non fearful/total confidence..

[Joltman]

Good looking race. For most 2yos it would have been a bad experience with the in-tight bumping but he just powered through it. He looks like more of a muscular sprinter to me, but his ff has some real stamina influences.

jm

[Shannon]

The 5 and 6 horses looked like ping pong balls rattlingarouns at the start. Lucky they didn't cause an accident!
Manicero definitely powered through with some force, tough horse, mentally and physically.

[wilf]

Thanks for the info TJ , certainly a horse to follow. The Azpurua's young horses are stabled around the corner from me at Starting Point Complex in Levy County about 18 miles west of Ocala . Interestingly Super Saver got his early education there recently too!

[TJ]

Thanks for the info TJ , certainly a horse to follow. The Azpurua's young horses are stabled around the corner from me at Starting Point Complex in Levy County about 18 miles west of Ocala . Interestingly Super Saver got his early education there recently too!

Hi wilf,
It is nice to see a horse without big time backing do well. He seems to like the business and looks to be in splendid condition. He hasn't really done that much, but it's the way he does it. I hope we get to see him run 2 turns at GP, that's when they'll know what kind of horse they have. Mass Media seemed to prefer sprinting.....but there was plenty distance pedigree in his mare (2nd Dam), but some preferred grass. Like Solar Splendor.....Sultry Song is also from that family, he won the Hollywood Gold Cup, The Woodward and the Whitney.....so stretching out may not be that far a streeeeeetch:>) TJ

[Sailor Kenshin]

Nice colt. I always like a young horse that will go inside and not be intimidated. Very nice way of going with a powerful stride and a couple of gears. Looks like he is very competitive.

Hi Zinn,
I said "there's something about this colt" and you listed just about all of it....but it is his especially powerful stride that makes me look twice. His numbers are well below the top of his class, but I have a feeling they will improve in leaps and bounds as he stretches out. Did you see the start of this race....he was sandwiched between the two on either side of him....almost looked intentional, but Saez and Manicero gave it back, especially to the one inside of him and it did nothing to take Manicero's mind off business. TJ

Hmmm... didn't just about the same thing happen to a two-year-old Secretariat?

[TJ]

Nice colt. I always like a young horse that will go inside and not be intimidated. Very nice way of going with a powerful stride and a couple of gears. Looks like he is very competitive.

Hi Zinn,
I said "there's something about this colt" and you listed just about all of it....but it is his especially powerful stride that makes me look twice. His numbers are well below the top of his class, but I have a feeling they will improve in leaps and bounds as he stretches out. Did you see the start of this race....he was sandwiched between the two on either side of him....almost looked intentional, but Saez and Manicero gave it back, especially to the one inside of him and it did nothing to take Manicero's mind off business. TJ

Hmmm... didn't just about the same thing happen to a two-year-old Secretariat?

Hi Sailor,
Slow down....he's no Secretariat.....but I remember when Sec got in trouble in his first start. A horse named Quebec came out of the gate and made a left turn into Strike the Line and Secretariat. He came through the lane like his tail was on fire, but encountered traffic. The official chart read , “Secretariat, impeded after the start, lacked room between horses racing into the turn, ducked to the inside after getting through into the stretch and finished full of run along the rail.”
Back to Manicero, he may wait to stretch out....he's nominated to the 6 furlong Spectacular Bid to be run this Saturday at GP. It would be a kind of fast turn around as it's a day shy of two weeks. I hope they wait for the Holy Bull....we'll find out Wednesday when Saturday's overnight comes out. TJ

[TJ]

Looks like they're taking Manicero back to Tampa Bay to run in the 7 furlong Pasco Stakes this Saturday. TJ

[zinn21]

That seems like a good fit. I didn't think they would wheel him back in the Spectacular Bid..

[TJ]

That seems like a good fit. I didn't think they would wheel him back in the Spectacular Bid..

Hi Zinn,
It is a good fit, only problem it isn't graded and he'll need some graded earnings to Derby eligible? A couple new faces in there as well as the horse that made a strong run at him in the lane is back with an additional 1/8th of a mile to catch him. They were considering the Holy Bull, but may have scraped that idea as it will be pretty salty. I guess they could wheel him back in two weeks in the Holy Bull, but I would think they're leaning toward giving him more time and keeping him at Tampa. That's a tough track to run well over 1st try so they may opt to check him for class in the Tampa Bay Derby. There is a good chance Uncle Mo will take that route as well and he will be at a disadvantage without a race over the track. Street Sense got beat first time he tried that surface too. TJ