1 1/4 Mile. JkyClbGC - GI JockeyClubGoldCupInvitational S.

[Whirlaway]

Are the older horses genuinely superior?
~
Ron the Greek appears to be a 9fl horse. Goes from 120 lbs rallying for second in the Whitney then goes up to 126 lbs, runs up the track - twice. Doesn't appear he wants anything to do with that impost; declination in speed figures; two acceptable tr.t works. Last Gunfighter also appears to be a 9fl horse. Cleared em' carrying 124 lbs in the Pimlico Special, but appears short of class; four acceptable works. Vitoria Olimpica carries the weight at the distance in Brazil, but also appears short of class; gets a negative jock switch; three acceptable tr.t works. Alpha won at this distance carrying the weight with JohnnyV up; negative jock switch. If track is sloppy and sealed, maybe; one soft tr.t work indicates back to lower figures. Flat Out appears the biggest threat, five wins at Belmont, won this race with 126 lbs, ran a good one last out on an off track; two sharp tr.t works. Is this seven year old too old?Cross Traffic has never gone the distance and was backing up going nine furlongs - gets an additional nine pounds . . . gettin' heavy! Six blistering works, four on the tr.t. {Interesting as an older horse he shows so many fast works when compared to the others.} If any horse was ever ready . . . Will he run off and hide or give give up the ghost deep stretch?

That leaves Orb and Palace Malice.

Orb. Kinda odd. Won five in a row, lost the next three. Needed pace to win the Derby. Got a slow pace in the Travers, gained the lead but where was the determination and courage when he got the lead? Jock switch; three sharp works none on the training track. Drop in distance, drop in weight. I tried, but I just don't see it. Palace Malice looks the fit. Distance horse wins going longer carrying the weight with pace at this track; speed figure inclination. Stumble in last may have cost him the win; three acceptable works on the tr.t; drop in distance, drop in weight. Can he overcome the age disadvantage?


Palace Malice
Flat Out / Cross Traffic

[Cree]

I like Flat Out in this. He should've won that last one, but he got funny in the stretch.
I have no idea of what to think of the two 3-year-olds. These are the big boys they are running against. Would like to see one of them step up and run well, just to sort out the murk of the sophomore division.

[bdw0617]

I'm not giving up on orb!


no seriously, orb's year reminds me of curlin's 2007 year almost to the letter. He started off as the hot horse, then hit a slump and everyone thought he was overrated from like June until the end of september. Then he beat Lawyer Ron in the JCGC and romped in the classic.

I think that's what is going to happen with orb.

[Cree]

I hope you are right bdw. I like Orb, and would love to see him win.

But, I like Flat Out. He's a Belmont guy.

[Sunday Silence]

Seething that this isn't being televised. We are NOT offered racing channels in my area. We can NOT sign up online for racing/betting.

[Cree]

What the heck was going on with Cross Traffic in the stretch? He was literally zig-zagging down that stretch.
Palace Malice looked like he was spent in the last few strides there.
Nice win by Ron the Greek. I had kind of given up on the old man.

[Whirlaway]

Tough start.

Wow, ran off with that one at 21/1.

No doubt nice win by Ron the Greek here. Always good to go back and take a look at the past performances - interesting the comments say he flattened out and ran flat in his last two - hard to think he would run off like he did; didn't look flat to me. Maybe a little bit of a bias on the inside of the track, but wouldn't have made any difference, they weren't gonna beat Ron the Greek today.

Good job.

[bdw0617]

cross traffic wants absolutely no part of 10F.