Godolphin's best shot yet?

[Ill-bred]

I have been waiting for a member of this crop to really impress me. Consolidator's last was nice, but now I am officially on the Blues and Royals bandwagon.

I loved his race Saturday! Given Godolphin's record in the derby, many will be doubting him. Notice he's a half to Limehouse.

[Sam]

This is where I get to start teasing you about Mustanfar, again, right?

[Ill-bred]

For the record, I picked Smarty in the paper last year (after getting your take on the La Troienne infuence!)

I admit you also had Mustanfar pegged as a grass horse when I liked him in the Tampa Derby. Still I barely missed a huge cash there. And who beat me that day????

LIMEHOUSE

This is destiny.

hahahaha

[Sam]

I admit you also had Mustanfar pegged as a grass horse when I liked him in the Tampa Derby. Still I barely missed a huge cash there. And who beat me that day????

LIMEHOUSE

This is destiny.

hahahaha

Go with it.

email fixed ... phone working again ... and Jerry had a fit at rbcb when I laid into dumbass again so I've been given a time out ... shrug not like I'd been there much recently anyway.

So, acclimented yet?

[StrawberryFelidos]

I agree, I also added Blues and Royals to the collection of horses I wouldn't mind winning: Sweet Catomine (a filly, awwww) Greater Good (as good as a gelding) High Limit and...that's it for now. The rest have yet to earn my love
If Blues happened to be as dominating in KY as he was in the UAE we'd have a very memorable Derby

[Ill-bred]

Haven't seen any figs yet for the Dubai races, but just on a comparison between the UAE Derby and the World Cup, Blues and Royals ran a very nice time....

Sam-

Still settlin' in. I'm workin' on my accent.

[Mahubah]

Will have to admit, I don't know if it's going to happen, but I would love to see a tail-male to Man o' War win the Derby. It's been a long time since War Admiral.

[Sam]

Still settlin' in. I'm workin' on my accent.

heh

Gary wants to know if you are going to get to write this year's derby trip off as a business expense?

[Sam]

Will have to admit, I don't know if it's going to happen, but I would love to see a tail-male to Man o' War win the Derby. It's been a long time since War Admiral.

I just don't see this move working for a long time to come.

When it takes 4yos 3 months to get over the riggers of the trip to Dubai and most of them fail in the first 2-3 starts, I really don't see how a barely 3yo can be expected to win in late March then ship over here and win the Derby in early May, especially knowing he will most likely have to do it with 6 weeks between races (Kind of the same thinking we have going on with the idea that they are going to win off the 5 weeks between the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby).

Yes, I think it will be done eventually ... and eventually it may even become the norm, and I weep in anticipation for what that will mean to the sport.

We've already got Horse of the Years being crowned off paltry, cherry-picked 4 race campaigns that don't start until halfway through the season ... how long before we crown 3yo champions off 2 races in the spring? How much longer before horses going into the Derby on one prep race and 8 weeks rest becomes the rule and not the exception?

I'm already looking at most year end candidates and thinking "If this is the best we can offer, why do we have to pick one at all?"

[Mahubah]

Good points, Sam, though the older horses you're talking about have gone to Dubai and back; this would be only the first leg of the trip for Blues and Royals, so not quite as demanding as going to Dubai and back with a demanding race at the turnaround point. Still, it's a lot to ask of a young horse.

As for the racing campaigns, they've been doing it that way in Europe for years with many a champ making only 4 or 5 picked starts in a season. Not that this makes the practice good or bad, but it certainly isn't what Americans have been used to.

[Sam]

As for the racing campaigns, they've been doing it that way in Europe for years with many a champ making only 4 or 5 picked starts in a season. Not that this makes the practice good or bad, but it certainly isn't what Americans have been used to.

I just think it's a damn shame that I look at some $40k ALW horses as being better "racehorses" than most of the animal getting year end awards.

[wilf]

Acouple of points Sam, I could not agree more about the year-end awards and as much as I respected Ouija Boards performance at Lone Star I truly feel that the awards are drifting into ridiculous fantasy. I n the end nobody really gives a rats ass , I mean show me someone who can reel off the last 5 Horses of the Year anyway. I was very impressed by Blues and Royals but yes he is up against it even if he is handled by the crew that produced Lamtarra to win the English Derby after an 8 or 9 month break at only his second lifetime start.

[Mahubah]

Of course, if Lamtarra has been in the US, he'd be a poster boy for what Sam's talking about -- 4 starts and hustled off to stud before he could do something to damage his reputation.

[Sam]

Of course, if Lamtarra has been in the US, he'd be a poster boy for what Sam's talking about -- 4 starts and hustled off to stud before he could do something to damage his reputation.

The first time we have a horse with only one race at 2 go on to win the Derby off one prep at three, he'll be hyped as THE GREATEST HORSE EVER and sent to stud before they even run the Belmont.

"Daylight maiden winner at 2. Unbeaten Derby winner at 3 in only his 3rd career start. Just imagine what he could have done at 4"
Yeah, damnit, that's ALL we ever get to do anymore.

Remember when "Imagine" was just a really cool Lennon song? (actually .. I don't ... that was before my time ducking and running)

[Ill-bred]

Blues and Royals was given a 110 on the Beyer Speed scale.