Re: Derby Talk - Number of Preps (367 Views)
Posted by:
TGJB (IP Logged)
Date: March 01, 2005 05:17PM
Jimbo-- First of all, one of the key points to keep in mind is that a bettor's interests and a trainer/owner's are two different things. As bettors we are only concerned with betting them on the days they show up, as someone who works the other side of the street I have to be concerned about the long run. And VG is one of very few horses of the last 10 years to run in all 3 TC races and go on to have any real success at 4.
We will never know why Point Given didn't fire on Derby day (and Baffert probably won't either), but since he ran much better not just after that but before it as well, I don't think fitness had anything to do with it. Who knows.
I agree that none of the others were ever good again. I just disagree as to why-- in some cases it was because of soundness issues, and it was pretty clear that some of those were handled the way they were because of them. I don't believe "lack of seasoning" made them more vulnerable to injury-- as John Forbes once said to me, the sounder they go into a race, the sounder they come out.
TGJB