Also, in a positive vein, if you are a TG user and exacta player, The New York Handicap was all there for you. Noble Stella and Angara were clearly fastest off my reading of the TGs and combined for a $46 exacta.

Quite unfortunately I am not an exacta player, and probably even more unfortunately, I liked Angara a bit even before looking at the TGs. Win, double, P3 key, P4 key. The answers to your questions are yes, yes and yes.

TG stats revealed that Fernando Jara had ridden 3 winners in 180 races over the turf. The DRF chart of the New York Handicap says that Angara was "rated along the outside, put in a 3 wide run on the second turn, and finished gamely outside".

The time for this Grade II was a glacial 2:08.1, the mile in 1:43.1. I would be interested to know how a figure maker would evaluate the condition of Saturday's course (obviously the only turf race of the day). And how to evaluate whether Angara may have been running on ground better than runners inside of her. The old
"what if the lost ground is the best ground?" quandry.

Assuming a sound exit, I would like to see William I Mott place this 5 year old daughter of Alzao back in against Gr I company. I think she is capable of challenging the best older turf mares in NA (none of whom can challenge Ouija Board it would seem) (might be a moot point, OB looks like she might be pointed to run v males on BC day).

I wouldn't even mind if Mott rode young Jara back. It would help the price, and the mare actually ran very well for Jara, even though she may have run an extra 1/16th of a mile or so.

Michael D was supporting Noble Stella through some bad trips this Spring. I hope he capitalized on Saturday.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2006 12:42PM by richiebee.