Ctc:

When I said "if you jump on the HS bandwagon", I didn't mean you personally. I
know you have been on the HS wagon from the start, if not the driver well at
least in the front seat.

I may have a chance to investigate the 3YOs who have raced in the Lanes End/
Blue Grass/ Ky Derby by Yums on Monday. My feeling is that not many have, but I
could be wrong.

Trainer/owner intent is so important here, and an initial inquiry might be
whether HS needs a money finish in the BG to cement his position in the Derby.
If this is the case, it is fairly simple to see why HS needs to race in the BG.

If HS does not need the earnings to assure his place in the gate for the Derby,
the next logical theory is that trainer Jones believes that HS needs the
additional 9 panel race in terms of fitness to go the 1-1/4 Derby distance.
Nothing wrong with preparation, but if something goes awry with HS in the BG,
trainer Jones and owner Porter will be second guessed for time immemorial.

Maybe trainer Jones and owner Porter are thinking "Hey, we've got a colt who
likes Poly. We win the Lanes End, we win the Blue Grass (1 million dollar purse,
I think), we skip the Derby (blasphemy!) and shoot for the Preakness and
Travers."

The whole Rick Porter quest for the Derby started last year with Rockport
Harbor,a brilliant and flashy grey 3YO of 2005 who was never given enough time
to recover from hoof injuries and came unraveled on the Derby trail. Trainer
John Servis was under a lot of pressure with RH; Servis had trained for Porter
for years, plucking moderately expensive young horses out of yearling sales and
2YO in training sales with decent success. Then in 2004, Servis nearly
took the Triple Crown with Smarty Jones, owned and bred by another of Servis'
clients, the Chapmans.

In the end, Servis lost Porter's horses. One of them, Round Pond, ended up with
Michael Matz and won the BC Distaff after Matz was able to clear up some of
Round Pond's hoof problems. Porter has been gracious to point out that it was
Servis who was instrumental in the selection of Hard Spun.

Long story short, Porter has a thirst for a Derby win. One year someone will say
"We have a nice colt, we won a couple of nice preps, but we are going to sit
out the Derby", but after the last couple of years, I do not think that Mr.
Porter is that someone.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2007 07:42AM by richiebee.