he didnt finish 8th. I love that they keep racing him
He lost to a horse that he has beaten by open lengths multiple times already. in the classic, he will race against ilder, better horses. honor code is a lot better than keen ice. beholder. she's a monster. there will be more pace in the classic that will do to pharoah exactly what frosted did.
it will be a huge mistake to race him again. he was tired after the haskell. he will even be more taxt after this. thoroughbreds aren't accustomed to racing this much.
But he was. and he will be in the classic is along with other upfront horses like bayern and liams song.
I still predict he won't run in the classic.
I understand he was. Just pointing it out. Trying to outpace Frosted was the mistake that cost him this race. Had he hung back a couple lengths until the stretch he wins easy, IMO.
If AP won today would you still hold that he wouldn't race in the classic?
I don't think there's any way that Zayed doesn't demand that he races. He's not going out losing his last race.
I mentioned this after the belmont. the classic is not kind to 3 year olds. only 2 of them have won it, one being bayern who benefitted last year that 6 of the top 4 year olds retired during the year. older horses are bigger, fresher, better.
so if he had won, yes he would have raced. but I don't think he would have won. now I am pretty confident he won't win. like I said baffert said he was tired after the haskell despite not being pushed. he will be even worse now. and he has already raced 7 times this year in 6 months. that's a lot for a 3 year old.
he needed to race in basically a warm up race against skags judt to keep fresh. this took a lot out of him. it wouldn't shock m3 if baffert said he was "injured" and will retire.
Thought AP ran a very game race and fought back the challenge
from Frosted coming into the stretch. Keen Ice just outran him at the end. Good for that horse. Takes nothing away from AP, who ran a great race and won the Triple Crown followed by the Haskell.
The fractions were slow enough for AP to have held off the late challenger. My impression is that AP is clearly on the downside of his form and is in need of a freshenning.
Initially, before I heard the quarter and half fractions, I was wonderingf why AP was out on the lead. After I heard the early split times it became apparent that he had no choice but to move on the lead because the no one else really wanted to be out there.
If i had not known the result before hand I would have figured AP was unbeatable when I heard that the half was 48 and change.
The winner ran a very game race and deserves credit. I don't think that he is capable of beating AP again, however, if they raced again next year (which I understand is not going to happen).
AP was the best horse on that racetrack yesterday. He was merely a victim of a grueling early season schedule, the same as all of the other triple crown winners that have fallen at Saratoga in the past.
incredibly dumb decision to race him here. disappointed that baffert was influenced by the zayats.
the zayat's did a diservice to the horse. it's a shame.
I feel for the horse.
He lost to a horse that he has beaten by open lengths multiple times already. in the classic, he will race against ilder, better horses. honor code is a lot better than keen ice. beholder. she's a monster. there will be more pace in the classic that will do to pharoah exactly what frosted did.
it will be a huge mistake to race him again. he was tired after the haskell. he will even be more taxt after this. thoroughbreds aren't accustomed to racing this much.
But he was. and he will be in the classic is along with other upfront horses like bayern and liams song.
I still predict he won't run in the classic.
I don't think there's any way that Zayed doesn't demand that he races. He's not going out losing his last race.
Quote:
If Frosted was not in this race.
But he was. and he will be in the classic is along with other upfront horses like bayern and liams song.
I still predict he won't run in the classic.
I understand he was. Just pointing it out. Trying to outpace Frosted was the mistake that cost him this race. Had he hung back a couple lengths until the stretch he wins easy, IMO.
I don't think there's any way that Zayed doesn't demand that he races. He's not going out losing his last race.
I mentioned this after the belmont. the classic is not kind to 3 year olds. only 2 of them have won it, one being bayern who benefitted last year that 6 of the top 4 year olds retired during the year. older horses are bigger, fresher, better.
so if he had won, yes he would have raced. but I don't think he would have won. now I am pretty confident he won't win. like I said baffert said he was tired after the haskell despite not being pushed. he will be even worse now. and he has already raced 7 times this year in 6 months. that's a lot for a 3 year old.
he needed to race in basically a warm up race against skags judt to keep fresh. this took a lot out of him. it wouldn't shock m3 if baffert said he was "injured" and will retire.
The fractions were slow enough for AP to have held off the late challenger. My impression is that AP is clearly on the downside of his form and is in need of a freshenning.
Initially, before I heard the quarter and half fractions, I was wonderingf why AP was out on the lead. After I heard the early split times it became apparent that he had no choice but to move on the lead because the no one else really wanted to be out there.
If i had not known the result before hand I would have figured AP was unbeatable when I heard that the half was 48 and change.
The winner ran a very game race and deserves credit. I don't think that he is capable of beating AP again, however, if they raced again next year (which I understand is not going to happen).
AP was the best horse on that racetrack yesterday. He was merely a victim of a grueling early season schedule, the same as all of the other triple crown winners that have fallen at Saratoga in the past.
this is the smartest thing he has said in months.