Interesting Derby article
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Its always more fun and rewarding to view the cat still in the bag, before the escape, before it gets out and exposes its talent to the scrutiny and the attention of the world.
Still in the bag, Old Fashioned offered a glimpse Nov. 3, when he won by 15 1/2 lengths at Delaware. But Saturday, he jumped out, danced the Boogaloo and sang the largo al factotum aria from The Barber of Seville, winning the Remsen at Aqueduct by more than seven lengths.
It sure looked like it wasnt a strenuous effort for him, his trainer, Larry Jones, said today, and he came back to the barn like it wasnt a big deal.
But that, of course, was a big deal. A handsome gray colt who moves over the ground like a breeze, Old Fashioned jumped to the top of a list of Triple Crown prospects. -- or rather he jumped out to a longer lead among a group of personal favorites, for indeed he was already at the top.
In winning the Remsen, he completed the nine furlongs in 1:50.33, a solid clocking on a day when the Aqueduct surface wasnt especially fast. Springside won the Demoiselle in 1:51.71. But the most impressive thing about Old Fashioneds victory was the its style, the stunning combination of ease and domination. While steadily drawing away from the field, and with little encouragement, Old Fashioned ran the final three-eighths of a mile in 36.15 seconds.
Old Fashioned will soon join the Jones horses at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. And its more than likely, the trainer said, that Old Fashioned will make his 2009 debut Feb. 7 in the Fair Grounds Risen Star Stakes. But Jones has other promising youngsters in his barn, including Friesan Fire, an A. P. Indy colt who ran fourth in the Nashua, and It Happened Again, a flashy maiden winner at Philly Park, and in an effort to keep them apart, the trainer will keep some, he said, in New Orleans and run some at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
Old Fashioned wasnt the only cat to escape this weekend at Aqueduct. Quality Road, a bay colt who has speed and athleticism and who looks like hes flowing as much as running, won his debut by nearly three lengths in a very good maiden field. A son of Elusive Quality, Quality Road ran the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.11, a fast time for the day.
And at Churchill, Silver City won an allowance race in such a way as to suggest he could develop into somebody special. With jockey Miguel Mena looking over his shoulder, Silver City ran the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.98. The only other race at the distance Saturday was run in 1:17.44. Silver City is another whos going to New Orleans and will probably make his next start in the Sugar Bowl Stakes or the LeComte.
The featured race at Churchill was, of course, the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, where Beethoven won. But, frankly, I was much more impressed with Giant Oak, who rallied five-wide and finished second, only a neck behind the winner, who had a perfect rail trip.
And so while faithful to the position that cats are best viewed in a bag, Ill offer these Ten for the Triple Crown. Its a highly personal list, and Im not suggesting these are the top ten prospects I intentionally exclude those such as Midshipman and Vineyard Haven who will take the Dubai road to the Triple Crown -- nor do I suggest theyre still in the bag since Break Water Edison and Hello Broadway are well known and since Ive already written about some of them at length, such as Old Fashioned and Indygo Mountain. But these are 10 that have grabbed my interest, shaken it by the lapels and screamed, You havent seen anything yet. (When quoting horses, I take the liberty of cleaning up their grammar. They actually said, You aint seen nothing yet.)
1. Old Fashioned
2. Break Water Edison
3. Hello Broadway
4. Indygo Mountain
5. Pioneerof The Nile
6. Quality Road
7. Well Positioned
8. Giant Oak
9. Trinity Magic
10. Silver City
Its always more fun and rewarding to view the cat still in the bag, before the escape, before it gets out and exposes its talent to the scrutiny and the attention of the world.
Still in the bag, Old Fashioned offered a glimpse Nov. 3, when he won by 15 1/2 lengths at Delaware. But Saturday, he jumped out, danced the Boogaloo and sang the largo al factotum aria from The Barber of Seville, winning the Remsen at Aqueduct by more than seven lengths.
It sure looked like it wasnt a strenuous effort for him, his trainer, Larry Jones, said today, and he came back to the barn like it wasnt a big deal.
But that, of course, was a big deal. A handsome gray colt who moves over the ground like a breeze, Old Fashioned jumped to the top of a list of Triple Crown prospects. -- or rather he jumped out to a longer lead among a group of personal favorites, for indeed he was already at the top.
In winning the Remsen, he completed the nine furlongs in 1:50.33, a solid clocking on a day when the Aqueduct surface wasnt especially fast. Springside won the Demoiselle in 1:51.71. But the most impressive thing about Old Fashioneds victory was the its style, the stunning combination of ease and domination. While steadily drawing away from the field, and with little encouragement, Old Fashioned ran the final three-eighths of a mile in 36.15 seconds.
Old Fashioned will soon join the Jones horses at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. And its more than likely, the trainer said, that Old Fashioned will make his 2009 debut Feb. 7 in the Fair Grounds Risen Star Stakes. But Jones has other promising youngsters in his barn, including Friesan Fire, an A. P. Indy colt who ran fourth in the Nashua, and It Happened Again, a flashy maiden winner at Philly Park, and in an effort to keep them apart, the trainer will keep some, he said, in New Orleans and run some at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
Old Fashioned wasnt the only cat to escape this weekend at Aqueduct. Quality Road, a bay colt who has speed and athleticism and who looks like hes flowing as much as running, won his debut by nearly three lengths in a very good maiden field. A son of Elusive Quality, Quality Road ran the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.11, a fast time for the day.
And at Churchill, Silver City won an allowance race in such a way as to suggest he could develop into somebody special. With jockey Miguel Mena looking over his shoulder, Silver City ran the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.98. The only other race at the distance Saturday was run in 1:17.44. Silver City is another whos going to New Orleans and will probably make his next start in the Sugar Bowl Stakes or the LeComte.
The featured race at Churchill was, of course, the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, where Beethoven won. But, frankly, I was much more impressed with Giant Oak, who rallied five-wide and finished second, only a neck behind the winner, who had a perfect rail trip.
And so while faithful to the position that cats are best viewed in a bag, Ill offer these Ten for the Triple Crown. Its a highly personal list, and Im not suggesting these are the top ten prospects I intentionally exclude those such as Midshipman and Vineyard Haven who will take the Dubai road to the Triple Crown -- nor do I suggest theyre still in the bag since Break Water Edison and Hello Broadway are well known and since Ive already written about some of them at length, such as Old Fashioned and Indygo Mountain. But these are 10 that have grabbed my interest, shaken it by the lapels and screamed, You havent seen anything yet. (When quoting horses, I take the liberty of cleaning up their grammar. They actually said, You aint seen nothing yet.)
1. Old Fashioned
2. Break Water Edison
3. Hello Broadway
4. Indygo Mountain
5. Pioneerof The Nile
6. Quality Road
7. Well Positioned
8. Giant Oak
9. Trinity Magic
10. Silver City
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