John Battaglia

[mysaladdays]

I don't see one horse in here that I have any feeling for at all. 

The chalk, Epic Ride, who is horse for the course, dropped 12 speed points from a sprint race when having to run a route, plus is giving 6 lbs to so many other horses in here, yet will go off as the favorite?   

[cherokeescot]

This is normally the worst Derby prep race on the calendar. Can’t remember the last decent horse to win it.

[1hooper]

It only gets Derby points because Churchill bought Turfway in 2019.

[mysaladdays]

Feb 29, 2024 18:36:07 GMT -5 cherokeescot said:

This is normally the worst Derby prep race on the calendar. Can’t remember the last decent horse to win it.

Well I did really like Scoobie Quando as a horse. 

This year we get a pick of worst prep.   The turfway race shouldn't even be a prep race.  And the favorite makes no sense to me based on what I said above. 

And the San Feliipe is just a G2 paid workout for Baffert horses.  The San Felipe is not any of the TC races.... I just remember who he took to the Futurity, RBLewis and San Felipe and it was Dortmund (not American Pharoah... who he saved for the larger points races).  

[merasmag]

the battaglias i know r
sox fans

[merasmag]

didn't cs point out
sa said
they dumped another race
for the san felipe
or sum such nonsence
MY GOD I HATE
THE POINT SYSTEM

[mysaladdays]

Cant really say this Track isn't productive though....... 

Rich Strike ran 4th in the John Battaglia race and won the KY Derby. 

Two Phils, without a doubt, a highly talented runner, ran in and won the Jeff Ruby. 


Unfortunately, many horse players were "taught" to disregard AW horses and Turfers as well, but they missed out on 

Animal Kingdom - ran his vinery on AW, and his allowances and maidens on turf and AW
Mine that Bird - ran his big stakes races in CAN on AW and the BC Juvie on AW 
Rich Strike - ran 3 big stakes races at Turfway on AW (Battaglia, Jeff Ruby, Leonatus) 
Barbaro - ran prep races at Laurel, Calder, Delaware on Turf 
Street Sense - final prep was on AW  and previous races at KEEN
Hard Spun - final prep at Turfway, ran 2nd in KY Derby

And people oftne miss out on the superfecta, like with Sedgefield, for same reasons. 

 Just because one of the well known talking heads was unable to cap AW  shouldn't have pushed everyone else into that direction. :snark:


Putting too much distinction to surfaces is something that CAN become a trap.   While of course there are some "synth specialists" who have to love every inch of an AW track, it has always been my belief that a truly good racehorse can run on anything.  


the person who taught me this explained it like this and it was a great analogy how you could hand an apple or a tree branch to some of the top baseball players, instead of a ball or a bat, and they will still either hit a home run or strike you out.  And, they will do it repeatedly.   Not a fluke. 

 "The athlete is pre-eminent". 


Street Sense's best races were where he worked on AW and then raced on dirt, and it sure didn't hurt Hard Spun, and they ran 1-2 in the derby that year. I have a friend who plays Australia and gives extra points to those coming off synth, says it conditions them. Also, my other friend said he will never forget the first week KEEN opened on AW, there were good handicappers who ignored the speed figure guy who couldn't cap synth, and I think it was Gary Stevens, Caton Bader or maybe Jill Byrne, they had a killer successful day at KEEN ....they picked out horses with the largest hooves, spent time in the paddock looking, and those were, of course, the turfers.

[cherokeescot]

Gettysburg Address is scratched along with Break Out and Katheeb

[UpInClass]