N.N.Y.

[toetoe]

Naughty New Yorker runs Sat. for a puny purse (8th@AQ), but all part of itinerary leading to K. Derby. 4/1 m.l. from the rail, just don't expect anything near 4/1. Ye of little faith can see his last race (Damon Runyon Stakes) @ N.Y.R.A. website. New York looking good so far with this guy and Galloping Grocer. End of gush.

[Observer]

The Count Fleet is very deep. If you don't expect anything near 4-1 .. what odds do you expect???

[Suff]

I've been looking at that race off and on all Night. For a bunch of reasons... I like the race and Think I'll enjoy watching it... I'm going down tommorrow and I'm getting a Jump on my handicapping work and most importantly... I am determined to hit the RidersUp Pik4 tommorrow and I think that is the key/swing race of my ticket...

But i think you will get a fair price on NNY... and I'll tell you why..

They're going to bet Father Weist Tommorrow because he has two open stakes trys...and NNY has statebred efforts... also Father Weist got within First down yardage of Rockport Harbor and Galloping Grocer....and coming back for 75 grand added is a big class drop..

They are going to bet Qualified Opinion big.. because he has been "talked up"......and he'll be bet

They are going to bet Tani Maru because Bush is a whacky out of this world 11 for 24 and berjano gets back aboard... PLUS>. he beat Father Weist while earning his Lifetime High Beyer the first time he saw two turns... He needed 22 and 46 to get it done... but he may just run the race that NNY is supposed to run. NNY has been spotting fields 8 and 10 lengths and that may not work with this field of freaks... I don't think you want to give anyone 10 lengths on the inner in this type of race...

Of course they are going to bet Killenaule because he was even closer to Rockport harbor and is a FAT 9 for 9 ITM with lots of tip top stakes efforts

and finally... If it gets wet and It looks like it might.. They just may bet that Woodbine shipper a little. A freak effort at 4/5 last out. Won by 12 in the slop and earned an 85.. and that Number at the least earns him a ticket to this dance.

Interesting race. I'm looking forward to betting and watching it.

[toetoe]

I was thinking 9/5 or 2/1. I will pray for higher. Y'know, that woodbine colt is the other one I was looking at, and he'll be long, I think. Now, NYY came within 7 of gg, like everybody else, but has taken off the last 2. He may not fall so far out of it. Remember, way wide on BOTH turns last time, rail today. I think Summerland would have some shot because of the mad speed party, but he's not entered. I forgot that it's open company, so maybe NYY's odds will drift up. I think the key ridersup race is the 7th. Is Zito's comebacker just a Jacques Who, able to run 2nd to anybody, but never winning? 2nd to Strong Hope, Pletcher's best horse. Nice pick-4 sequence, but tough. S'pose I should look @ early one too.

[toetoe]

Suff,
Will you have play Ridersup hours early, as you're going down to N.Y.? How does that work?

[Suff]

Suff,
as you're going down to N.Y.?

No... "going down" comes from Suffolk "downs" which is commonly refered to as "THE Downz"... Also... Its cyrptic when your in mixed company or your in public on the phone and want to ask a guy if he's going the track... "You goin down"? or "You gonna be down" or "I'll be down"

i AM going down.. matter of fact.. I'm leaving in 20 minutes. Good luck today. Here's an article on the race we both like at the BIG A!

btw.. after considerable thought and effort.. I landed on Killenaul. I may change my mind when I see the Post Parade and the track condition.. But I think he's the one to beat. If they give me qualified opinion over 11-1 I may shoot him..and most certainly will be using underneath...


http://www1.nyra.com/aqueduct/second.asp?track=A&id=1707




Who would have thought that five months after last year's Count Fleet, the winner of that race would be aiming for the Visa Triple Crown after victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness?

Smarty Jones made his three-year-old debut in the Count Fleet and went on to have a memorable and electrifying season before his career ended with retirement over the summer.

Perhaps some horsemen now consider today's $75,000 Count Fleet at a mile and 70 yards a good place to start on the long and winding three-year-old Triple Crown trail as a big field has been entered for the only stakes race of the weekend at Aqueduct.
Without a doubt, the toughest race any of the Count Fleet runners exit is the Grade 2 Remsen, which featured undefeated juveniles Rockport Harbor and Galloping Grocer tussling through the stretch.


Michael Tabor's Killenaule finished third in the Remsen beaten 8 1/2 lengths behind the top two highly regarded youngsters. Killenaule sat just off the pace going a mile and an eighth, but could not match Rockport Harbor or Galloping Grocer from the far turn home.
"The quality of those two (Rockport Harbor and Galloping Grocer) has yet to be seen, but there's no doubt they're serious contenders on the Triple Crown trail," said Seth Benzel, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, the conditioner of Killenaule. "Fortunately for us, they're not showing up this time and their absence translates into a class edge for us."
Killenaule has already made five starts around two turns, winning three of those races including listed stakes at Delaware and The Meadowlands. In total, the son of 2000 Wood Memorial and Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus has made nine starts, more than anyone else in the Count Fleet.
"We have a very seasoned horse for this time of year," Benzel said. "He's settling a lot better in the races than he was earlier last year."


With a large field expected and his tactical speed, Killenaule would be helped out by an inside post position.
"Post position is going to be very key in this race," Benzel said. "At least he's versatile enough to be on the lead or stalk from just off."


Fox Ridge Farm's Empire-state bred Naughty New Yorker seems to have really come to hand in his last couple of starts for trainer Pat Kelly. After finishing second to Galloping Grocer as a maiden in the Sleepy Hollow, the Quiet American colt dusted state-bred maidens and then romped to a runaway 8 1/2-length win in the Damon Runyon. The most interesting part of Naughty New Yorker could be his running style. In both victories he made big moves around the far turn and was able to continue on.
"He does it so strangely, looping the field like that," Kelly said. "He did that against New York-breds, so we'll see if he can do it against better horses on Saturday."
Naughty New Yorker is clearly a better horse now than in the first few starts of his young career.
"Blinkers have helped him a lot," said Kelly, who added the equipment for the colt's third start. "They have him more focused and he's put everything together."


No trainer on the grounds is hotter than Tom Bush, clicking at about a 40 percent clip. He claimed Tani Maru for Donald and Adam Newman for $75,000 out of a Spa maiden claimer and in three starts for his new connections, Tani Maru owns two wins and a third in the listed Huntington.
"Donald Newman and his sons, Adam and Richard, are very serious handicappers," Bush said. "They studied his form and really liked his first couple of races at Saratoga. We liked his pedigree and he looked good in the paddock, so we put a claim in for him."


Tani Maru's last start, a December 15th allowance, was the Devil His Due colt's first try around two turns and it resulted in victory, although he had to work hard to best Scrappy T and Father Weist in a photo.
"I was very happy to see that he had no trouble with the distance in his last race," Bush said. "He did break a little awkwardly from the outside and that made him run a little awkwardly around the first turn. Hopefully, he'll be more composed leaving the gate this time. He's still learning."
Despite his hot streak and excellent 2004 season, Bush said owners are not knocking down the barn door to get him to train their horses.
"It's strange," Bush said. "Some people win a couple races and their phone rings off the hook. I'm just happy that our stable has been doing as well as it has. When you have good horses, it makes a big difference."
After being narrowly defeated by Tani Maru, Scrappy T and Father Weist will be back to try to avenge their losses.
Paraneck Stable's Daddy Joe, a $900,000 two-year-old purchase last year, finally broke his maiden in his fifth try and will now have to tackle stakes horses.