Barbaro "worked" 4 furlongs this morning?

[depalma13]

Supposedly, they took him out for a gallop this morning, which in itself is odd, and a horse that was working approached him and he hooked up with that horse and worked for about 4 furlongs. His legend is getting bigger by the moment.

[JPinMaryland]

Yeah, someone tell that Matz guy he doesnt know how to work out his horses.

[BetHorses!]

any truth to this?? I did not hear anything

[LaughAndBeMerry]

I know it's a little late, but I didn't see this thread or I would have posted this info.

Barbaro worked a mile for the Derby NOT 4F, the clockers messed it up. How do I know this? Two friends of mine are private clockers and both witnessed the same thing. He went in about 1:37 including a 1/4 mile around the turn in 24. Their explanation was that the official clocker simply missed the beginning of the work and didn't pick up Barbaro until he had already gone about 6F. This isn't a ha-ha I knew and others didn't post. My clocker friends BEGGED me to bet him. I didn't. I couldn't bet a horse that was no faster than many others in the field at 6-1. I cashed zip. My clocker friends had the super.

I think its unconscionable that nobody at CD or the DRF caught the full work, I can't imagine how this happened. For the KY Derby, no less. Shame on CD.

LBM

[JPinMaryland]

how could that have been missed? isnt it all on the TVG feed? there must be some video tape of it..

[Tom]

If you read Bruno's book on workouts, you might never look at them again, for all the accuraccy in them. Private clockers that know what they are doing can be a gold mine. Offical track clockers might as well be frying chicken in them there towers. Unlike real sports, t-bred people think they are owed a certain amount of inside crap - this is why racing is gambling, not a sport by any definition. It is more like WWE than football.

[LaughAndBeMerry]

I just checked with my source to re-confirm the story. The only part I got wrong was that the clockers didn't miss the first 6 furlongs, they missed the first 4 furlongs and the last two furlongs. The way it was related was that Barbaro had already moved from a two minute lick to an open gallop and went 4F in about 52. The rider asked him to pick it up at the 4F marker and he did going under 24 around the turn and a little more than 22 in the run through the stretch. The clockers stopped timing at the wire but Barbaro continued on 2F past the fnish line at a pretty good clip getting 8F in 1:37 before they eased him up. Since the clocker didn't start his watch until the 4F marker and clicked it again and the wire, all he caught was a 4F time. A number of other observers had started their watches and gave him credit for the mile. My buddy said it COULD have been an honest mistake but added "hell, what do you think his price would have been if a mile in 1:37 showed?"

This stuff happens all the time in KY. It probably happens elsewhere as well but I don't have any corroborating evidence of it.

[JPinMaryland]

You know what? I believe you. Part of that story got out on one of the other boards. Probably Thorograph or About.com because I cut and pasted a snipppet of the thread:

"Mike some clockers got him in :46 flat for a half. Best derby work since maybe General Assembly (57 and change) many moons ago. He clearly is a turf horse looking at his action and his pedigree, and I am still probably tossing him but it was very impressive indeed..."

I dont know which board it was, maybe I could google it. But the first guy was saying that Barb. had worked 6f in like 47+ and the other guy said wait a minute some people have him going faster...

Saw a story in the paper the next day giving him credit for 46 for the 6f, but didnt think much of it at the time not putting much stock in workouts.

[JPinMaryland]

Laugh: Here is part of the story that was quoted on Thorograph. I think the original story was by Mike Welch (?) of the DRF so it may have appeared in print, it seems to dovetail with what you are saying:


***

Work of the day

If Dick Vitale were on hand during training hours here Saturday, he would have described Barbaro's final Derby work (five furlongs in 59.48 seconds) as "awesome baby!"

Barbaro and exercise rider Peter Brette had to call an audible just prior to beginning the work when a siren signaling a loose horse forced them to stop briefly as they approached the half-mile pole. Brette wisely waited until all was clear, backed Barbaro up an eighth of a mile, then turned around and began again.

Barbaro broke off slowly, covering his opening eighth of a mile in 13.06 seconds and quarter in 25.06 before really leveling out and accelerating once entering the stretch. Barbaro proceeded to cover the next three furlongs in an eye catching 34.42 around the turn to the seven-eighths pole before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.14 with Brette offering little encouragement. In fact, he went so easily after crossing the finish line that it was difficult to tell when the actual work had ended and the gallop-out began. Track clockers credited him with a half-mile in 46 from the three-eighths to seven-eighths pole.

As noted Friday, Barbaro has the high leg action of a turf horse and as a result he does hit the ground harder than most. But the manner in which he stretches out effortlessly and covers ground more than makes up for his action, and Barbaro couldn't be doing any better coming into the Derby.

****

So it seems that it occured as a result of a loose horse and a gallop out.

[toetoe]

Tom,

Maybe I'll write a book on Bruno himself. That guy makes Joe Takach look like a diplomat, Miss Congeniality even. Here's how he rates on my credibility chart >>>>>>> :liar:

[depalma13]

Gary Stevens mentioned it on the NBC broadcast when Barbaro was on his way to the winners circle.

[Tom]

Tom,

Maybe I'll write a book on Bruno himself. That guy makes Joe Takach look like a diplomat, Miss Congeniality even. Here's how he rates on my credibility chart >>>>>>> :liar:

You disagree with his assessment of crappy WO reporting?