How Good is Flower Alley?

[Prado Can Ride]

How good do you think Flower Alley is? I mean Watchmaker has him #1 and He looked good winning yesterday so how good is he and the classic division?

[Cesario!]

I never thought he was all that good -- even after the Travers last year. But, his performance in the Classic showed me something. And, he didn't run his best race yesterday, and still managed to beat a decent group. It was the first time I've ever placed a bet (straight exacta with Park Avenue Ball) on him.

Is he have the highest ceiling in the division? Probably not, but, except for the weird jockey club start on the turn last year, he's as consistent as anybody. I'd put Lava Man above him right now, though.

Here's the watchmaker list (for reference).

1 - Flower Alley
Division needs him to come back strong
2 - Lava Man
So versatile; focuses now on dirt races
3 - Surf Cat
Big talent is slowed with a foot bruise
4 - Commentator
There is very little depth in this division
5 - Bellamy Road 8 - Buzzards Bay (7)
6 - Brass Hat 9 - Silver Train
7 - Perfect Drift (8) 10 - Invasor

[horse1]

I never thought he was all that good -- even after the Travers last year. But, his performance in the Classic showed me something. And, he didn't run his best race yesterday, and still managed to beat a decent group. It was the first time I've ever placed a bet (straight exacta with Park Avenue Ball) on him.

Is he have the highest ceiling in the division? Probably not, but, except for the weird jockey club start on the turn last year, he's as consistent as anybody. I'd put Lava Man above him right now, though.

Here's the watchmaker list (for reference).

1 - Flower Alley
Division needs him to come back strong
2 - Lava Man
So versatile; focuses now on dirt races
3 - Surf Cat
Big talent is slowed with a foot bruise
4 - Commentator
There is very little depth in this division
5 - Bellamy Road 8 - Buzzards Bay (7)
6 - Brass Hat 9 - Silver Train
7 - Perfect Drift (8) 10 - Invasor


well lava man may be fast out west, but he won't hit the board on 11-6 in kentucky,
neither will surf cat, 10f is just too far for him.

commentatoer, is still an active horse ?
same for bellamy road
silver train is a sprinter who shpuld have been taken down in the BCS for interference.

flower alley runs once at 8f and he is on top of the division.

how is it that clockbreaker stays employeed??

hr obviously doesn't spend much time thinking about his lists

[Cesario!]

I would jump at a chance to take that Lava Man bet. East Coast Bias is so prevelant in this sport -- I can't wait till November.

[Prado Can Ride]

well lava man may be fast out west, but he won't hit the board on 11-6 in kentucky,
neither will surf cat, 10f is just too far for him.


Man your wrong on that one, Lava Man is a tough horse. Surf Cat is even better in my book.!

[Valuist]

I think Lava Man would destroy Flower Alley.

[kenwoodallpromos]

The only thread on PA with "Lava Man" in the title has 3 total posts; this one now has 7!
Flower Alley wins, 7-3! And was a horse to watch of mine a year aog!

[PaceAdvantage]

I think I'm going to have to start editing for content soon....:lol: :( :confused:

[cj]

I haven't done the figures for the Mth race, and seeing it was nothing but a prep it probably isn't a big one. But, Flower Alley is faster on my numbers by a decent amount over Lava Man.

I am a fan of Lava Man, by the way. How many horses can you think of that are G1 winners on dirt and turf in the last 20 years?

[BIG49010]

Seems like horses are taking to the hard grass or something? More and more are running well on both these days. Perfect Drift runs well on both, but does not win on either, but his figures are close on each.

[horse1]

Seems like horses are taking to the hard grass or something? More and more are running well on both these days. Perfect Drift runs well on both, but does not win on either, but his figures are close on each.

perfect drift is no where near the money on the turf, not at Ap years back, not in his preps this year or last, they run him on the turf to gets his legs in shape and save his ankles a little shock.

lava man may beat flower alley, out west at delmar or even at oak tree,
but the west coast horses will not have a chance on the soft east coast dirt,
and vise versa. st liam shipped west and was no where to be seen, he finished up the track.

the only horse that shipped form the west coast and did any damage recently was the awesome son of el prado, borrego. and he ran his BCC in the JCGC.

[Stevie Belmont]

I agree with Watchmaker. Flower Alley ran a great race last year in the Classic. Nice time off to improve. Huge player in the handicap divison. On class alone he deserves his ranking.

[Valuist]

Perfect Drift is nowhere near as good on grass as he is on dirt. His two mediocre turf races to start 2006 helped darken the form enough to make him a big overlay in the Foster, and IMO, the right bet in that race. The fact he missed by an inch doesn't mean he wasn' the proper play in the Foster.

[Valuist]

I haven't done the figures for the Mth race, and seeing it was nothing but a prep it probably isn't a big one. But, Flower Alley is faster on my numbers by a decent amount over Lava Man.

I am a fan of Lava Man, by the way. How many horses can you think of that are G1 winners on dirt and turf in the last 20 years?

I may have to go back over 20 years but the ones that come to mind are John Henry, Greinton, Lord at War and believe it or not, Castledale. Giants Causeway was pretty close, narrowly missing in the BC.

[dccprez]

I may have to go back over 20 years but the ones that come to mind are John Henry, Greinton, Lord at War and believe it or not, Castledale. Giants Causeway was pretty close, narrowly missing in the BC.

How about With Anticipation? Didn't he win some on the dirt? I suspect not a G1...

[Valuist]

I don't think so. He needed a paceless race on the lawn. If he ever won on the dirt it was probably an off-the-turf affair so it wouldn't have been graded.

[toetoe]

cj,

It may be more than 20 years, buy I'll guess Greinton and/or Lord At War.

I'm so out of the loop, but has Lava Man won a Gr. I on turf since that Cal-bred Hollywood race? I guess he must have. :confused:

[cnollfan]

I was impressed with Flower Alley's race in last year's Kentucky Derby. He was the only horse on the dull rail and near the fast pace to stick around some.

[classhandicapper]

If Flower Alley comes back as good as he left off and perhaps even develops further, he will be very tough for anyone. Can't really tell much off the first race because it was prep, but a win was a good sign.

[ELA]

I didn't think he was a top colt last year when he won the Lanes End. Don't get me wrong, very nice colt with potential, and I would love to own him. However, I just didn't think he was a top colt. Now, the colt I saw in Saratoga was not the same colt. Maybe I discounted him, however, I thought he turned the corner and put more of it together. I saw more. Even so, he has surprised me more and more, perhaps because I didn't set the bar high enough on expectations.


If he keeps going forward from here, he will be a major force in his division.

Eric