George Washington

[PriceAnProbability]

Impressive little thing, isn't he?

[First Time Blinks]

Impressive little thing, isn't he?

Yeah, my on-site clocker today described him as looking like "a $10,000 claimer." He was awful this morning galloping: rank, washy, all over the track.

You can probably box him and David Junior to finish last and next-to-last.

[PriceAnProbability]

Yeah, my on-site clocker today described him as looking like "a $10,000 claimer." He was awful this morning galloping: rank, washy, all over the track.

You can probably box him and David Junior to finish last and next-to-last.

Perhaps this was deliberate?

They could have gone in the turf if they wanted.

[DrugSalvastore]

I'm not exactly bullish about the chances of either one of those two horses myself.


What people must remember with George Washington, is that with a strong showing in the Breeders Cup Classic, they can stand him for stud in Kentucky, and his stud value may increase by as much as possibly $8 million. If he flops, they simply stand him in Europe, where he's earned his reputation as a superstar turf miler.


Winning the Mile would do absolutely nothing for his stud value.


So, it's not like this horse should be considered well meant. Although, I'm sure he'll make a MUCH better showing than Dylan Thomas did in the JC Gold Cup.

Honestly, from a pedigree standpoint, Ouija Board would have a slighty better look than these two Euro raiders in the Classic would. And, since I have Ouija Board picked to finish only 3rd in the Filly And Mare Turf---how, can I possibly like either one of these two Euro's in the Classic?

[rrbauer]

George Washington's trainer, Aidan O'Brien, was on the TVG set at Churchill yesterday (Thursday) and stated that GW is "the most talented horse I have ever trained". So that's one angle.

Another angle is the bad blood between John Magnier and the Darley Stud (Bernardini) people. There was an article about that in the DRF.

[PlanB]

okay, theres a match race, GW vs Bernadini, who do you think wins?
umm, if that takes > 3 secs, you lose.

[First Time Blinks]

Perhaps this was deliberate?

They could have gone in the turf if they wanted.

You think he was deliberately "washy, rank and all over the track?"

1) The horse is a head case. Mutton Chops told my guys last week before GW even arrived that he would freak out while being saddled and would leave any chance he had in the paddock. He was frequently given permission to skip the post parade or be saddled away from the grounds in Europe. No star treatment tomorrow.

2) He's got NO dirt breeding whatsoever. The sire is pure grass (1 for 150 in dirt stakes) and the dam side is all euro turf as far back as you want to go.

3)So why do they run here? What's the impact on his stud value if he wins the Mile? Not much. What if he somehow hits the board in the classic? Big difference. If he gets his ass kicked he's still the world's best grass miler.

[RXB]

Yeah, my on-site clocker today described him as looking like "a $10,000 claimer." He was awful this morning galloping: rank, washy, all over the track.

You can probably box him and David Junior to finish last and next-to-last.

I never cared much for GW's chances as his breeding says grass all the way and he's never gone beyond a mile. I thought David Junior might run okay but you're the FOURTH guy in the last 24 hours who's said that David Junior has looked terrible since arriving at CD. So out he goes, too.

[cj]

I never cared much for GW's chances as his breeding says grass all the way and he's never gone beyond a mile. I thought David Junior might run okay but you're the FOURTH guy in the last 24 hours who's said that David Junior has looked terrible since arriving at CD. So out he goes, too.

Not to mention that trying to win the toughest dirt race in the world off a four month layoff is insane.

[PriceAnProbability]

You think he was deliberately "washy, rank and all over the track?"

1) The horse is a head case. Mutton Chops told my guys last week before GW even arrived that he would freak out while being saddled and would leave any chance he had in the paddock. He was frequently given permission to skip the post parade or be saddled away from the grounds in Europe. No star treatment tomorrow.

2) He's got NO dirt breeding whatsoever. The sire is pure grass (1 for 150 in dirt stakes) and the dam side is all euro turf as far back as you want to go.

3)So why do they run here? What's the impact on his stud value if he wins the Mile? Not much. What if he somehow hits the board in the classic? Big difference. If he gets his ass kicked he's still the world's best grass miler.

So I'm supposed to ignore my handicapping instincts that say this horse is as fast as Barbaro or Bernardini (bred by the Jacksons as well) because someone on an internet board says some anonymous clocker told him the horse was rank?

[WJ47]

I think he's very impressive. If his odds are good, I may toss a few bucks on him. But I think there are way too many "ifs" with him. He's never run on dirt, very tempermental, and never ran over a mile in distance. I'll be impressed if he wins the Classic, but I think he's going to be up against it. I agree that he probably would have done better in the turf mile, but I can see how a Classic win would dramatically increase his breeding value.

On a British racing forum, someone said that Kieran Fallon said that George Washington is the best horse he ever rode. This will be George Washington's last race before retiring him to stud, I read. An article said that because of his injury three months ago, they'd race him until the end of the season and then he'd be at stud.

I keep getting a nagging feeling that maybe they know this horse will handle the dirt and distance. :)

[PriceAnProbability]

I keep getting a nagging feeling that maybe they know this horse will handle the dirt and distance. :)

If he wins, a lot of people are going to feel really stupid.