Coal Play Draws The 2 Hole

[Stevie Belmont]

Coal Play drew the 2 hole for the Pegasus Friday night at the Meadowlands. Catch me if you can.

[the little guy]

I hope he does better than A.P. Cardinal.

[ghostyapper]

Very strange zito would run coal play and da'tara against each other considering their running styles

[the little guy]

Very strange zito would run coal play and da'tara against each other considering their running styles


It feels like one might scratch as Bravo is named on both.

I hope Coal Play does well, but this does not look like an easy spot for him with other real speed in the race. Doesn't Mott's horse look super tough on paper.

[Stevie Belmont]

I'll tell you what, every horse I have ever mentioned has made it to a stakes. And putting that one in the Champagne was a move to me that made little sense. Simply not ready for that.

I hope he does better than A.P. Cardinal.

[Stevie Belmont]

Someone might scratch out. Da'Tara maybe or him. Coal Play could very well see some pressure, gets to the front with that short jaunt into the clubhouse turn, Will go as far as he can. I expect him to be there late.

[onefast99]

I'll tell you what, every horse I have ever mentioned has made it to a stakes. And putting that one in the Champagne was a move to me that made little sense. Simply not ready for that.
TLG doesnt like this horse, so the horse will just have to prove him wrong. The only way to do that is by winning a decent race. I agree the Champagne was a bad move both entering him in it and the way he wilted on the front end. See you friday!

[Stevie Belmont]

I'm not sure how good he will be. I was'nt gaga though over it. The maiden win was good, liked it. Worked a little. Moving him into that race was just not fair. Totally up against it in that spot. Showed speed, but way behind the others in experience.

Does have speed, so thats a good asset to have for any thoroughbred.

The best 1sters I have seen at Monmouth were Power Game And Bold Union, she was the best 1st time effort I have seen.

[cj]

Coal Play drew the 2 hole for the Pegasus Friday night at the Meadowlands. Catch me if you can.

Every horse but one caught him at 6 to 5.

[onefast99]

I hope he does better than A.P. Cardinal.
About the same, looked great at MP, but that was it.

[proximity]

i thought this race was maybe the best opportunity of what was certainly a long and exhausting weekend of racing.

i narrowed the race down to three contenders (top kuck speed rating in parentheses): coal play (81), atoned (79 3/4), and you and i forever (79 3/4).

you and i forever had earned his top 3 starts back while breaking from the rail at sar and then declined to a 71+ after going wide in the pa derby. he showed his resiliency by jumping back up to a 78 in the jerome, but the fact that that near top effort was only 19 days ago combined with the outside post draw made it likely that he would not run back to his top numbers.

coal play ran a monster effort in the haskell where stepped way up and almost wired big brown, earning an 80 1/4. then off 7 weeks rest he returned with a new top kuck rating of 81 in the majestic prince. again, the two consecutive big tops and the short rest this time made it very likely that he would bounce.

finally, atoned had earned his top off the layoff four starts back in the spend a buck. he held up pretty well in the long branch, only declining a few points to a 76. then off these two strenuous efforts and short rest he totally bombed in the haskell, running a pitiful 43. a month later he rebounded (began to cycle back) with a wide 74 in the pa derby. this time trainer todd pletcher (27% off layoff vs 19% overall) gave atoned the time he needed to come back with a top effort, which he did, holding off long shot ready set (a colt that i had unfortunately overlooked) and paying $17.80.

sorry for the long ragozinesque redboard, but i think this is definitely a good race for discussion possibly because it is still somewhat of a tough play for me to make. i have a horse in coal play that i think is the faster and more durable animal, but given the timing of this race i was forced to go with atoned. this is something that goes against every natural instinct you have as a horseplayer and is something that has always impressed me about len ragozin..... to put the time into making your own numbers and then having the maturity to recognize the truth and make plays like this against those very numbers.

[Imriledup]

i thought this race was maybe the best opportunity of what was certainly a long and exhausting weekend of racing.

i narrowed the race down to three contenders (top kuck speed rating in parentheses): coal play (81), atoned (79 3/4), and you and i forever (79 3/4).

you and i forever had earned his top 3 starts back while breaking from the rail at sar and then declined to a 71+ after going wide in the pa derby. he showed his resiliency by jumping back up to a 78 in the jerome, but the fact that that near top effort was only 19 days ago combined with the outside post draw made it likely that he would not run back to his top numbers.

coal play ran a monster effort in the haskell where stepped way up and almost wired big brown, earning an 80 1/4. then off 7 weeks rest he returned with a new top kuck rating of 81 in the majestic prince. again, the two consecutive big tops and the short rest this time made it very likely that he would bounce.

finally, atoned had earned his top off the layoff four starts back in the spend a buck. he held up pretty well in the long branch, only declining a few points to a 76. then off these two strenuous efforts and short rest he totally bombed in the haskell, running a pitiful 43. a month later he rebounded (began to cycle back) with a wide 74 in the pa derby. this time trainer todd pletcher (27% off layoff vs 19% overall) gave atoned the time he needed to come back with a top effort, which he did, holding off long shot ready set (a colt that i had unfortunately overlooked) and paying $17.80.

sorry for the long ragozinesque redboard, but i think this is definitely a good race for discussion possibly because it is still somewhat of a tough play for me to make. i have a horse in coal play that i think is the faster and more durable animal, but given the timing of this race i was forced to go with atoned. this is something that goes against every natural instinct you have as a horseplayer and is something that has always impressed me about len ragozin..... to put the time into making your own numbers and then having the maturity to recognize the truth and make plays like this against those very numbers.

I actually hammered this race, so i got back a chunk of the money i lost on the BC filly card.

I keyed off ready Set. I just felt that there was a lot of pace in the race and thought that the fave would have to deal with a duel, which worked out in my favor. I would have done better had ready set got up to win, but i wasn't complaining.

[proximity]

I actually hammered this race, so i got back a chunk of the money i lost on the BC filly card.

I keyed off ready Set. I just felt that there was a lot of pace in the race and thought that the fave would have to deal with a duel, which worked out in my favor. I would have done better had ready set got up to win, but i wasn't complaining.

looking back after the race, i could see some merits in ready set.

he had earned a nice 77 coming off the layoff back in the spring(as a young 3yo) at del and was coming off a layoff again for trainer matz who my stats had as being slightly better (18%) off the layoff than (14%) overall. he also had a big win in the wva derby that i didn't have a number for.

congrats on the score!!