Smith to Ride MTB in BC Mile

[Bullet Plane]

OK folks....the nail-biting is over. Mike Smith is going to ride MTB in the BC Mile. The gifted gelding with the powerful late kick is sure to be bet down to zilch- due to his fabulous performance in the prelims...
Well, his OK performance in the prelims....
Well, OK.... his willingness to show up in the prelims...
Well, he's got Mike Smith, the hall of famer, on him, by gosh!
That ought to move him up a few lengths....to, ugh, maybe 20 lengths behind the winner?
Maybe they will run the race backwards and award purse money.

[Onion Monster]

His post-Triple Crown career has tarnished that three race run, but he was once very good.

Derby: mud and rail but he destroyed that field.
Preakness: closed nicely behind the year's best runner.
Belmont: bad ride against the bias and still didn't embarrass himself.

I fear he's been tabbed, undeservedly so, as a fluke.

[Investorater]

Why did Mine That Bird finish in the money in all three Triple Crown races?
My opinion is that it's because he was in condition during that 5 week span.
More proof that being in the best of shape can win out over class.

[Shelby]

Guess I won't be getting 50-1 like I did in the derby.......

[joanied]

I'm glad that little horse can't know what a joke he's become, through no fault of his own, IMO. I hope he doesn't draw in the the Mile, but if he does, I hope he surprises everyone and runs a good race...and win, loose, or draw, I hope his owners and Lukas have the good sense to drop him into the Grade 2 & 3 level, and if he can't win there, retire him...he was a 2 yr old Champion, won the KD, and took a piece of the other two legs...that would be enough for most owners, and most owners would see the light and give MTB another career.

[Shelby]

I'm glad that little horse can't know what a joke he's become, through no fault of his own, IMO. I hope he doesn't draw in the the Mile, but if he does, I hope he surprises everyone and runs a good race...and win, loose, or draw, I hope his owners and Lukas have the good sense to drop him into the Grade 2 & 3 level, and if he can't win there, retire him...he was a 2 yr old Champion, won the KD, and took a piece of the other two legs...that would be enough for most owners, and most owners would see the light and give MTB another career.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I see it as a positive that Mike S. wants to ride him again. :) I think I feel a comeback around the corner!

[PhantomOnTour]

He's going in the Mile, as in the turf Mile!? Seems the dirt mile is better for him. If Lukas and company send him in the turf mile their licenses should be taken away....sure...he's got a legit shot vs Goldikova, Paco Boy, Proviso and Gio Ponti :rolleyes: .

They oughta save a little face and look for a nice Stakes race on one of the undercards....one that he may actually win....maybe.

[joanied]

He's going in the Mile, as in the turf Mile!? Seems the dirt mile is better for him. If Lukas and company send him in the turf mile their licenses should be taken away....sure...he's got a legit shot vs Goldikova, Paco Boy, Proviso and Gio Ponti :rolleyes: .

They oughta save a little face and look for a nice Stakes race on one of the undercards....one that he may actually win....maybe.

It's the DIRT Mile. I doubt we'd ever see him on grass again. The Dirt Mile will have just as strong a field as the Turf Mile, though....the little horse will be in touch...
Shelby, even with Mike aboard, MTB will have a tough time of it...unless we all don't know something that Lukas does...
I would think that Mike didn't have a mount for the Dirt Mile, so why not try with the little gelding again...IMO, if Mike had a legit mount for this race, he wouldn't be on MTB. Two good thing...Mike knows the horse well enough, and Mike will take care of him.

OH...PoT...if he doesn't draw into the Mile, they are looking at the Ack Ack on the first day of the BC...now that is a race he might do well in, I don't know who may be pointing for that one, but it sure won't be the kind of horses he'll face in the BC Mile.

[Turkoman]

OK folks....the nail-biting is over. Mike Smith is going to ride MTB in the BC Mile. The gifted gelding with the powerful late kick is sure to be bet down to zilch- due to his fabulous performance in the prelims...
Well, his OK performance in the prelims....
Well, OK.... his willingness to show up in the prelims...
Well, he's got Mike Smith, the hall of famer, on him, by gosh!
That ought to move him up a few lengths....to, ugh, maybe 20 lengths behind the winner?
Maybe they will run the race backwards and award purse money.

Not making fun of the little guy (MTB), but I doubt he can compete in graded stakes these days. I'm curious to know why Lucas insists. MTB just isn't the same horse anymore.

Turkoman

[mountainman]

Not making fun of the little guy (MTB), but I doubt he can compete in graded stakes these days.

Turkoman

He's a horse, Turk, which means he doesn't take umbrage at anything except having his feed tub taken away. So make fun. I promise he won't read it or care.
And it likewise doesn't matter how much a person might defend his record. He would still bite their hand off. I mean LITERALLY. He chomped down on mine once. Hard. Mean, spoiled little sucker.

[Turkoman]

He's a horse, Turk, which means he doesn't take umbrage at anything except having his feed tub taken away. So make fun. I promise he won't read it or care.
And it likewise doesn't matter how much a person might defend his record. He would still bite their hand off. I mean LITERALLY. He chomped down on mine once. Hard. Mean, spoiled little sucker.

Oh, sorry to hear that, but I prefer not to make fun of him. Anyway, it's not what this thread is about.

Turkoman

[mountainman]

Oh, sorry to hear that, but I prefer not to make fun of him. Anyway, it's not what this thread is about.

Turkoman

just teasing pal. and tx for the sympathy. but i do think it's impossible to make fun of a horse, only his connections by proxy. they're the ones that can read and have feelings. feelings that owners and trainers often try to project on the animal. like when some trainer, for instance, says "we're running in the derby because the horse deserves the shot." oh really?? lol. let me clue ya dude, the horse don't give a hoot. you're doing it for you.

[Turkoman]

just teasing pal. and tx for the sympathy. but i do think it's impossible to make fun of a horse, only his connections by proxy. they're the ones that can read and have feelings. feelings that owners and trainers often try to project on the animal. like when some trainer, for instance, says "we're running in the derby because the horse deserves the shot." oh really?? lol. let me clue ya dude, the horse don't give a hoot. you're doing it for you.

Well, yeah. That was a funny one. You made me laugh now. They run him in the derby because they want a piece of the $2m purse.......hehe

[joanied]

He's a horse, Turk, which means he doesn't take umbrage at anything except having his feed tub taken away. So make fun. I promise he won't read it or care.
And it likewise doesn't matter how much a person might defend his record. He would still bite their hand off. I mean LITERALLY. He chomped down on mine once. Hard. Mean, spoiled little sucker.

Sorry, mountainman...but that made me :lol: ...don't ya know ya gotta watch it around those race horses ;) ...I know it hurts like hell. In all my years at belmont Park, and around horses in general, I've been lucky to get bit just one time...but it was on my belly, and let me tell you...if I'd had a gun :eek: ...man that hurt!!!

True, that they don't know what type of race they are running in, claimers or Grade I's...and if you think about it, that saying about 'he deserves a shot' really IS silly because you are right...it's for the human connections...although, horses, at least the good ones, know when they win or loose...and some are not good loosers and will get pretty damned sulky...so, in that vein, continually running MTB in races he can't win, in races where he can see he's the last one in the 'herd', can do nothing good for MTB's mind/self confidence.

[letswastemoney]

He doesn't have any chance for a powerful late kick, because Lukas insists on putting speed into him early on.

[mountainman]

Sorry, mountainman...but that made me :lol: ...don't ya know ya gotta watch it around those race horses ;) ...I know it hurts like hell. In all my years at belmont Park, and around horses in general, I've been lucky to get bit just one time...but it was on my belly, and let me tell you...if I'd had a gun :eek: ...man that hurt!!!

True, that they don't know what type of race they are running in, claimers or Grade I's...and if you think about it, that saying about 'he deserves a shot' really IS silly because you are right...it's for the human connections...although, horses, at least the good ones, know when they win or loose...and some are not good loosers and will get pretty damned sulky...so, in that vein, continually running MTB in races he can't win, in races where he can see he's the last one in the 'herd', can do nothing good for MTB's mind/self confidence.

I've worked around racehorses and the risk was apparent, joanie. He was pinning his ears at me. But since he's a ky derby winner and we worked so hard to get him to mnr, I wanted to touch him. I was standing there stupidly basking in our accomplishment and acted on an emotional impulse that could have cost me a finger.

[joanied]

I've worked around racehorses and the risk was apparent, joanie. He was pinning his ears at me. But since he's a ky derby winner and we worked so hard to get him to mnr, I wanted to touch him. I was standing there stupidly basking in our accomplishment and acted on an emotional impulse that could have cost me a finger.

I know you have...but I couldn't help myself :) ...fact is, I'm still sittin' here with the giggles!!
I read that before they gelded him he was a terror...most often, some of that mean is still there after gelding...Forego was like that...you had better pay attention when you were around that monster!!

Ever been kicked?

[joanied]

He doesn't have any chance for a powerful late kick, because Lukas insists on putting speed into him early on.

Well, after that last 'experiment', Lukas will probably tell Mike to sit back...unless the little horse just takes Mike into it, I think they'll try that late run...

I wonder, does Calvin already have a mount in the Dirt Mile?

[mountainman]

I know you have...but I couldn't help myself :) ...fact is, I'm still sittin' here with the giggles!!
I read that before they gelded him he was a terror...most often, some of that mean is still there after gelding...Forego was like that...you had better pay attention when you were around that monster!!

Ever been kicked?

Cow kicked in the hip once. Sent me sprawling, but not really hurt. Somebody told me that Don Rice's death was caused by a kick. He'd just pulled the halter to turn one out, and the horse spun and nailed him.

[JustRalph]

Guess I won't be getting 50-1 like I did in the derby.......

I hope you curshed it. I had him on top in the exacta too........

but for some goofy reason when I placed the bet his name was "ALL"


I guess Mike Smith might be a "come from behind " rider and all......but I would also think there aren't many better than Calvin Borel when it comes to employing those tactics.

[Dahoss9698]

With Smith riding you can pretty much count out a rail skimming ride. Unless the rail you are talking about is the outside rail.

[joanied]

Cow kicked in the hip once. Sent me sprawling, but not really hurt. Somebody told me that Don Rice's death was caused by a kick. He'd just pulled the halter to turn one out, and the horse spun and nailed him.

OMG...that's horrible...turning out horses, especially TB's is always risky...even being extremely careful, they spin so fast you never know what hit you.

Lucky for you it was a cow kick, or your hip probably would have broke...on the track, I got kicked just once (amazing, considering)...working for George Poole (Tim Poole's dad), wasn't on the track long and I was walking hots for Mr. Poole...had a Chatuguay (spelling?) filly that was a real handful and I let her get to the end of the lead shank...pow...caught me on the inside of a thigh...black & blue for weeks!!
Been kicked by a few foals, my own, no less...just being in the wrong place while they played, those little feet hurt:D ...
been run over a few times too :D ...amazing I'm still in one piece:eek: ...
working with horses gives you lots of 'tails' to tell...some not so good;)

[joanied]

I hope you curshed it. I had him on top in the exacta too........

but for some goofy reason when I placed the bet his name was "ALL"


I guess Mike Smith might be a "come from behind " rider and all......but I would also think there aren't many better than Calvin Borel when it comes to employing those tactics.

I was thinking the same thing...and Calvin might get rail position...he must be committed to another horse in the Mile?

Of course, MTB may not even draw in...

[Valuist]

Lukas must be getting Alzheimer's in his old age. What is he thinking?

The DIRT mile would make sense. What would make the most sense is to just point the horse for the Clark Handicap over T-Giving weekend.

[Robert Fischer]

Borel was so amazing. THat shit just isn't supposed to happen. A jockey doesn't win the derby. If a jockey wins any race ever, it's supposed to be the odd bottom level claimer that doesn't contain drugged up horses, nor veryold-butstill-betterthantheclass runners that folks are scared to claim and a good jockey can leverage the parity to be the winning factor.

Borel did this several times and MTB was his masterpiece. Unfortunately he exposed a lot of insight into Street Sense, but at the same time he absolutely revealed the greatness of what he had succeeded in pulling off.
The Super Saver ride was special, in that he had to run closer to a difficult pace, and had to make skillful moves to prevent Super Saver's poor footwork from once again being the talented runner's downfall, and Street Sense was the first derby winner and thus was clouded in ignorance and magnified that regal animal's apparent dominance, but Mine That Bird was the ride that made it completely clear what Borel had done.

[Shelby]

I hope you curshed it. I had him on top in the exacta too........

but for some goofy reason when I placed the bet his name was "ALL"


I guess Mike Smith might be a "come from behind " rider and all......but I would also think there aren't many better than Calvin Borel when it comes to employing those tactics.

I only did a $2 WPS, but it was sure a nice return :).

[joanied]

Lukas must be getting Alzheimer's in his old age. What is he thinking?

The DIRT mile would make sense. What would make the most sense is to just point the horse for the Clark Handicap over T-Giving weekend.

Valuist...it IS the DIRT Mile...but he may not draw in anyway...if not, they are looking at the Ack Ack on Nov.5th.

[bks]

He's a complete kick. He's probably 6/5 to run last.

If the track turns goopy, you could move him up.

[SmartyParty]

I'm glad that little horse can't know what a joke he's become, through no fault of his own, IMO. I hope he doesn't draw in the the Mile, but if he does, I hope he surprises everyone and runs a good race...and win, loose, or draw, I hope his owners and Lukas have the good sense to drop him into the Grade 2 & 3 level, and if he can't win there, retire him...he was a 2 yr old Champion, won the KD, and took a piece of the other two legs...that would be enough for most owners, and most owners would see the light and give MTB another career.

I could not have said it better! He deserves so much more than what he's gotten!