Union Rags with big workout

[melman]

Anyone know of Gary Young? In the article he is called one of the sharpest workout observers in the business.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/horse_racing/20120503_Union_Rags_looking_good_heading_into_Derb y.html

[mannyberrios]

I'll take him at 4-1

[CincyHorseplayer]

Good stuff Mel.He seems to be really thriving.I wonder slightly if overaggressiveness in making up for Florida will hurt the horse.Plus we have been reminded of Dixie Union's distance limitations.Looking at the distance ratings a lot of these have questions.Between who will be hurt by the pace,who will be hurt by the distance,and who are hurt by uncompetitive speed,there aren't many that survive the scrutiny!I like the horse anyway.Think he has done little wrong in his career and will run a huge race Saturday.Tough race to bet IMO.

[depalma113]

Sorry, the horse just isn't as good as everyone wants him to be. His Florida Derby was a flop. He was 2-5 and couldn't get past Reveron. That's just sad. I don't care how bad his trip was perceived to be, there is no excuse for not getting past Reveron.

He's not Barbaro.

Much was made about his near stakes record performance in the FOY. It would be impressive if it wasn't the first time the race had been run at a mile and a sixteenth on the new Gulfstream configuration.

The horse should be able to work nicely going 4 or 5 furlongs he's proven he can run that in his races.

He's not Barbaro.

He's too slow for the competition he is going to face. He can't handle traffic in a 8 horse field now he's supposed to be able to against 19 other horses? Oh yeah, he comes from a sire that has never thrown a dirt winner beyond 9 panels. His odds are too low for everything he has going against him.

He's not Barbaro.

Others are much more likely.

[Valuist]

Where was all this supposed trouble for Union Rags? Yeah Leparoux certainly didn't gun him from the gate; but he didn't figure to be on the pace. He certainly didn't lose much ground and the pace was to his advantage.

He looks to be over the top. Matz shouldn't even send him to Pimlico.

[cj]

Where was all this supposed trouble for Union Rags? Yeah Leparoux certainly didn't gun him from the gate; but he didn't figure to be on the pace. He certainly didn't lose much ground and the pace was to his advantage.

He looks to be over the top. Matz shouldn't even send him to Pimlico.

I'm no fan of the horse, and I think he is always overbet, but he had a lot of trouble at crucial times.

[nijinski]

He didn't match up Saturday .
I thought he had an awful start though , I'll give him that much.

I saw a good view of that on you tube .

[Striker]

Where was all this supposed trouble for Union Rags? Yeah Leparoux certainly didn't gun him from the gate; but he didn't figure to be on the pace. He certainly didn't lose much ground and the pace was to his advantage.

He looks to be over the top. Matz shouldn't even send him to Pimlico.
Daddy Long Legs gave him problems in the far turn as DDL packed in it quickly along the rail where Union Rags was.

[redshift1]

Where was all this supposed trouble for Union Rags? Yeah Leparoux certainly didn't gun him from the gate; but he didn't figure to be on the pace. He certainly didn't lose much ground and the pace was to his advantage.

He looks to be over the top. Matz shouldn't even send him to Pimlico.

I've always liked him but he broke a step slow into a traffic jam that probably cost him any chance of victory, then later in the race he was again impeded and had to be taken up. He finished well considering the circumstances. There is nothing wrong with the horse except bad racing luck and poor decision making by Leparoux. Read the DRF chart it clearly delineates the problems encountered.

.

[Dark Horse]

Just another horse that peaked early, as 2 year old, and has kept a large following since then. Prior to Derby ran 92-94-95-93 Beyers in last four races. Very consistent. No progress. What was fast once is now average.

[Valuist]

Daddy Long Legs gave him problems in the far turn as DDL packed in it quickly along the rail where Union Rags was.

Yeah I saw that and Union Rags basically had to alter course one path to get around him. I see Leparoux scrubbing on him on the far turn.....and getting absolutely nothing. In a 20 horse field, some closers are going to have to go around tiring speed horses.

[Valuist]

I've always liked him but he broke a step slow into a traffic jam that probably cost him any chance of victory, then later in the race he was again impeded and had to be taken up. He finished well considering the circumstances. There is nothing wrong with the horse except bad racing luck and poor decision making by Leparoux. Read the DRF chart it clearly delineates the problems encountered.

.

I watched the replay a couple times. Granted it was on a computer so I'd like to have a better view but I did not see a check. Anywhere. I didn't see the horse throwing his head. Didn't see Leparoux with his feet in the dashboard. He had to alter course one path to avoid a tiring horse.

During the live running I heard Colmus' going nuts over his "trouble". Completely overdone. Yet Mark Johnson made no mention of it for the on-track call.

[boogaloobboy]

Why do people so badly want this horse to be great?

[rastajenk]

Matz

[Valuist]

Why do people so badly want this horse to be great?

I don't know. I think there's some people who latch on to horses in the Juvenile and hope they can be the next Seattle Slew or Affirmed. I certainly didn't key the horse but had him underneath in some exactas and tris. I was dead wrong. And so is anyone who bet him and thinks that with a better trip he would've been in the money.

The reality is this: he hasn't moved forward at 3. His Fountain of Youth, while visually impressive, was against a bad field. The Florida Derby field certainly didn't do itself proud this past Saturday. And lets not forget at 2-5 he couldn't get past 30-1 Reveron. On Saturday he showed absolutely nothing.

[Vinnie]

This horse is a big beautiful horse and I love the whole story behind him, but, as quite a few folks have stated, by the numbers I really don't have him as improving much from several of his efforts at 2. I think that ability wise at least several or a handful of this class have surpassed him.

The horse that really scared me up to how he was coming in to this race and I was happy that I didn't included him in my tickets (not that it mattered because I lost) was Take Charge Indy with Borel. He just didn't run a very good race at all from what I had figured. I believe that he finished up pretty near last. What happened to him on Derby Day? :confused:

[Grits]

He was last to finish. He has a bone chip. Had surgery yesterday morning, I believe. Borel knew something was wrong, he felt TCI's going change while heading down the back stretch. I liked him as well.

[Sysonby]

I didn't have him in my tickets either but he was the one I left out I was really worried about. I hope he comes out well from his surgery, he's a very promising horse.

[JustRalph]

This horse is a big beautiful horse and I love the whole story behind him, but, as quite a few folks have stated, by the numbers I really don't have him as improving much from several of his efforts at 2. I think that ability wise at least several or a handful of this class have surpassed him.

The horse that really scared me up to how he was coming in to this race and I was happy that I didn't included him in my tickets (not that it mattered because I lost) was Take Charge Indy with Borel. He just didn't run a very good race at all from what I had figured. I believe that he finished up pretty near last. What happened to him on Derby Day? :confused:

He busted his foot going around Daddy Long Legs when he threw out the anchor.