Oskar
08-21-2012, 09:29 PM
The FFA pacing ranks are so thin that the absence of Betterthancheddar from the USPC and the William Haughton left a large hole. This week Golden Receiver is missing from the elimination of the Canadian Pacing Derby, and it’s having the same effect. GR won those two FFA standards at M1, but isn’t entered at Mohawk on Saturday. Cheddar, We Will See and Aracache are the only three credentialed FFA horses in the race.
Typically the Burke Brigade helps fill the FFA races, but they don’t have any horses entered in the CPD. Last year they had three—Foiled, Atochia and Won The West.The latter has been retired, Atochia has been missing since the Mohawk Gold Cup in mid-June and Foiled is showing his age. He has four wins in sixteen starts, but three of them were against weak fields in Levy prelims, while the other was in the Molson. Foiled and We Will See, the two contenders for division honors last season, are both having disappointing years.
Foiled earned $1.4 million in 28 starts last year, and WWS earned $1.2 million in 23 starts. Both are way off those numbers this time around. WWS has only two wins; he nosed out Cheddar in the Mohawk Gold Cup and won a nondescript invitational at M1.
Bettor Sweet is another huge disappointment. Last year he won the Breeders Crown, Bettors Delight and USPC, banking 880K. This year he’s winless and has earned a measly 80K. David Miller will drive him in the CPD instead of JC. The horse would be eligible for some attractive conditions a few runs down the ladder, but they keep throwing him into non-competitive situations.
Cheddar is king of the division, but aside from the Franklin and the Mohawk GC, Coleman keeps racing him against horses that aren’t on his level in Canada. No Bettors Delight. No USPC. No Haughton.
Aracache is steady, but he’s never won an open race of any consequence in the aged division. Although he is great in eliminations--
kinda like Kingcole in that respect.
Alsace drew the ten in Saturday’s race. He was a monster in last year’s Adios and also won the Tattersalls, but he’s been a shell of himself in 2012. Although he does seem to be coming around of late, with three preferred wins and an open win in his last five starts.
Golden Receiver has been a giant this year, with twelve wins for 745K. Did I speak too soon when I declared Cheddar to be the king of the division? GR is better than ever.
Up The Credit was also expected to bring some new blood to the FFA ranks, but he can barely make it around the track.
Hypnotic is back, but not as a front line pacer.
Hugadragon and Westwardho were expected to step up this year, but that hasn’t happened.
The FFA pacers are hurting right now.
Ten started in the CPD final last year, and ten are starting in Saturday’s elimination. Two will be eliminated. That's one way to manipulate things so that you get an elimination in a situation where one wouldn't normally be necessary.
Typically the Burke Brigade helps fill the FFA races, but they don’t have any horses entered in the CPD. Last year they had three—Foiled, Atochia and Won The West.The latter has been retired, Atochia has been missing since the Mohawk Gold Cup in mid-June and Foiled is showing his age. He has four wins in sixteen starts, but three of them were against weak fields in Levy prelims, while the other was in the Molson. Foiled and We Will See, the two contenders for division honors last season, are both having disappointing years.
Foiled earned $1.4 million in 28 starts last year, and WWS earned $1.2 million in 23 starts. Both are way off those numbers this time around. WWS has only two wins; he nosed out Cheddar in the Mohawk Gold Cup and won a nondescript invitational at M1.
Bettor Sweet is another huge disappointment. Last year he won the Breeders Crown, Bettors Delight and USPC, banking 880K. This year he’s winless and has earned a measly 80K. David Miller will drive him in the CPD instead of JC. The horse would be eligible for some attractive conditions a few runs down the ladder, but they keep throwing him into non-competitive situations.
Cheddar is king of the division, but aside from the Franklin and the Mohawk GC, Coleman keeps racing him against horses that aren’t on his level in Canada. No Bettors Delight. No USPC. No Haughton.
Aracache is steady, but he’s never won an open race of any consequence in the aged division. Although he is great in eliminations--
kinda like Kingcole in that respect.
Alsace drew the ten in Saturday’s race. He was a monster in last year’s Adios and also won the Tattersalls, but he’s been a shell of himself in 2012. Although he does seem to be coming around of late, with three preferred wins and an open win in his last five starts.
Golden Receiver has been a giant this year, with twelve wins for 745K. Did I speak too soon when I declared Cheddar to be the king of the division? GR is better than ever.
Up The Credit was also expected to bring some new blood to the FFA ranks, but he can barely make it around the track.
Hypnotic is back, but not as a front line pacer.
Hugadragon and Westwardho were expected to step up this year, but that hasn’t happened.
The FFA pacers are hurting right now.
Ten started in the CPD final last year, and ten are starting in Saturday’s elimination. Two will be eliminated. That's one way to manipulate things so that you get an elimination in a situation where one wouldn't normally be necessary.