Quote:
Originally Posted by GMB@BP
Take it for what its worth....he is a bit nutty, combine that with being challenged on the distance side of things, if Baffert can get him good sprinting that would be a nice career.
Talk about the Preakness and Belmont were completely premature.
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He's got more of a sprinters stride. Also not as smooth-striding as a great horse, nor as physically outstanding as a Justify or Arrogate.
However, he's been on an excellent program and thriving. It's easy to get excited.
You had another fairly good horse what's his name who was injured... is it Mickinzie? and then you had the flawed Solomini who can't surge into a turn or change leads 75% of the time and in spite of major flaws he was at times a fringe division leader... Restoring Hope is a little bit cheap, but he looks like a linebacker and has stirred up some excitement after the occasional impressive workout or allowance performance.
Some of these guys wouldn't be stakes horses, or even successful allowance types had they not been under the tutelage of a master like Baffert.
It seems like you can get a horse into freakish stamina over a good pace, but you can't fix inherent flaws or survive pressure with all of them. At that point you have to find a niche. The Justifys' and Arrogates and Pharoahs are more complete naturally and their impressive abilities translate better to the higher classes and competitive races.
Ax Man wasn't my pick to win the Haskell or Travers, but he was the logical next-up for Justify, should Justify be retired/freshened.
