Which horses in either race were supposed to light the world on fire?
Those were 2 of the worst renditions of each race in the past few years.
Dr. Schivel might have some upside, but he's a 3yo who has just come back from a long layoff and he beats older horses in a Grade 1 in a time barely quicker than a $25 claimer earlier on the card.
He beat a horse who's only claim to fame was winning the worst rendition of the Norfolk in decades as a 2yo before running off the board in one of the worst BC Juveniles of all time. That was also the last time he won a race.
The show horse was a reformed $40K claimer that needs Lasix so desperately that his trainer tossed him in a 2-turn in Texas just to get it. He lost.
7yo Law Abidin Citizen is a Grade 3 horse at best; he just barely beat a Cal-bred 3yo in his last start. That horse--Top Harbor--and the show horse came back to get buried in lesser races at Del Mar this week. Actually, I should say "tougher" races because I think The Real Good Deal and the allowance race won by Howbeit were rated faster than the Bing Crosby. Maybe the progressing Howbeit ends up being the best sprinter in Glatt's barn.
Brickyard Ride has been tailing off and has always been inconsistent. He's clearly one of the fastest sprinters in CA but half the time he fails to break and clearly is one dimensional.
The other runners last started at second tier tracks.
The Vanderbilt also featured reformed claimers, a few octogenarians past there prime, and an overrated horse with an extension blinker who hit a ceiling when trying the top level last year and looks like he'll be doing the same this year.
There is hope for the division though, I guess. Pletcher now trains Mind Control who won his first race in over a year and half when taking the Nerud in his first start for the new trainer. Of course, he should have been in the Vanderbilt, but being in Pletcher's barn apparently precludes a horse from starting within 2 months of his previous race (although he had no problem breezing yesterday morning).
On the west coast, perhaps Baffert will get a clue and cut Magic on Tap back to a sprint after inexplicably tossing him into the San Diego. He also has Cezanne, who absolutely annihilated in his comeback race (before going right back on the shelf). He could pull a Midnight Lute or a Secret Circle and go for the BC Sprint off a single prep race with that horse. Then again, he'll probably over think and point for the BC Dirt Mile.
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