Hansen to WV Derby

[horses4courses]

Hansen is likely to skip the Haskell in favor of the WV Derby at MNR.
It's the easier option, for about the same money.
WV Derby offers a $600K bonus to any previous G1 winner, so a win there for Hansen pays him close to the same as a win at Monmouth.

Guess you can't blame them, but it's going to kill the price on Paynter....

http://www.drf.com/news/hansen-looks...by-mountaineer

[DaylightDies]

I actually think it's cool. You know all the winners are going to come together in the Breeder's Cup, so let them have their separate prep races and make the final more competitive!!!

Plus, I like it when big name horses go to tracks like Mountaineer where otherwise they wouldn't be seen at... I think it helps the local racing community a lot.. if I owned Mine That Bird instead of running races I knew there was no shot it, I would tour the country of small tracks and be a big attraction to those tracks.. it's good for the racing community

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by DaylightDies

I actually think it's cool. You know all the winners are going to come together in the Breeder's Cup, so let them have their separate prep races and make the final more competitive!!!

Plus, I like it when big name horses go to tracks like Mountaineer where otherwise they wouldn't be seen at... I think it helps the local racing community a lot.. if I owned Mine That Bird instead of running races I knew there was no shot it, I would tour the country of small tracks and be a big attraction to those tracks.. it's good for the racing community

Yay for million dollar public workouts for 1/5 favorites. That's great for the sport!

[NJ Stinks]

Originally Posted by DaylightDies

I actually think it's cool. You know all the winners are going to come together in the Breeder's Cup, so let them have their separate prep races and make the final more competitive!!!

Just another reason why stakes races in Europe are superior to ours. The best over there actually have to compete against one another or sit. That's my idea of cool.

[andtheyreoff]

Originally Posted by DaylightDies

I actually think it's cool. You know all the winners are going to come together in the Breeder's Cup, so let them have their separate prep races and make the final more competitive!!!

Thank God most owners don't have your mentality, else the sport would be deader than dead.

[cj]

Originally Posted by andtheyreoff

Thank God most owners don't have your mentality, else the sport would be deader than dead.

They don't?

[aaron]

Originally Posted by DaylightDies

I actually think it's cool. You know all the winners are going to come together in the Breeder's Cup, so let them have their separate prep races and make the final more competitive!!!

Plus, I like it when big name horses go to tracks like Mountaineer where otherwise they wouldn't be seen at... I think it helps the local racing community a lot.. if I owned Mine That Bird instead of running races I knew there was no shot it, I would tour the country of small tracks and be a big attraction to those tracks.. it's good for the racing community

The Breeders Cup has done more to hurt racing than help it. We have sacrificed horses competing against each other for 1 or 2 days of racing.

[forced89]

Originally Posted by aaron

The Breeders Cup has done more to hurt racing than help it. We have sacrificed horses competing against each other for 1 or 2 days of racing.

Agree!!

[davew]

I agree it is good for the local tracks to have 'stars' visit - whether it be horses, jockeys, trainers or announcers. These days bring future track supporters (those that make the bets that pay for the show).

I just wish the owners would have large enough entry fees so that they can race for each others money and lower the takeout so that betters could have a better shot at profitability, instead of gouging all bets with short fields and unbelievable breakage.

[andtheyreoff]

Originally Posted by cj

They don't?

While it's true most owners are not interested in taking on the top dogs often (with a few refreshing exceptions), Hansen's people are taking it to another level IMO.

When he was entered in the Iowa Derby, I thought that was fine. He'd have a nice confidence booster against a few scrubs, then be ready to tackle the big guys. Now, even with Bodemeister withdrawn, the owners are still too scared to run in the Haskell, running him in yet another cupcake spot at MNR.

Gemologist, on the other hand, is being given the more difficult assignment of running in the Haskell, first off the bench, against Paynter (who has been touted as the best thing since sliced bread ever since his win on Preakness day), Dullahan, a G1 winner and 3rd in the Derby, and the up and comers Teeth of the Dog and Nonios. That's much different than Hansen's handling.

[mountainman]

Originally Posted by horses4courses

Hansen is likely to skip the Haskell in favor of the WV Derby at MNR.
It's the easier option, for about the same money.
WV Derby offers a $600K bonus to any previous G1 winner, so a win there for Hansen pays him close to the same as a win at Monmouth.

Guess you can't blame them, but it's going to kill the price on Paynter....

http://www.drf.com/news/hansen-looks...by-mountaineer

Actually, the bonus available to Hansen is 150k. We retooled the clause to include 2-yr-old g-1 races, with the bc juvenile winner very much in mind.

[cnollfan]

Originally Posted by andtheyreoff

While it's true most owners are not interested in taking on the top dogs often (with a few refreshing exceptions), Hansen's people are taking it to another level IMO.

When he was entered in the Iowa Derby, I thought that was fine. He'd have a nice confidence booster against a few scrubs, then be ready to tackle the big guys. Now, even with Bodemeister withdrawn, the owners are still too scared to run in the Haskell, running him in yet another cupcake spot at MNR.

Gemologist, on the other hand, is being given the more difficult assignment of running in the Haskell, first off the bench, against Paynter (who has been touted as the best thing since sliced bread ever since his win on Preakness day), Dullahan, a G1 winner and 3rd in the Derby, and the up and comers Teeth of the Dog and Nonios. That's much different than Hansen's handling.

I don't see Gemologist's handling as that much different than Hansen's. His three-year old debut race was a walkover, compared to Hansen running in two graded stakes prior to the Blue Grass. The Wood and Blue Grass are a wash, and both lost the Kentucky Derby.

If I had an opportunity to win the same amount of money facing a softer field in West Virginia than in New Jersey, I would take it. If Hansen were running for $150k instead of $750k that would constitute "ducking," but all this is to me is common sense.

[Pine Tree Lane]

Mike Smith has the mount..

[Karakiozis]

[QUOTE=DaylightDies]I actually think it's cool. You know all the winners are going to come together in the Breeder's Cup, so let them have their separate prep races and make the final more competitive!!!

What makes you think that the winners will come together in the B.C? I think these greedy millionaire owners will retire them before the B.C w/ the excuse of some phantom injury and deprive the fans and the sport of the best against the best, MR Hansen said in the DRF that he wants to run in the Haskel but he is running in the W.V.D because that is best for the horse, Me thinks he is thinking of his pocket and not the horse.

[Tom]

It's nice for Mnr.
But make no mistake.
Hansen is a third rate duck.
and he is ducking the third rate 3 year olds.

Hansen? quack wack wack wack!