Horses to watch: Script.

[Spalding No!]

Script continuing to improve (despite losing 3 straight).

Back on November 11, it was pointed out that he had run slower in a minor stakes loss than starter allowance horses a couple of races earlier on the card.

Today--on raw time--Script ran a couple of ticks faster in his also-ran allowance effort at Santa Anita than did 2 of the also-rans from the November 11 starter allowance who completed the exacta in a $32 claimer earlier on the card.

Should be primed now for black type at Turf Paradise next out.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by Spalding No!

Script continuing to improve (despite losing 3 straight).

Back on November 11, it was pointed out that he had run slower in a minor stakes loss than starter allowance horses a couple of races earlier on the card.

Today--on raw time--Script ran a couple of ticks faster in his also-ran allowance effort at Santa Anita than did 2 of the also-rans from the November 11 starter allowance who completed the exacta in a $32 claimer earlier on the card.

Should be primed now for black type at Turf Paradise next out.

So, in other words, he's still slightly more deserving of being an Eclipse Finalist than Nations Pride?

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by the little guy

So, in other words, he's still slightly more deserving of being an Eclipse Finalist than Nations Pride?

I gave up on the Turf division last year when McPeek abandoned his cunning plan to prep Tiz the Bomb in the 2000 Guineas ahead of the Epsom Derby.

Not sure if he was wary of the Phoenix Racing controversy, miscalculated the importance of the horse's dominance of the Turfway Park 3yo crop in regards to the Kentucky Derby, or the lack of a suitable lead pony that made him call an audible...

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by Spalding No!

I gave up on the Turf division last year when McPeek abandoned his cunning plan to prep Tiz the Bomb in the 2000 Guineas ahead of the Epsom Derby.

Not sure if he was wary of the Phoenix Racing controversy, miscalculated the importance of the horse's dominance of the Turfway Park 3yo crop in regards to the Kentucky Derby, or the lack of a suitable lead pony that made him call an audible...

At least he got to derail the career of another actually talented (dirt) horse....so there's that.

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by the little guy

At least he got to derail the career of another actually talented (dirt) horse....so there's that.

I was going to mention that horse as an alternative Eclipse finalist to Nations Pride.

Hopefully he returns sprinting...although it may be at Royal Ascot.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by Spalding No!

Script continuing to improve (despite losing 3 straight).

Back on November 11, it was pointed out that he had run slower in a minor stakes loss than starter allowance horses a couple of races earlier on the card.

Today--on raw time--Script ran a couple of ticks faster in his also-ran allowance effort at Santa Anita than did 2 of the also-rans from the November 11 starter allowance who completed the exacta in a $32 claimer earlier on the card.

Last two were disappointing if you were hoping for him to become a graded stakes horse.

Last time the field looked a bit too tough going in and he was a bit rank.

This time there was less pace than expected when the main speed Mecklenburg stumbled badly at the start. The race wound up with a 12 furlong mid pack horse like Dean Martini on the lead.

He got out-finished by Avenue, but that one had a ground saving trip. Still, imo he should have finished a bit better than that. What he's showing right now won't get anything in a typical Grade 3 stakes for older, but he's only had 8 starts. There's time to improve.

If he was mine, I wouldn't be 100% sure whether to stretch him out or shorten him back up. I'd probably look for a similar ALW race at 10F where he'd be closer early and might not have to quicken as much late. If he was flatter in a race like that, then I might shorten him up and look for weaker.

Lack of progress notwithstanding, given some of the horses I've had a piece of in the past, I'd still gladly have a piece of this one.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by Spalding No!

I was going to mention that horse as an alternative Eclipse finalist to Nations Pride.

Hopefully he returns sprinting...although it may be at Royal Ascot.

That poor horse is doomed to never get a chance to do what he might well be best at. It's utterly amazing, given his debut, that he has never sprinted again on dirt. Then again, that's such a deep and competitive group or horses every year, why risk finding out if he's improved the necessary four or five lengths from his first career start, as a 2YO, to win multiple Grade 1 races.

Horse racing, an impossible game to begin with that is constantly made more difficult by unnecessary mediocre decisions.

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by the little guy

That poor horse is doomed to never get a chance to do what he might well be best at. It's utterly amazing, given his debut, that he has never sprinted again on dirt. Then again, that's such a deep and competitive group or horses every year, why risk finding out if he's improved the necessary four or five lengths from his first career start, as a 2YO, to win multiple Grade 1 races.

Horse racing, an impossible game to begin with that is constantly made more difficult by unnecessary mediocre decisions.

Hopefully if he's getting an extended layoff they use the comeback spot as an opportunity to cut him back (like Barclay Tagg half-heartedly did with Funny Cide in his 4yo debut...and never tried again despite winning).

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

Last two were disappointing if you were hoping for him to become a graded stakes horse.

Last time the field looked a bit too tough going in and he was a bit rank.

This time there was less pace than expected when the main speed Mecklenburg stumbled badly at the start. The race wound up with a 12 furlong mid pack horse like Dean Martini on the lead.

He got out-finished by Avenue, but that one had a ground saving trip. Still, imo he should have finished a bit better than that. What he's showing right now won't get anything in a typical Grade 3 stakes for older, but he's only had 8 starts. There's time to improve.

If he was mine, I wouldn't be 100% sure whether to stretch him out or shorten him back up. I'd probably look for a similar ALW race at 10F where he'd be closer early and might not have to quicken as much late. If he was flatter in a race like that, then I might shorten him up and look for weaker.

Lack of progress notwithstanding, given some of the horses I've had a piece of in the past, I'd still gladly have a piece of this one.

Considering the status of the CA turf division for the past couple of decades, if you think he can stay (and won't get claimed), Script could conceivably drop into a $50 claimer and run back and win the San Juan Capistrano.

[classhandicapper]

His debut was in a very fast paced race that slowed to a crawl late at "LRL". That in part accounted for the visually impressive close. He had a little trouble leaving the gate that day, but not enough to make a big deal about.

His second start was a somewhat slow paced sprint at 7F on a track I rated as favorable for inside speed. He won W2W on the inside.

His next 2 starts on dirt were disappointing and support my contention that his first two setups were favorable and he wasn't much of a dirt horse at that stage.

The entire premise behind the OP talking about this horse was not how he was running at the time, but that he would be a later developer for Motion. That was my interest. There's potential value in that.

He was laid off, came back working great, and was switched to turf by Graham Motion.

He closed really well, won, then missed by a nose, and improved his Beyer figures by 20 points on turf.

I would not be anxious to put him back on dirt.

20 points is way more than the typical maturation development. IMO it suggests Motion knew what he was doing putting him on turf.

I can see shortening him back up because he gives the "appearance" of losing some of the kick he showed at a mile when stretched further to 9F, but he was also facing better in the first one at 9F and a slow pace in this last one.

There are no certainties, but I'd stay on turf for now. I have less of an opinion on distance. I'd trust Motion to know whether to shorten him up or stretch him out.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by the little guy

Horse racing, an impossible game to begin with that is constantly made more difficult by unnecessary mediocre decisions.

Those decisions are sometimes made much more difficult when the type of race you actually want to run in is not carded or not filling and you have bills to pay.

Sometimes it makes more sense to run in a mediocre spot distance/surface/quality wise and hope you get a piece of the purse than sitting in the barn earning nothing and running up more bills.

Not all connections have the luxury of guys like Baffert, Cox, Brown and Pletcher that can ship in and out to whatever track has the distance, surface and quality of race that matches the horse.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

Those decisions are sometimes made much more difficult when the type of race you actually want to run in is not carded or not filling and you have bills to pay.

Sometimes it makes more sense to run in a mediocre spot distance/surface/quality wise and hope you get a piece of the purse than sitting in the barn earning nothing and running up more bills.

Not all connections have the luxury of guys like Baffert, Cox, Brown and Pletcher that can ship in and out to whatever track has the distance, surface and quality of race that matches the horse.

You aren't really lecturing me about how the racetrack works, are you? Please don't take this the wrong way, but come on Wayne.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by the little guy

You aren't really lecturing me about how the racetrack works, are you? Please don't take this the wrong way, but come on Wayne.

Of course not. It was more of a general comment, as is this one.

Horseplayers (myself included) tend to question why horses are spotted in certain races. It wasn't until I owned a piece of some that I started seeing how difficult it was to spot some horses depending on class/distance/surface preference when you are limited to a single circuit.

It's even harder when there are multiple partners with varying levels of handicapping knowledge, aggressiveness, and understanding of the economics.

[cj]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

Those decisions are sometimes made much more difficult when the type of race you actually want to run in is not carded or not filling and you have bills to pay.

Sometimes it makes more sense to run in a mediocre spot distance/surface/quality wise and hope you get a piece of the purse than sitting in the barn earning nothing and running up more bills.

Not all connections have the luxury of guys like Baffert, Cox, Brown and Pletcher that can ship in and out to whatever track has the distance, surface and quality of race that matches the horse.

Don't really think any of this was the case with the McPeek horse, as he isn't that far from the group you mention, a tier below I'd say.

[biggestal99]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

Those decisions are sometimes made much more difficult when the type of race you actually want to run in is not carded or not filling and you have bills to pay.

Sometimes it makes more sense to run in a mediocre spot distance/surface/quality wise and hope you get a piece of the purse than sitting in the barn earning nothing and running up more bills.

Not all connections have the luxury of guys like Baffert, Cox, Brown and Pletcher that can ship in and out to whatever track has the distance, surface and quality of race that matches the horse.

that is exactly what our trainer when she put our horse (often) in an inappropriate spot. our horse was a turfer and despised getting dirt in her face. so the trainer devised a strategy of turning a deep closing turfer into a speedball on the dirt with very mediocre results. we switched trainer, we still had trouble getting in races but at least that was the end of her speedball days.

Allan