Pegasus Cup

[Fager Fan]

Originally Posted by Redboard

Incredible performances by two incredible horses. The rest? Well, this is what happens why you give children a trophy for losing.

There were some decent horses in that second wave, so I wouldn't say that. I'd chalk it up to how well the first two ran.

[jay68802]

Originally Posted by Tom

BC gives you a watch.

That's what they timed the race with.

[Fager Fan]

Originally Posted by Fager Fan

There were some decent horses in that second wave, so I wouldn't say that. I'd chalk it up to how well the first two ran.

Beyer 119 for Gun Runner.

[PhantomOnTour]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

I don't expect Gunnevera to win, but in the search for value, he's the one. Unless West Coast has improved. If Azteca and Collected go, as expected, he should pick up a lot of them. I'll likely key him 2nd and 3rd in tris.
Don't overlook the home track angle

Easy race
The tri paid nicely with the chalk running 1-2

[CincyHorseplayer]

Originally Posted by Grits

I haven't wanted a horse to win a race this badly since Rachel won the Woodward. I am thrilled he did this. And did it with such ease. I wasn't worried about the 10 post, I wasn't worried about West Coast, Sharp Azteca or any others.... I truly believed he'd have no trouble clearing the melee to the first turn and that he'd smoke 'em.

By the time he crossed the wire tears of joy were streaming down my face. For days, I've not spoken to, or disagreed with anyone, I didn't want to speak my opinion, and mush him. LOL

Bless him!!! Go, and make fine, fine babies, GUN RUNNER!!!! You have been an animal I feel privileged to have watched. You have been a true gift for our sport.

What a racehorse!! What an incredible race!!

The 1st Lady of Playerdom! You are awesome Grits. I loved it as well!

[CincyHorseplayer]

There has to be a temptation for Dubai just because. Right?

[Fager Fan]

Originally Posted by CincyHorseplayer

There has to be a temptation for Dubai just because. Right?

Assuming they've sold seasons, they can't.

[Secondbest]

Well I took a shot with some longshots . Didn't work out but that's the way it goes. That's why their called longshots.

Gun Runner is one big time race horse.

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by Secondbest

Well I took a shot with some longshots . Didn't work out but that's the way it goes. That's why their called longshots.

Gun Runner is one big time race horse.

Pretty funny, if you just listened to the negative view race horses are a shadow of what used to be running on the track, but the last 6-7 years we have seen some really really good horses. But the overall depth is much lower, no denying that.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by storyline

Stellar Wind got trapped behind horses on the turn and likely would have gotten a piece of the super @ 40-1. It's worth watching the replay.

Sharp Azteca who went off at outrageous odds of 4-1 and had little or no effect in the race and finished 8th I think, still waiting for the official results.

Stellar Wind also got steadied hard going into the first turn. That didn't help her position-wise either. She ran about as well as I expected. Given the trip, missing 3rd by 3 lengths was not embarrassing. I don't think I was wrong on her.

Sharp Azteca was one of those horses that had he won, I would have said I'm not shocked, but running the way he did, I was not shocked either.

Pace and speed figures estimate how fast a horse ran, but they don't tell you about the quality of the competition they were achieved against or what a horse is capable of if asked. The horses in the Cigar Mile and BC Dirt mile were not as good at these high level Grade 1 route horses even though he earned some big numbers in some of his recent races. He got outrun by better horses. It's always easier after the fact.

[classhandicapper]

IMO, as much credit as Gun Runner is getting now, he's probably better than that. Breaking from the 10 post, stalking a quality horse like Collected, putting him away easily when barely asked, and holding off a rapidly improving monster like West Coast is no walk in the park. They buried the rest of the field.

If you look at his overall record and draw a line through the off track races (that were sub par), imo this a GREAT race horse that was just coming into his own.

[gm10]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

IMO, as much credit as Gun Runner is getting now, he's probably better than that. Breaking from the 10 post, stalking a quality horse like Collected, putting him away easily when barely asked, and holding off a rapidly improving monster like West Coast is no walk in the park. They buried the rest of the field.

If you look at his overall record and draw a line through the off track races (that were sub par), imo this a GREAT race horse that was just coming into his own.

I tend to agree with that.

[burnsy]

I liked Gun Runner the first time I saw him run as a 3 year old. Bet him in the derby where he gave his all and came up short, but even then I knew he was a really good horse because he was the only one left standing from a torrid pace that year. As he got older he only got better. At 4 he learned how to relax and he was deadly at a 1 1/8 distance. Like they were saying yesterday, "he makes his own racing luck."

Since the two races have been run at Saratoga I've never seen a horse crush the Whitney and Woodward double like that. He's like a can of Red Bull, he sprouts wings late. Yesterday, there were really good horses in that race and Gun Runner made it look easy again. Congrats Gun Runner, I was a fan all along. Great race horse!

[cj]

Twitter

[storyline]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

Stellar Wind also got steadied hard going into the first turn. That didn't help her position-wise either. She ran about as well as I expected. Given the trip, missing 3rd by 3 lengths was not embarrassing. I don't think I was wrong on her.

Sharp Azteca was one of those horses that had he won, I would have said I'm not shocked, but running the way he did, I was not shocked either.

Pace and speed figures estimate how fast a horse ran, but they don't tell you about the quality of the competition they were achieved against or what a horse is capable of if asked. The horses in the Cigar Mile and BC Dirt mile were not as good at these high level Grade 1 route horses even though he earned some big numbers in some of his recent races. He got outrun by better horses. It's always easier after the fact.

Your comment about pace and speed figures isn't entirely accurate and I'll not speak to that because I'd need to explain and at this point I don't feel obliged.

The reason Sharp Azteca got outrun is as I posted (#162) I tried to caution players here about going all in on him. The scenario posted proved to be correct for anyone who watched the race.

"If he tries to wire the field (which is his best chance imo) I think he'll tire badly turning for home and finish in the bottom half of the field. If he rates Gun Runner, West Coast & Collected and others will outfinish him.

Under what circumstance would Sharp Azteca be a play? I'd need at a minimum 15-1 and believe that he'd NOT face any pace pressure until the 2nd call. Neither of those two things are likely".

There are plenty of things we are all wrong in this game but I thought my post left zero wiggle room.

For you to write "It's always easier after the fact" is insulting.