Mike Smith

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I hear you, but he has such a good record and relationship with Smith in these big races and that was so obviously a bad move with little evidence that this horse has issues of being rank that it's hard for me to come up with an alternative.

I mean maybe Baffert and others are lying, it honestly doesnt matter on some message board but this from Steve Byk

Watched Cotillion with Baffert who is now a little concerned how to solve the Abel Tasman quandary of breaking slow and rushing full throttle into contention. Said once she gets going the way she did, she becomes hard to handle, so he understands Smith just having to let her roll.

Will see what he thinks tomorrow 11:30 on ATR including consideration of F&M Sprint v. Distaff.

[Dahoss9698]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

I mean maybe Baffert and others are lying, it honestly doesnt matter on some message board but this from Steve Byk

Watched Cotillion with Baffert who is now a little concerned how to solve the Abel Tasman quandary of breaking slow and rushing full throttle into contention. Said once she gets going the way she did, she becomes hard to handle, so he understands Smith just having to let her roll.

Will see what he thinks tomorrow 11:30 on ATR including consideration of F&M Sprint v. Distaff.

Weird that her former trainer never seemed to have those issues with her.

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by Dahoss9698

Weird that her former trainer never seemed to have those issues with her.

I would like to see her in a race with a little more pace, but looking at these older distaffers not sure that is in the cards, with songbird out its really a bunch of stalker closers.

[cj]

Originally Posted by Fager Fan

Was he in the dash? Tight hold or loose hold? I haven't looked at the replay to see if I can tell, but I'd tend to believe Mike. He's usually pretty honest in his assessments that I can tell.

If that is true he has ridden like 20 "best ever" horses.

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by Dahoss9698

Weird that her former trainer never seemed to have those issues with her.

Even weirder is that after the CCA Oaks, Smith took full credit for the same early move. He "sensed" a slow pace and took it to the rest of the field with a ridiculous 10-length move to the lead. He barely won that race when she looked to tower over the field by open lengths.

Now all of a sudden, she's "hard to handle". Smith certainly didn't seem to try and apply the breaks during that silly rail move.

It's also curious that she only becomes hard to handle down the backstretch. Byk is a bit disingenuous saying she breaks slow and then rushes into contention. She seemed more than content to settle near the back of the field around the first turn in both her last two races.

[cj]

That move doesn't even work in Gallop Racer.

[classhandicapper]

I wonder whether making that move in earlier races has now taught her to think that's what she's supposed to do.

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I wonder whether making that move in earlier races has now taught her to think that's what she's supposed to do.

Maybe so. Especially when you back hand whip leaving the gate to get her into the race. Also he tapped her on the shoulder a few times just entering club house turn. He is definitely turning her engine on a bit...

[Road Kill]

Or maybe It Tiz Well was just the best horse that day.... 🤷🏼*♀️