Honor Code Allowance - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

RacingFan1992 · 03-08-2014, 12:45 AM

Hopefully things will go go well for Honor Code. Some might think "Really! An allowance race?" Ben Jones put Whirlaway in a 5.5 furlong sprint instead of the Flamingo and look how well he did.

menifee · 03-08-2014, 12:59 AM

4 horse allowance race = paid workout.

I would have preferred they put him in the Rebel to give him some experience, but the unintended consequence of the point system seems to be that trainers don't want to challenge their horses but preserve them till April.

Leparoux · 03-08-2014, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RacingFan1992

Hopefully things will go go well for Honor Code. Some might think "Really! An allowance race?" Ben Jones put Whirlaway in a 5.5 furlong sprint instead of the Flamingo and look how well he did.

Not saying I'm against the move but you have to go back 70 years to find this example? Hm.

Tom · 03-08-2014, 11:10 AM

HC ain't no Whirlaway.
But, otoh, seeing how many have already dropped out after running in actual races this year, maybe this is a smart move. Do most 3 yos have one race in them?

Cratos · 03-08-2014, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leparoux

Not saying I'm against the move but you have to go back 70 years to find this example? Hm.

Yes, you will have to go back a long way, but not 70 years because W. C. Stevens used an allowance race as the final Derby prep for Cannonade in 1974 and Cannonade coupled with Judger went off as the favorite and paid $5.00.

Before that time, M. A. Tenney brought Swaps to the Derby in 1955 with his final prep race being an allowance race and he won with a nearly front-running effort beating the great Nashua in the splendid time of 2:01.80 seconds.

classhandicapper · 03-08-2014, 02:24 PM

I think the Wood will be next. I don't see this as too bad of a move. He'd probably just get beat going straight into a tougher stake off the layoff. This way he gets an easier prep to get closer to 100% before being thrown to the lions. It's not ideal. I think you'd rather have 2-3 tougher preps to get ready for the Derby, but he's behind the other horses.

RacingFan1992 · 03-09-2014, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leparoux

Not saying I'm against the move but you have to go back 70 years to find this example? Hm.

Didn't Frank Whitely use an allowance to start Ruffians' 3 year old campaign. I think it was called the "Caltha Purse." That was in April of 1975.

Robert Fischer · 03-09-2014, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom

HC ain't no Whirlaway.

"Whirlaway, paid workout, Cannonade, Swaps, Wood, Derby, Ruffian"...

What about the 1 horse?

Does Social Inclusion have a puncher's chance of out-tripping Honor Code here and really making Honor Code work?

nijinski · 03-09-2014, 09:37 PM

After winning the Champagne , Seattle Slew had a season off and came back in an allowance . He then went on to win The Flamingo and the rest is history

Oh wait , he did that after The Swaps too .

Thebigguy · 03-09-2014, 11:29 PM

Im a huge fan of Honor Code. He is my Derby horse. I think he gets beat on Wednesday. I think the 1 will wire that field. That horse is very fast and will have a huge pace edge. Honor Code won’t be ready to run his best race on Wednesday, why would he be primed for a big effort now??? He needs to run big second and third time back. I dont see another horse in that race with any speed at all, no one will be near the 1 early. Honor Code will come with a run and finish second, probably 5-6 lengths clear of the 3rd place finisher.

burnsy · 03-10-2014, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RacingFan1992

Hopefully things will go go well for Honor Code. Some might think "Really! An allowance race?" Ben Jones put Whirlaway in a 5.5 furlong sprint instead of the Flamingo and look how well he did.

Its not that I say "Really, an allowance race".......its a case of WHY? With all these preps going, less than 2 months left, the horse is running in a 5 horse field......meanwhile a few of these others already are beginning to look like serious contenders firing big races. Not saying he has no shot yet, he has not run. But this is NOT a vote of confidence, bringing up other examples does not change it, He's definitely behind in training or would not run here in this spot. Sometimes if it quacks like a duck, its a duck. Uncle Mo did one of these and the race stunk even though he won it....people tried to make it sound like a good race....it was slow. The rest is history....he stunk up the Wood, he never made the gate in the derby. Yet, people were making him some kind of triple crown winner at the same time..

Instead of comparing it to other moves, which makes no sense at all. I'll wait and see the race, see how he comes back and where he'll run again. But trying to make this sound like some big positive move is somewhat against reality...imo. Its almost an admission of the opposite. "He's been doing great but we are entering him Wednesday in 5 horse field just to be sure." and I'm sure they are thinking about all these other horses (examples) that took the same path and not the condition of THEIR horse.....yeah....ok! Its a definite "wait and see" deal....that's why he's entered here. I'll admit it, I'm not much of a fan of these horses...more of a realist trying to win bets and these 3yo's still have a ton to prove. I'm a fan of Wise Dan..he's a proven great horse. I probably won't be a fan of any of these until it shakes out in August because I'm trying to make objective judgment calls. A third or fourth place finish in a tough prep....says more than one of these "set up" deals.

classhandicapper · 03-10-2014, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thebigguy

Im a huge fan of Honor Code. He is my Derby horse. I think he gets beat on Wednesday. I think the 1 will wire that field. That horse is very fast and will have a huge pace edge. Honor Code won’t be ready to run his best race on Wednesday, why would he be primed for a big effort now??? He needs to run big second and third time back. I dont see another horse in that race with any speed at all, no one will be near the 1 early. Honor Code will come with a run and finish second, probably 5-6 lengths clear of the 3rd place finisher.

I agree on the pace setup and Honor Code's likely condition, but the #1 Social Inclusion ran on the Fountain of Youth day that looked speed favoring. So there's a chance he's not quite as good as he looks on paper. Tough to tell off one race. It will be interesting.

burnsy · 03-10-2014, 11:26 AM

On the other hand....if this horse or any of these wins a Triple Crown or even two out of three.....I'll be a fan then. Not before that, I'm not betting my hard earned money on "who I like" or are a fan of. So I don't bother with emotions. Will Take Charge was the best 3 yo last year and as mentioned in my original post.....no one knew that until late August.

davew · 03-10-2014, 03:21 PM

looks like Wed 3/12 Race 8 at Gulfstream Park

lamboguy · 03-10-2014, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burnsy

On the other hand....if this horse or any of these wins a Triple Crown or even two out of three.....I'll be a fan then. Not before that, I'm not betting my hard earned money on "who I like" or are a fan of. So I don't bother with emotions. Will Take Charge was the best 3 yo last year and as mentioned in my original post.....no one knew that until late August.

are you right on that one! with his running style he will win many more than he will lose. he is a very impressive horse.