The Bob Baffert-trained horse was clean in the first of three additional tests

[joecam]

Medina Spirit is cleared to race in Saturday's Preakness: Kentucky Derby winner passes his pre-race drug test after testing positive for steroids earlier this month, The results of the other two tests are expected later today.

[paulbenny]

https://theathletic.com/news/preakne...s/wIxklQydJIee

[GMB@BP]

wonder how much handle will be down with the boycotting..will be interesting the stand people will be taking.

[ReplayRandall]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

wonder how much handle will be down with the boycotting..will be interesting the stand people will be taking.

Not seeing it your way....Biased Bettors will still wager on the race, but against the horse trained by the hated Baffert, thus creating possible overlays in all pools on Medina Spirit.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

wonder how much handle will be down with the boycotting..will be interesting the stand people will be taking.

If today is any indication, it might be a nothing-burger...as predicted:

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[biggestal99]

It’s only one race but Baffert hoss ran up the track as 2-1 chalkie in the black eyed Susan.

Allan

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

If today is any indication, it might be a nothing-burger...as predicted:

https://twitter.com/DaveRodman/statu...39450562863108

Boycott was never gonna work they way it was organized/disorganized. I did not play yesterday and won't today unless Medina is scratched which is unlikely

[cj]

Originally Posted by biggestal99

It’s only one race but Baffert hoss ran up the track as 2-1 chalkie in the black eyed Susan.

Allan

Horse was a terrible favorite to be fair.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by cj

Horse was a terrible favorite to be fair.

...and wide against a gold rail

[cj]

Originally Posted by the little guy

...and wide against a gold rail

Of course, by that point in the day it changed terrible favorite to horrendous favorite.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by cj

Of course, by that point in the day it changed terrible favorite to horrendous favorite.

Baffert's BES chalk and his Hozier chalk were both silly chalks, where handicapping would reveal that they earned their previous popularity, being asked to do different things than they would be asked this weekend at awful odds.


Medina's Spirit was a little different. Here's a horse who has shown he has what it takes to beat this field. You'd normally expect Medina Spirit to not only duplicate, but to run a new top. You also figure Concert Tour would normally be in there to herd and run intereference.
But instead, no one really thinks a Triple Crown with Medina Spirit is good for the game at this point. The public bet a horse who has a shot to be a decent, consistent older horse some day (Midnight Bourbon) below some of the odds for the Kentucky Derby winner with the super trainer. And Bafferts Gary West horse, recently tuned-up and improved off of the Arkansas Derby pace meltdown was taking nearly identical money as well.

Instead of clear logical mistakes where the public misunderstands and get's carried away, Medina Spirit was more like a case of the heebie-jeebies

[cj]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

Baffert's BES chalk and his Hozier chalk were both silly chalks, where handicapping would reveal that they earned their previous popularity, being asked to do different things than they would be asked this weekend at awful odds.


Medina's Spirit was a little different. Here's a horse who has shown he has what it takes to beat this field. You'd normally expect Medina Spirit to not only duplicate, but to run a new top. You also figure Concert Tour would normally be in there to herd and run intereference.
But instead, no one really thinks a Triple Crown with Medina Spirit is good for the game at this point. The public bet a horse who has a shot to be a decent, consistent older horse some day (Midnight Bourbon) below some of the odds for the Kentucky Derby winner with the super trainer. And Bafferts Gary West horse, recently tuned-up and improved off of the Arkansas Derby pace meltdown was taking nearly identical money as well.

Instead of clear logical mistakes where the public misunderstands and get's carried away, Medina Spirit was more like a case of the heebie-jeebies

I found it interesting the big Baffert maiden breaker was completely dead on the board in a four horse stake at SA yesterday and ran like it too.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by cj

I found it interesting the big Baffert maiden breaker was completely dead on the board in a four horse stake at SA yesterday and ran like it too.

I purposely watched that one. He went out pretty hard in that duel, but he ran like a normal horse. If you go out too fast, you are supposed to get tired 6 1/2 furlongs. If there's another quality horse sitting off it, he's supposed to catch you. This one didn't win anyway and run another big new top like many lightly raced Baffert horses do.

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I purposely watched that one. He went out pretty hard in that duel, but he ran like a normal horse. If you go out too fast, you are supposed to get tired 6 1/2 furlongs. If there's another quality horse sitting off it, he's supposed to catch you. This one didn't win anyway and run another big new top like many lightly raced Baffert horses do.

The races the top two came out of are a study in contrasts.

The Echo Eddie has been very productive. Good With People came back to beat older horses this weekend; Found My Ball just missed and Cargo finished well despite trouble in an allowance race; and None Above The Law won a minor stakes at Golden Gate. Two more from the Echo Eddie are entered for Friday.

Meanwhile, most of the horses from the Laurel River maiden win have had problems staying on the worktab. Only one horse besides Laurel River was able to string 2 workouts together subsequently and that was Bender, who just got buried in a maiden race today (one of the only horses the 2 hapless Baffert entries were able to finish in front off). Curiously, despite a regular work pattern, Laurel River didn't work further than a 1/2 mile leading up to the Laz Barrera.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by Spalding No!

The races the top two came out of are a study in contrasts.

Setting aside this horse because I didn't get involved, I'm not sure what I'm rooting for. I'm interested to see whether with all eyes on him and all the national heat if Baffert's barn goes cold and more of his horses start running subpar instead of jumping up like they often do If he goes ice cold it will look really bad for him and the sport.