Melatonin and the Older Male Division

[Lemon Drop Husker]

The Older Male Division got a nice shot in the arm yesterday as Melatonin came home in under 2 minutes at 10Fs in the Santa Anita Gold Cup.

Earlier in the year, it looked very much like California Chrome stood head and shoulders above this division, and could well walk in this year's rendition of the Breeder's Cup Classic.

Now? It doesn't look like it will be so easy. With Frosted's spectacular Met Mile, and now Melatonin's classy performance yesterday, we at least have a couple of other contenders that look the part that they can take down Chrome if they show up with their best.

Next up? Can we get a couple of 3YOs like Nyquist, Exaggerator, or somebody else to keep improving over the summer? Maybe Beholder and/or Songbird can throw their names into the hat as well?

Either way, a once drab looking division is beginning to look a lot more interesting as this year has gone on.

[magwell]

Indeed it's rare that a horse comes back that good from EPM truly amazing ..

[Prytanis]

Win the Space run a big race too!

[dilanesp]

Don't read too much into his raw time. Track was lightning fast yesterday.

[cj]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Don't read too much into his raw time. Track was lightning fast yesterday.

It was, and I think it was even faster for the Gold Cup than the other races.

[Lemon Drop Husker]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Don't read too much into his raw time. Track was lightning fast yesterday.

True. There were a couple of races and times that you just had to shake your head at. In particular R2 and R5.

Either way, breaking the 2 minute barrier is significant. And it isn't as if Santa Anita isn't typically a lightning fast track anyway. It was lightning fast when Bayern won the BC Classic 2 years ago in 1:59.88 and beat California Chrome.

Now, is Chrome a better horse than that day? Sure. Most certainly. I don't think it is really worth arguing. Is he 2 lengths better? 3 lengths? 5? Not sure.

What I liked was that Melatonin backed up his SA Handicap, and did so at 10 panels. It looked like he had the field put away, and then Win The Space came up on him in the stretch, and he had to dig in again to get the job done.

He also beat Hoppertunity by open lengths. A horse I see as a true measuring stick in this division, and a horse that is about as consistent as any in the division. He beat Hoppertunity by similar lengths as to what Chrome has done in the past. At the very least, I think it puts him in the conversation that he could possibly beat Chrome on his best day. Say that 4 months ago, and people would have been asking for you to be drug tested.

[dilanesp]

I will say this- I think Melatonin is a force to be reckoned with, because he has now done this twice at Santa Anita and guess where the Breeders' Cup is this year?

[Lemon Drop Husker]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

I will say this- I think Melatonin is a force to be reckoned with, because he has now done this twice at Santa Anita and guess where the Breeders' Cup is this year?

Exactly.

[horses4courses]

For a second there, I thought this was an erectile dysfunction thread

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by horses4courses

For a second there, I thought this was an erectile dysfunction thread

Actually, Frank Miramahdi, in his short stint as PA announcer at Santa Anita, had the best line about this horse-- he said he was putting the rest of the field to sleep.

[horses4courses]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

Actually, Frank Miramahdi, in his short stint as PA announcer at Santa Anita, had the best line about this horse-- he said he was putting the rest of the field to sleep.

Frank has a sharp wit

[SuperPickle]

I'm far from sold on this horse. Hoppertunity first off Dubai and then esseially a bunch of grade 3 horses. Not much of a field.

If two turn Frosted is as good as one turn Frosted it becomes a one horse division.

I respected CC and Nyquist but neither them have ever put a race together like that.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by SuperPickle

I'm far from sold on this horse. Hoppertunity first off Dubai and then esseially a bunch of grade 3 horses. Not much of a field.

If two turn Frosted is as good as one turn Frosted it becomes a one horse division.

I respected CC and Nyquist but neither them have ever put a race together like that.

Not to mention it was a very slow pace.

That race should have been a BC Win and You're Out race.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by SuperPickle

I'm far from sold on this horse. Hoppertunity first off Dubai and then esseially a bunch of grade 3 horses. Not much of a field.

If two turn Frosted is as good as one turn Frosted it becomes a one horse division.

I respected CC and Nyquist but neither them have ever put a race together like that.

I agree that if Frosted runs back to his Met Mile he crushes everyone in the BC or anywhere else. That was the strongest race in the Handicap division that I have seen in several years.

But we need to see him repeat it. He freaked.

[Donttellmeshowme]

Nice horse but this horse wont smell CC. If he was 20/1 in the Breeders Cup i would throw him out.