Alwaysmining

[PowerUpPaynter]

Anyone else think he might just be a product of the poor competition he has been running against? Likely making him overbet in the Preakness and could easily finish out of the money? Im moving on to the Preakness, exhausted of the DQ talk. Looking for horses to fade out of the money and on the opposite Bodexpress could finish in the money and boost the payouts. His running style might fit Pimlico well.

[Robert Fischer]

I haven't done the work on him yet, so I don't have a strong opinion.

[PowerUpPaynter]

he's certainly one of the key pieces to handicapping the Preakness. The beyers are good, the times are fast, winning races by open lengths, but is it a different story when much classier horses are breathing down his neck?

[Afleet]

not sure about pace figures, ratings, sheet #s-haven't seen any yet, but he has a very interesting pedigree. Unbridled, Golden Act, Dr. Fager, Sir Ivor, Princequillo litter the bottom of the pedigree

[Immortal6]

6 straight wins against subpar competition... hard to back the horse when he will be running against much the best he has seen as a likely underlay. Give me 15 or 20-1 on him and I might use him underneath in exotics. Will wait to see how the field shapes up before passing final judgement.

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by Immortal6

6 straight wins against subpar competition... hard to back the horse when he will be running against much the best he has seen as a likely underlay.

Alwaysmining was gelded between his maiden win and his first start against winners and has since gone 6 for 8.

In one of his minor stakes wins, he defeated Win Win Win who later took a sprint stakes at Tampa and placed in the Tampa Bay Derby and Blue Grass. Win Win Win is also a probable for the Preakness.

In another of his stakes wins, Alwaysmining defeated Gray Magician who subsequently placed in the UAE Derby before finishing last in the Kentucky Derby.

[Immortal6]

When I say running against better competition I’m referring to the possibility of WoW, Improbable, and to a lesser extent Bourbon War, Laughing Fox, and Signalman.

Like I said, it’s hard to say too much about how I view AlwaysMining in this particular race until the field takes shape.

However...

To not even try the horse in a single derby prep does give me some pause... I read an article about how the owners were pointing him to the Preakness all along, which if that is your ultimate goal with the horse they likely went about it the right way imo. Kept him local and let him beat up on inferior competition while cashing checks....something tells me that the horse needed some confidence building races... now how will he do when he comes neck and neck with a Improbable or War of Will at the 1/8th pole?

[TheGarMan]

One thing is for sure...

The Maryland locals will line up at the windows to bet him with both fists..

Preakness day crowds LOVE them some Maryland horses.

I like him, but he should be 10/1 here , instead we will be lucky to get 6/1

So I am intrigued, but will need decent odds to take a bite.

Good luck!

[Fightingirish51195]

Doesn’t need the lead to win

[Someday Silent]

The doubts people have about Alwaysmining and his competition sound awfully similar to what was being said about Maximum Security prior to Florida and Kentucky Derbies.

[zico20]

Originally Posted by Someday Silent

The doubts people have about Alwaysmining and his competition sound awfully similar to what was being said about Maximum Security prior to Florida and Kentucky Derbies.

Nice comparison. However, there are a few differences between the two. MS had an easy lead in slow fractions in the Florida Derby, an average allowance horse could have held on to win. The KD he was aided be the slop, where several of his top rivals clearly did not like it. Next, MS was sitting on a big race with room to improve having had only four starts. Alwaysmining has had 12 starts and a huge step forward seems highly unlikely. He is also an all or nothing horse for the most part, and he won't win so he is an easy toss. I think he gets run over by better horses, and he won't get the lead in here. He is not that fast early on.

[Fightingirish51195]

Originally Posted by zico20

Nice comparison. However, there are a few differences between the two. MS had an easy lead in slow fractions in the Florida Derby, an average allowance horse could have held on to win. The KD he was aided be the slop, where several of his top rivals clearly did not like it. Next, MS was sitting on a big race with room to improve having had only four starts. Alwaysmining has had 12 starts and a huge step forward seems highly unlikely. He is also an all or nothing horse for the most part, and he won't win so he is an easy toss. I think he gets run over by better horses, and he won't get the lead in here. He is not that fast early on.

Like I said, he doesn’t need the need. What do you mean by he’s an all or nothing horse?

[bobphilo]

Can he go up in class? That's what Beyer says speed figures are useful for and his show that he belongs. His biggest obstacle is Improbable who has the edge in both and will be the legit favorite.

[bobphilo]

Originally Posted by Fightingirish51195

Like I said, he doesn’t need the need. What do you mean by he’s an all or nothing horse?

While it may be true speed horses TEND to be all or nothing, there are numerous exceptions and there is no reason to think this particular horse is all or nothing.

[Fightingirish51195]

Originally Posted by bobphilo

While it may be true speed horses TEND to be all or nothing, there are numerous exceptions and there is no reason to think this particular horse is all or nothing.

I’ve just never heard that term used in horse racing to be honest so I have no idea exactly what the definition of an all or nothing horse is