Bob Baffert's recent runners

[Jeff P]

Just so you know... Angelo Dundee was Ali's trainer. If I'm not mistaken, he also handled Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman.

I think the point SRU was trying to make is that the athlete is the star and arguably does more for the sport than the trainer.


-jp

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[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Just so you know... Angelo Dundee was Ali's trainer. If I'm not mistaken, he also handled Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman.

I think the point SRU was trying to make is that the athlete is the star and arguably does more for the sport than the trainer.


-jp

.

Ooops on the referee part... laf... but I know what he's going for... I just don't think that in the case of horse racing it really applies the way it would in boxing. Do you?

Do you think that more people know who Baffert is or who Game on Dude is?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd be fairly shocked if it tilted towards the latter.

Why am I even jumping in another go-nowhere SRU stream of consciousnesslessness?

[Saratoga_Mike]

Originally Posted by johnhannibalsmith

.

Why am I even jumping in another go-nowhere SRU stream of consciousnesslessness?

We're all occasionally sucked into SRU's world....and of course you're right about Baffert (and I'm not a fan of his).

[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by Saratoga_Mike

...about Baffert (and I'm not a fan of his).

Neither am I particularly. Nor Lukas, really.

But in terms of marketing the sport and "brand recognition", I think that both have been borderline invaluable (to the extent that anything has actually been a help) over the last couple of decades. Nothing is more mundane than a televised racing event where the main attraction is Mr. Personality Pletcher. Thankfully now they have Rosie versus the male dominated universe when Baffert and Lukas aren't around to give them something to spotlight that humans will identify with and recognize.

[Jeff P]

Do you think that more people know who Baffert is or who Game on Dude is?

Sadly, I'm thinking Baffert has more name recognition than Game On Dude.

But go back in time a few years and ask the same question: Baffert or Silver Charm? And I think the answer changes.

This leads to an area of the game where I think things are "broken."

Horses in today's game don't make as many starts as the horses of just 20 or 30 years ago. Because of that, racing is up against it when it comes to creating new fans.

I grew up in Arizona. One of the reasons I was initially drawn to racing was that the charts for Turf Paradise were published in the sports section of the morning newspaper. As teenager I used to read the charts for Turf Paradise in the local paper (along with the standings and stats for the NBA, NFL, and MLB.)

Back then many of the horses ran back every 10-14 days or so. Because of that I began recognizing the names of some the better athletes on the grounds. (That same exact process was the spark that resulted in me becoming a lifelong baseball fan.)

I recall being about 14 and opening the paper one Sunday morning. And discovered much to my joy that a horse who I had been following by name was going for his 4th consecutive win that afternoon. So I did what any 14 year old racing fan would do... I asked my Dad to take me to the track so we could watch him run.

Much tougher for that same spark to ignite in 14 year old today.

Horses don't run back as often. And if you ask me, that's an outright shame.



-jp

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[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

...
I grew up in Arizona. One of the reasons I was initially drawn to racing was that the charts for Turf Paradise were published in the sports section of the morning newspaper. As teenager I used to read the charts for Turf Paradise in the local paper (along with the standings and stats for the NBA, NFL, and MLB.)

...
Much tougher for that same spark to ignite in 14 year old today.

...
.

To this I can certainly relate. Basically the same first introduction. Being eight, nine, eating a bowl of breakfast cereal on top of the sports page and reading all the box scores from baseball and the entries and results from horse racing. Didn't have any idea about much of what it all meant, but I read it every day until I did. I too doubt very much that too many kids today are enjoying that.

[nijinski]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Just so you know... Angelo Dundee was Ali's trainer. If I'm not mistaken, he also handled Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman.

I think the point SRU was trying to make is that the athlete is the star and arguably does more for the sport than the trainer.


-jp

.

There is no doubt that the horses are the stars . They make it the Sport of Kings for me . They are the beauty and the spirit of this sport .

I guess many more here would have been a fan of BB's if they had the 20-1
on War Emblem . lol.
We'll never know if WE would have come that close or had the chance of
winning the TC in Springer's barn . We do know that Baffert made some equipment changes entered him, switched to a hot jock , and held him together for a very exciting Triple Crown bid . No disrespect to the former trainer , he did a good job with what was a handful of a horse .
Just one of many of the stars trained by BB that have many followers .
I myself happened to have great memories of Silverbulletday .

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

Just so you know... Angelo Dundee was Ali's trainer. If I'm not mistaken, he also handled Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman.

I think the point SRU was trying to make is that the athlete is the star and arguably does more for the sport than the trainer.


-jp

.

I'm not necessarily suggesting that the horse does "more" for the sport than the trainer, what i'm trying to get at is that people don't go to the races to see the "behind the scenes" caretaker "do his thing".

Some were trying to tell me that Baffert does help the sport in some way because of his high profile horses....but, those horses he had would have been just as good in any other barn, a great horse is a great horse, its not like Silver Charm or Point Given would have been 5k claimers with other trainers.

Unless, of course, somehow a person thinks that Baffert has a 'magic way' with those horses and they wouldnt have been great without him, well, that's an entirely different discussion.

[nijinski]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

I'm not necessarily suggesting that the horse does "more" for the sport than the trainer, what i'm trying to get at is that people don't go to the races to see the "behind the scenes" caretaker "do his thing".

Some were trying to tell me that Baffert does help the sport in some way because of his high profile horses....but, those horses he had would have been just as good in any other barn, a great horse is a great horse, its not like Silver Charm or Point Given would have been 5k claimers with other trainers.

Unless, of course, somehow a person thinks that Baffert has a 'magic way' with those horses and they wouldn't have been great without him, well, that's an entirely different discussion.

There is of course a chance that these horses may have done well in other barns . There is a reason why when they spent all that money and they went to Baffert though .

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by johnhannibalsmith

To this I can certainly relate. Basically the same first introduction. Being eight, nine, eating a bowl of breakfast cereal on top of the sports page and reading all the box scores from baseball and the entries and results from horse racing. Didn't have any idea about much of what it all meant, but I read it every day until I did. I too doubt very much that too many kids today are enjoying that.

Yes, but then again, nobody reads newspapers anymore either, compared to back then anyway...so racing is doubly screwed now I guess...

[Stillriledup]

Any updates on Red Tesla?

(pulled up from a race at Santa Anita on Apr 6th)

Baffert seems to have closed down his twitter account after he was asked by racing fans to provide updates. Not sure if the asking about the updates and the closing of the twitter are related.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Any updates on Red Tesla?

(pulled up from a race at Santa Anita on Apr 6th)

Baffert seems to have closed down his twitter account after he was asked by racing fans to provide updates. Not sure if the asking about the updates and the closing of the twitter are related.

So, i guess if you close out Twitter, its like a telephone number and someone else can get the domain?

https://twitter.com/Midnightlute

7 dead horses, all but forgotten.