Rich Strike?

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by PalaceOfFortLarned

Really memorable ride.

Agree...other then the pace up front, the jockey on his back was the other reason he won...that was a fantastic ride especially from the top of the stretch on....sure, things broke his way with almost cinematic precision, but one wrong move by Leon and that horse would have been stopped cold and done...

FLAWLESS VICTORY!

[mountainman]

Melt-down? More traffic than the Los Angeles freeway at rush hour? That's like sending the bat signal to Sonny Leon. The guy is uncanny at timing a move, sees into the future as a race develops, possesses more guts than Evel Knievel, and finishes like Tiger Woods with a 4th round lead. Plus, Mahoning's flat turns have imbued him with a singular knack for saving ground and finding seams.

Beyond that, Leon, has an almost eerie ability to relax his mount and, regardless of running style, somehow convince a horse to do his will. I have yet to watch the replay, but would bet my life that Leon's spacing, at every point in the race, was impeccable as pertained to the flow.

In following Mvr almost religiously since that track's inception, I have learned one thing for certain: Sonny Leon is a sorcerer.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Dahoss2002

That horse had to be on dope . He was trying to kill his pony after the race haha

He wanted to beat up an even 20 horses!
Just before the race, as they entering the gate, Rich Strike said to that same pony."Hold my beer and watch this."

A race for the ages, wow!

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Karakorum Kabbage

https://twitter.com/NBCSports/status...04042427334660

Haven't seen anything open up like the rail did since Moses parted the Red Sea!

[Brisk Urging]

Rich Strike was 81-1 going into the gate, wins at 80-1. They knew.

[Parkview_Pirate]

Originally Posted by metro

Almost like Rich Strike was running scared, especially considering the savaging of the pony after the race....

I read this article that said he was playfully chomping. Say what?

https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-...2c9c80eda88a5e

Didn't look that way to me...the horse was fighting with that outrider and his horse, and the outrider looked pretty unhappy.

[BlueChip@DRF]

Originally Posted by Parkview_Pirate

I read this article that said he was playfully chomping. Say what?

https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-...2c9c80eda88a5e

Didn't look that way to me...the horse was fighting with that outrider and his horse, and the outrider looked pretty unhappy.

Missing fingers is being playful?

[Parkview_Pirate]

Originally Posted by Brisk Urging

Rich Strike was 81-1 going into the gate, wins at 80-1. They knew.

He was 99-1 early in the betting. They did know.

[lamboguy]

i hope the owner sells that horse for about $25 million now to one of "the better" trainers.

[Parkview_Pirate]

It's been a while since we used to argue at Fairmount, but I'll take the other side of some of this, 'cause that's what I do:

Originally Posted by zico20

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

1) There will be no Triple Crown winner this year.

Probably not, but DRF indicates Rich Strike is heading to Pimlico. In theory, unless you know something we don't, the Triple Crown is still alive.

Originally Posted by zico20

2) Never run a horse with only two starts, no matter how talented.

Probably a good idea. One Derby winner has done it, but the lack of gauging the horse's class is impossible after two starts. Beyer pointed out "not enough base", and I won't argue. But I think Rich Strike's win indicates a weak field too, as opposed to the fawning going on last week about how this was a superior crop. Track condition played a part too - track was tiring.

Originally Posted by zico20

3) Don't bet on any horse to be in the super with only three starts unless it is a superstar. Not enough foundation.

Probably true, though modern pharmacy knows no bounds. Horses have wildly different psyiologies than humans, but some trainers can pull off the non-racing prep - it's just much more rare that what we consider "normal".

Originally Posted by zico20

4) Never bet a UAE horse to be in the top 4. Yet come next year thousands will be fawning all over whoever that will be. Makes no sense to waste money on an angle that has never produced a positive result.

Never can be a long time. With the purse structures in the ME and Japan, I think it's only a matter of time before a good foreign running horse comes over and wins the Derby. Maybe not in my lifetime though, which is sort of a year-to-year proposition.

Would agree that "the streak" against the UAE Derby horses is a valid "bet against" until it happens though. 'Course, you won't get to brag on catching that first UAE-KY Derby winner....(it's all about the bragging....)

Originally Posted by zico20

5) Epicenter was the best horse and will win the Preakness if he runs. He looked to be getting past by Zandon and he re-rallied last 100 yards. Was way farther back than he has ever been and responded.

Epicenter ran huge yesterday. So huge, I think he'll be a great bounce candidate and will fade him at Pimlico. But at this moment in time, he appears to be the cream of the crop.

Originally Posted by zico20

6)Miracles do happen!!!

Yes, yes they do. Especially for those that hauled in the $741K Super High Five.

[lured]

Originally Posted by zico20

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

1) There will be no Triple Crown winner this year.

2) Never run a horse with only two starts, no matter how talented.

3) Don't bet on any horse to be in the super with only three starts unless it is a superstar. Not enough foundation.

4) Never bet a UAE horse to be in the top 4. Yet come next year thousands will be fawning all over whoever that will be. Makes no sense to waste money on an angle that has never produced a positive result.

5) Epicenter was the best horse and will win the Preakness if he runs. He looked to be getting past by Zandon and he re-rallied last 100 yards. Was way farther back than he has ever been and responded.

6)Miracles do happen!!!

Can I add that if you didn't know by now, you do now:

Never bet a horse without early speed coming out of post position 1 to win. If Irad can't figure a way into the trifecta with the pace that was set yesterday, nobody's going to win with a closer coming out of that gate. At least not until we get a 10 horse field or less.

[BlueChip@DRF]

Originally Posted by lured

Can I add that if you didn't know by now, you do now:

Never bet a horse without early speed coming out of post position 1 to win. If Irad can't figure a way into the trifecta with the pace that was set yesterday, nobody's going to win with a closer coming out of that gate. At least not until we get a 10 horse field or less.

Or until it happens.

[lured]

Originally Posted by BlueChip@DRF

Or until it happens.

Okay. Keep betting it'll happen. Let me know when you win with the closer one horse and how much you lost betting on them up until that point.

Mo Donegal would've easily been my top pick to win had he come out of another post position. I just can't figure a reason to ever bet any horse without early speed to win from there. It might happen, but it'll be an anomaly that makes it not worth betting. Can't wait until the next Derby that the Pletcher-Irad connection comes out of a different post. To have them coming out of the one hole two years in a row seems like pitiful luck.

[Inner Dirt]

The track announcer even dismissed him, did not pick up Rich Strike till inside the 1/16th pole. I would imagine we will see the largest Preakness field and highest odds Derby winner in quite some time. What was the winner's Beyer number?

[Bullet Plane]

I heard on one of the podcasts that it was a 101. Par on the DRF was 103. It seems a bit high with a time of 202.61.