The Travers Stakes ( Grade I ) 8/26/2023

[bisket]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

Tapit Trice wound up running well in the Travers. He was off slowly (as is often the case) and I also thought he was used a bit too aggressively too soon to get position while between 3 and 4 wide on both the turns. He ultimately lasted better than Scotland and National Treasure. He's a notch below the best 3yos. He'll need a very favorable setup to win against them. I would probably look for a softer spot and try to get a win into him while continuing to work on his gate and other issues.

That race looked like his 99 in the Blue Grass. I think he might be better at 1 1/8 miles. I know he’s by Tapit, and everyone think’s he would be best at longer distances. If that’s the case there’s no reason for him to flatten out like he did.

[Maximillion]

Originally Posted by bisket

That race looked like his 99 in the Blue Grass. I think he might be better at 1 1/8 miles. I know he’s by Tapit, and everyone think’s he would be best at longer distances. If that’s the case there’s no reason for him to flatten out like he did.

I think it's asking a lot for him to break slow-circle-and then expect him to keep going.If that was another horse he would be generating a lot of buzz for that effort,The problem was it wasn't.......it was Tapit Trice.

[bisket]

Originally Posted by Maximillion

I think it's asking a lot for him to break slow-circle-and then expect him to keep going.If that was another horse he would be generating a lot of buzz for that effort,The problem was it wasn't.......it was Tapit Trice.

You just described Arcangelo’s race….

[groupie doll]

Arcangelo didn't break slowly; he broke with the field and put himself in an excellent spot early on. Tapit Trice broke a step slow, but mostly with the field, and then dropped back. He just doesn't appear to have the tactical speed that some of the others do and is more one-paced. Maybe the blinkers helped a little in that he got more forward early, so that when he was grinding in the stretch he did it closer to those on the lead, so he didn't have the additional hurdle of making up ground loss from dropping back early.


Regardless, Arcangelo is making his own trips and can finish strongly. Would he have been able to do this if rushed into races earlier by more eager connections? Hard to say for sure, but I think the trainer did the right thing by going slow and letting the horse's mind develop and catch up to the physical attributes that he had hinted at early on.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by bisket

You just described Arcangelo’s race….

IMO Arcangelo was the better trip adjusted horse, but Tapit Trice's trip was tougher. Arcangelo got squeezed a little, but he was still in the race in a better position saving some ground. He swung out later.

Tapit Trice was slow of out of the gate, slow to get going, and then imo pushed into the pace too early while wide. That's rough. Then he was wide the entire way.

I agree with this take by Maximillion.

I think it's asking a lot for him to break slow-circle-and then expect him to keep going.If that was another horse he would be generating a lot of buzz for that effort,The problem was it wasn't.......it was Tapit Trice.

[bisket]

Forte, Angel of Empire, Tapit Trice, and Disarm have been running the same race since March. Any speed figure that’s made on a day that has lots of races to base a figure has them running high 90’s to low 100. All of sudden they got really fast and ran a career high in the Jim Dandy. When the only race to base a figure was a slow off the turf 18 other than allowance. That figure is a toss, and I’d say there are dirt figures that are made on unreliable data. Beyer has admitted to this on turf.
https://www.drf.com/news/andrew-beye...t-cant-be-made

[ubercapper]

Well at least I was right about Scotland making the lead over the blinkerless National Treasure.

[PalaceOfFortLarned]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

IMO Arcangelo was the better trip adjusted horse, but Tapit Trice's trip was tougher. Arcangelo got squeezed a little, but he was still in the race in a better position saving some ground. He swung out later.

Tapit Trice was slow of out of the gate, slow to get going, and then imo pushed into the pace too early while wide. That's rough. Then he was wide the entire way.

I agree with this take by Maximillion.

Tapit Trice is this year's Tacitus.

Really good horse with never ending excuses. Simply finds a way to not win against the very best of his peers.

Had one of my biggest EX bets in my life on Arcangelo and Tapit Trice in the Belmont. I was done after that.

He is a great horse. He'll contend with about anybody, but never win.

[metro]

Tapit Trice wants to be outside horses, not inside stalking, they got the trip they wanted. As others have said that trip just was not going to win Saturday.

If the Woodward was at Belmont next month, instead of Bel @ Aqu it would be a perfect race for him, mile and an eighth out of the chute. As it is would imagine they try to back him up by the end of the year and target the Cigar Mile.

[Tom]

I liked TT early in the season,but lookd to me like
is not good enough for this level.

[bisket]

In the Jim Dandy I see tired horses running in the stretch with Forte resolutely winning. In the Belmont behind Arcangelo I see tired horses in the stretch Forte beating them again. In the derby I see the same tired horses behind Two Phil’s. Three year olds that haven’t backed up in the stretch Arcangelo, Geaux Rocket Ride, and Mage. This coming weekend we see if Geaux Rocket Ride can go 10 furlongs and run the stretch similar to 9 furlongs. That’s been my opinion since June with Geaux Rocket Ride showing what I suspected he had in the Haskell. I was more impressed with Rocket’s second to Practical Move then Practical Move’s win in their race in February.

[bisket]

Let’s add Disarm to the list of horses moving forward in the stretch. He did show that without following to close to that wicked pace in the Derby he’s a legit 10 furlong threat.

[PalaceOfFortLarned]

Originally Posted by bisket

Let’s add Disarm to the list of horses moving forward in the stretch. He did show that without following to close to that wicked pace in the Derby he’s a legit 10 furlong threat.

I didn't give Disarm enough credit.

He just keeps coming.

Feels like a horse they will run as a 4YO. And I hope so, because he just keeps getting better.

[rastajenk]

Originally Posted by PalaceOfFortLarned

Tapit Trice is this year's Tacitus.

Going back a little further.... Dollar Bill!

[PalaceOfFortLarned]

Originally Posted by rastajenk

Going back a little further.... Dollar Bill!

Ha.

Never bit on that one.

Bit hard on Mucho Macho Man though.

Got paid off in the 2013 BC Classic. I do love grinders, and he was the grinder of all grinders.