Your Top 5?

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

hope some people made money. You have to love trainers like John Shirreffs as they are very predictable.

I didn't get involved in the race, but with the very small field and not much speed, I knew the pace would be slow with one of the Baffert horses in front controlling things. Plus, you knew Shirrffs wanted to win, but he wasn't going to crank him 100% for the "Shared Belief". I still think think he or Art Collector is the best 3yo in the country going long (pending the Travers), but I'm wondering if he's a little bit more of a grinder without the brilliance of some top horses.

[GMB@BP]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I didn't get involved in the race, but with the very small field and not much speed, I knew the pace would be slow with one of the Baffert horses in front controlling things. Plus, you knew Shirrffs wanted to win, but he wasn't going to crank him 100% for the "Shared Belief". I still think think he or Art Collector is the best 3yo in the country going long (pending the Travers), but I'm wondering if he's a little bit more of a grinder without the brilliance of some top horses.

hard to say, I think we have a group of good horses without a standout.

I had heard that Thousand Words was working really well, so Baffert with controlling speed in a race he had to win to get into the Derby and its pretty much an autobet. I dont think the winner is a better horses than the runner up.

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by GMB@BP

hard to say, I think we have a group of good horses without a standout.

I had heard that Thousand Words was working really well, so Baffert with controlling speed in a race he had to win to get into the Derby and its pretty much an autobet. I dont think the winner is a better horses than the runner up.

The race came back much faster than I expected given the result. 104 for the winner and 102 for Honor AP.

[Robert Fischer]

i picked thousand words but did really indecisive, stupid betting (ex, $2Win $100 shw)(then later took Eight Rings at the same price, with a harder investment, in a field where all I had to do was toss the underlay No Parole)


that barn's magic is flowing again, and it's as if the developments pre-covid haven't even phased or caused fear or hesitation. Maybe we'll even see McKenzie return to brilliancy? It's possible.


Thousand Words has been thriving, recently outworked Cezanne. Supposed to be a distant 3rd choice in exactas, but moved closer near post time. Was no secret, but it's still difficult to pull the trigger on a horse without the form, who is facing one of the top 3yos.

Saturday Thousand Words was the faster horse, who doesn't tire as much, and a better trip than Honor A. P.

Much like Tom's d'Etat, Honor A. P. is the better animal of the matchup, but faced a faster more brilliant rival while getting a worse trip.


Honor A. P. did not decline. He's still a top-5 Derby horse, and he's better odds than before.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

1. Tiz the Law
2. Uncle Chuck
3. Honor A.P.
4. NY. Traffic
5. Dr Post

new list =

1. Tiz the Law
2. Uncle Chuck
3. Honor A.P.
4. Thousand Words
5. NY. Traffic

[classhandicapper]

Uncle Chuck is the horse I'm on the fence about.

Figure makers disagree about how fast his last race was. It wasn't clear to me from the start who was more likely to be right and it's even less clear now after a couple of horses have run out of the race.

[jay68802]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

Uncle Chuck is the horse I'm on the fence about.

Figure makers disagree about how fast his last race was. It wasn't clear to me from the start who was more likely to be right and it's even less clear now after a couple of horses have run out of the race.

Hard call on it. Went with my eyes more than anything. Know saying that does not help people, but when you are given a choice, trust your instinct and get proven wrong. Also puts your choices on your own shoulders.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

Uncle Chuck is the horse I'm on the fence about.

Figure makers disagree about how fast his last race was. It wasn't clear to me from the start who was more likely to be right and it's even less clear now after a couple of horses have run out of the race.

Originally Posted by jay68802

Hard call on it. Went with my eyes more than anything. Know saying that does not help people, but when you are given a choice, trust your instinct and get proven wrong. Also puts your choices on your own shoulders.

From what I can see, he's the most talented 3yo in his barn. He's well built, he moves well, he's got brilliance, and a bunch of stamina. His races were nice and he's training like a Grade 1 horse. I know Baffert does more in his works than most trainers, but his works make him look like the top 3yo in the crop. He looks like yet another once-in-a-generation horse, in a long line of frequently occurring, once-in-a-generation horses for the barn.

Is he American Pharoah/Justify type who has tons of success, or is he Roadster/Game Winner who has legit talent and success, but not enough to equal their hype?

[groupie doll]

1. Tiz the Law
2. Art Collector
3. Uncle Chuck
4. Honor AP
5. Max Player

HMs- King Guillermo, Caracaro, NY Traffic

[letswastemoney]

1 - Tiz the Law
2 - Art Collector
3 - Honor A. P.
4 - Uncle Chuck
5 - King Guillermo? This position is wide open.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by groupie doll

1. Tiz the Law
2. Art Collector
3. Uncle Chuck
4. Honor AP
5. Max Player

HMs- King Guillermo, Caracaro, NY Traffic

BIG weekend.

Tiz the Law, Art Collector, Uncle Chuck, Max Player, Caracaro, Country Grammer and others racing this weekend in the Travers and the Ellis Park Derby.

[groupie doll]

Originally Posted by Robert Fischer

BIG weekend.

Tiz the Law, Art Collector, Uncle Chuck, Max Player, Caracaro, Country Grammer and others racing this weekend in the Travers and the Ellis Park Derby.

THANK you for reminding me that the EP Derby is this weekend. For some reason I swear I saw it listed as being run on Aug. 15, but it's indeed this Sunday.
In that case it is a big weekend for my top 5. Hopefully they all do well. I am thinking 4,6/4,6/ALL in the Travers. And I'll just hope Art Collector runs well enough to remain on track. There was a nice piece about Drury on Paulick Report the other day. I'm glad that with all the mayhem regarding the pandemic it actually enabled him to keep this horse.

[GMB@BP]

Lot of Uncle Chuck is Arrogate junior talk around....should be interesting.

[classhandicapper]

classhandicapper
@Classhndicapper
Figure makers disagree on how fast Uncle Chucks last was race. The win by Thousand Words supports a faster figure, but part of me thinks the Travers at 10F in only his 3rd start is a bit much to ask at a short price to beat the favorite even if you are certain.

Have we given up on Uncle Chuck yet or was it just too much too soon?

[classhandicapper]

I had it down to Honor AP and Art Collector because Tiz the Law hadn't broken out from that 100 Beyer level after several tries. I may have to adjust my thinking.