Dr.Hansen says, "Keeneland's romantic"

[Grits]

I have truly read it all. REMEMBER, you learned from the horse's owner, "Keeneland has such an atmosphere, its so romantic there". HUH???

I have never in my life heard of an owner running their Eclipse Award Winning Juvenile Stakes runner at a track because its romantic, particularly when there's over a quarter of a million less money on the line. .... Don't care whether the graded earnings are there already or not.

Bless your heart, Dr.Hansen, please, forgive most of us, we thought it was a horse race! You looking for romance instead?

Its home, too. And its safer not to ship. (Heard that one before, too.)

I am completely dumbfounded, guys; maybe its just me. Still, I'm ROTFL.


http://www.drf.com/news/hansen-likel...-wood-memorial

“It’s home, it’s safer for the horse to have to travel less, and he can sleep in his own stall and go right over for the race,” Hansen said. “Plus, Keeneland has such an atmosphere, it’s so romantic there, it’s kind of what I’m in the game for. Even though it’s less money than the Wood, it just seems to make more sense to run him in the Blue Grass.”

[PhantomOnTour]

This is the same guy who wanted to paint Hansen's tail and mane blue when he ran at Aqu.

I'm not surprised....but who can deny that Kee is romantic???
Given the chance, i would go to Kee every day. It is BY FAR the most beautiful track I've ever visited.

[cj]

He won't win on polytrack at 9f at this point in his career. Dumb move, unless he doesn't care about winning.

[duncan04]

He just wants him to get to the Derby fit and sound. Hansen handles poly pretty well. Plus easy ship to Louisville

[Grits]

Phantom, yes, its pretty, its romantic . . . . if that's what you like or what you're in need of. But, honey, its a poor excuse for choosing to run one's top race horse there. I am serious. I'd forgotten about the mane and tail painting. This stuff is hilarious.

How many in the BG Stakes, exiting Keeneland's poly have won the Derby lately?

[PhantomOnTour]

Street Sense

[Leparoux]

Originally Posted by Grits

Phantom, yes, its pretty, its romantic . . . . if that's what you like or what you're in need of. But, honey, its a poor excuse for choosing to run one's top race horse there. I am serious. I'd forgotten about the mane and tail painting. This stuff is hilarious.

How many in the BG Stakes, exiting Keeneland's poly have won the Derby lately?

I don't see what the big deal is? You are acting like him saying that it is "romantic" is the only reason they are sending him there. Did you see the first part of the quote?

Hansen tuned up for the Juvenile on Poly... how did that go?

[cj]

Originally Posted by Leparoux

I don't see what the big deal is? You are acting like him saying that it is "romantic" is the only reason they are sending him there. Did you see the first part of the quote?

Hansen tuned up for the Juvenile on Poly... how did that go?

Like I said, if he doesn't care about winning the prep race it isn't a big deal.

[Grits]

LeParoux, he won the Gotham a few weeks ago at Aqueduct, we thought it was fine to ship him from Hallandale to Ozone Park, but now, we don't think its a good thing to ship him from Kentucky to Ozone Park? Its safer to remain in our own stall in Kentucky this time? All of this after it was stated that he would run in the Wood! OK, whatever you say.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/sp...am-stakes.html

Sorry, I just find this a bit odd. As I said, maybe its just me.

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

Street Sense

True, but this ain't a shining record for the BG in this 2011 piece from DRF. But of course, I could be wrong.

http://www.drf.com/news/blue-grass-s...resh-and-ready

Yes, it’s a Grade 1 race with a $750,000 purse. But the inextricable significance of the Blue Grass Stakes is its positioning before the Kentucky Derby, and after the Blue Grass is run Saturday over Polytrack at Keeneland, everyone will surely be asking: What did it mean? In a lot of recent years, it hasn’t meant much in the Derby context. Only one Derby winner (Street Sense, 2007) in the last 15 years has even run in the Blue Grass, and it has been 20 years (Strike the Gold, 1991) since the Blue Grass winner also won the Derby.

Mike Maker, who last year sent out Stately Victor to a 40-1 upset in the Blue Grass,

[duncan04]

And the move gives Dominguez another week to heal and keep the mount

[Cholly]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

Street Sense

says it all

[PhantomOnTour]

For the record, I'm not defending the move. I just happen to love Kee (even though i lose my ass there since poly came along).

Also, the timing of the race just doesn't fit with the way trainers want to go into the Derby anymore.
Shame, but the Blue Grass is quickly losing it's luster because of poly and when it's run in proximity to the Derby.

[Leparoux]

Originally Posted by Grits

LeParoux, he won the Gotham a few weeks ago at Aqueduct, we thought it was fine to ship him from Hallandale to Ozone Park, but now, we don't think its a good thing to ship him from Kentucky to Ozone Park? Its safer to remain in our own stall in Kentucky this time? All of this after it was stated that he would run in the Wood! OK, whatever you say.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/sp...am-stakes.html

Sorry, I just find this a bit odd. As I said, maybe its just me.



True, but this ain't a shining record for the BG in this 2011 piece from DRF. But of course, I could be wrong.

http://www.drf.com/news/blue-grass-s...resh-and-ready

What do you think the real reason for the move is then? I just think you are blowing up this romantic thing and making it a bigger deal than it is.

Is it odd that Alpha is now good enough to go to the Wood after Hansen dropped out? Things change a lot on the Triple Crown trail, Hansen was originally set for the FOY before opting for the Gotham I believe.

[Grits]

I don't care. Change your mind as often as you change your panties, I don't care. But, if its because your jock is injured, say so. Be realistic.

Don't sound silly as sin saying its because Keeneland Racecourse is romantic and that's what you're in the game for and your horse can remain in his own stall when he's shipped, perfectly, from Kentucky to Florida to New York then back to Kentucky.

[cj]

Horsemen, at least most of them, think fans are idiots.

Take Todd Pletcher for example talking about Brethren:

“He had a poor performance in the Arkansas Derby, so we just decided to give him some time off. He never really had any serious issues,” said Pletcher.

Oh, really? A year off without serious issues. Sure Todd, sure.