Irap

[PowerUpPaynter]

What do you guys make of this horse? I just spent the past hour looking into him and here is a C\couple things I noticed in doing a little deeper research into him:

1. I like how he fought back when it looked like Practical Joke was going to pass him.

2. He was the closest horse to hanging with Mastery in any route race, in the Cash Call he took the final turn wide of Mastery and kinda held his own for a little bit in the stretch until Mastery just did what Mastery does (what a horse!)

3. He seems like a bigger horse in the Bluegrass than his other races, maybe he is maturing at the right time.

4. He runs better with blinkers off.

Thoughts?

[VigorsTheGrey]

Irap is 1/2 to Speightstown

http://www.pedigreequery.com/irap
http://www.pedigreequery.com/speightstown
http://www.winstarfarm.com/horses/sp...#hh-racerecord

Tiznow winning the 2000 Breeders Cup, Iraps Sire
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/s...3&action=click

[letswastemoney]

He was an expensive colt at 300k. Easy to see why looking at the pedigree.

[VigorsTheGrey]

Does it look like Irap ever changed leads in the stretch....doesn't look like it to me anyway...
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...lue-grass-s-g2

[Spalding No!]

Irap has been the perfect barometer for the Derby trail because of his consistency and his limitations. He pretty much runs the same race every time: stalks the pace, pounces on the turn, and wilts in the stretch.

He was the early signal that the CA 3yo contingent was of dubious quality when he ran second to Mastery in the Los Alamitos Futurity then wheeled back and was unplaced in a maiden special weight. He then came right back and ran a modest second to Royal Mo (who was coming off a maiden win) in the anemic Robert Lewis. It was as if the maiden special weight races in CA were stronger than the 3yo graded stakes.

Irap then went to Sunland Park for successive starts and failed to beat the local star, Conquest Mo Money, in either race. The death knell for the CA 3yos was sounded when Irap failed in the first race, the Mine That Bird Derby, a mere prep for the Sunland Park Derby. These are "alternative" Derby preps run at a second tier track. It should be noted that Irap had trouble in the Sunland Park Derby when his rider inexplicably rallied up onto the heels of the leader, Pletcher bench-warmer Hedge Fund, and had to wait at the critical moment when Irap normally does his best running. That said, he was not going to win the race anyways and also failed to ever get by a tiring Hedge Fund in the stretch.

The "improvement" noted in the Blue Grass can be explained by a few things: (1) huge rider switch from Gutierrez to "insert any name here"
(2) softer pace than Los Al Futurity or Sunland Park Derby
(3) softer pace rival (Wild Shot) than Los Al (Mastery), Sunland (Conquest Mo Money), and Robert Lewis (Royal Mo)
(4) McCraken was a short horse and made a nice turn move only to hang the final furlong
(5) Practical Joke is a consistent hanger, and likely to be a reformed sprinter/miler by year's end

It's all pretty much moot, anyways. Barring another Reddam/O'Neill entrant in the Derby (and there are none with enough points to get in), Gutierrez will be back aboard on Derby day.

[MNslappy]

Originally Posted by VigorsTheGrey

Does it look like Irap ever changed leads in the stretch....doesn't look like it to me anyway...
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...lue-grass-s-g2

On TVG they noted he didnt change leads until the wire and gallop out. Which tells you he's got room for improvement, and at the same time, tells you all you need to know about Practical Joke and McCraken. Couldn't get past a maiden on the wrong lead down the stretch.

[boys at tosconova]

jerry bailey gave his take on irap after the race for everyone to hear tuning in.



lol

[MNslappy]

CJ has posted the TimeFormUS figs for this past weekend. Pretty interesting, Irap was given a 122. Which is the 2nd best fig earned in KD prep season by a horse still on the trail.

Top Five TFUS Figs

Always Dreaming 123 (FL Derby)
Irap 122 (Bluegrass)
J Boys Echo 122 (Gotham)
Petrov 121 (Southwest)
Iliad 120 (San Felipe)
Practical Joke 120 (Bluegrass)

[letswastemoney]

Irap is in the mix to me. He's just a little unprofessional in the stretch, but the lead change could be cleaned up.

[PowerUpPaynter]

Originally Posted by MNslappy

On TVG they noted he didnt change leads until the wire and gallop out. Which tells you he's got room for improvement, and at the same time, tells you all you need to know about Practical Joke and McCraken. Couldn't get past a maiden on the wrong lead down the stretch.

isnt Irap being on the wrong lead a sign of him being tired? - and as far as Practical Joke, im not as down on him as everyone else. We keep saying he cant get the distance, and his pedigree suggest that, but as the races get long he keeps hitting the board. I kind of think he is a fighter and wouldnt be shocked if he hits the board in the derby. He finds a way to staty out of trouble and gives everything he got in the stretch. Gutsy horse if you ask me.

[lamboguy]

i wonder if the name IRAP is named for a procedure done on a horse. it is something expensive that is being done these days instead of tapping with quartizone or acid.

you draw the horses blood and mix it send it out for the plasma to be separated and inject the horse back with his own blood in places like knee's or ankle joints.

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

i wonder if the name IRAP is named for a procedure done on a horse. it is something expensive that is being done these days instead of tapping with quartizone or acid.

you draw the horses blood and mix it send it out for the plasma to be separated and inject the horse back with his own blood in places like knee's or ankle joints.

Well, it is a Doug O'Neil horse so who knows what concoctions were used. I think this guy needs a relatively soft pace to contend for the win and I don't believe he will get it. There is some early heat this year, albeit not Songandaprayer or Bodemeister.

[MNslappy]

I dont know if CJ will read this thread, but I would love to see some discussion on Irap's 122 fig. If there is anything to say, that is....heck, maybe there isn't.

Is there any reason at all to doubt this number? Any reason to take it with a grain of salt? Because a 122 puts him right there with the top of the field. If you believe in Timeform figs (which I 100% do), then you almost have to include this one on the top of your tickets, don't ya?

What do you guys think his odds will be?

[f2tornado]

I take anything on the Keeneland dirt with a grain of salt. It's like the Aqueduct inner that doesn't necessarily translate elsewhere. I pitcure Irap as one that might sneak into the tri or super with an ideal pace scenario but I simply don't envision that happening. There is way too much speed this year and the pacers appear quite strong.

[boys at tosconova]

there was something really rotten in that bluegrass race. i'm all for horses improving but irap went from losing ground in every race in the stretch against weaker, to not losing any ground beating MUCH better horses going longer. the bluegrass was a who's who field. multiple graded winners, stakes record time winner, undefeated mccracken and jboys.

you're not beating everyone of those horses w/o some really weird chit and highly suspect stuff going down......chew on this....tapwrit might have been able to go 140 in the TB derby......141 is a given if he wanted to..and the only reason he doesn't hold the all age track record at TB @ 1 1/16 is because stablemate stanford ran a little faster than he did that day. but he beat destin's mark who was the record holder....the only track record irap is going to break is eating the most hay.

sorry..i don;t care where but these numbers came from, but i lol at them

Irap 122 (Bluegrass)
J Boys Echo 122 (Gotham)
Petrov 121 (Southwest)
Iliad 120 (San Felipe)
Practical Joke 120 (Bluegrass)