I love Lava Man.
After quite a day of racing, my jaw hit the floor about five minutes ago.
It was a great day for fans -- Songster won a great sprint race -- although I was quite impressed with the way Fabulous Strike took the lead. If he returns to a bit easier level, I think he'll dominate there for quite some time. Jazil was quite impressive in winning the Belmont. Not only was he more than I thought, but the ride by Fernando Jara was memorable. It will be fun to watch whether Jazil emerges as a star in the division. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be surprised to hear a retirement announcement soon -- absent a win in the Classic, can his breeding value really improve? And, Bluegrass Cat, did exactly as expected -- a well-bred horse without the real desire to win. From a betting perspective, he's one of my favorite types of horses -- almost a "lock" for that second spot. An exacta wheel with contenders on top serves the purpose well.
But, the performance of the day was Lava Man's win in the Charlie Wittingham. This former claimer has done all that's been asked of him this year. He beat a very solid field in the Big Cap, and then returned to the turf, where he has had some mild success prior to the now legendary claim. He won impressively against state breds in late April, but today's entry seemed like a very ambitious step. And then, he won on the turf in a fashion rarely seen -- strong early, challenged middle, and unbeatable late. I'm so impressed that I'm going to print out his lifetime past performance and add it to my Champions book from DRF. Yes, he's that good. I guess the only remaining question is for his trainer, Doug O'Neil -- The Classic or The Turf?
Finally, in retrospect, the track was noticeably fast at Belmont, but I didn't notice any track bias. But, I did notice a trainer bias -- the big form improvements continued from Contessa in today's 1st and 12th races at Belmont. I'd keep my eye on his entries if I were playing the New York circuit. Of course, though, I don't follow my own advice. A last minute decision off of Taken Not Given -- a horse I've supported since February -- was my worst of the day.
S.A.
It was a great day for fans -- Songster won a great sprint race -- although I was quite impressed with the way Fabulous Strike took the lead. If he returns to a bit easier level, I think he'll dominate there for quite some time. Jazil was quite impressive in winning the Belmont. Not only was he more than I thought, but the ride by Fernando Jara was memorable. It will be fun to watch whether Jazil emerges as a star in the division. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be surprised to hear a retirement announcement soon -- absent a win in the Classic, can his breeding value really improve? And, Bluegrass Cat, did exactly as expected -- a well-bred horse without the real desire to win. From a betting perspective, he's one of my favorite types of horses -- almost a "lock" for that second spot. An exacta wheel with contenders on top serves the purpose well.
But, the performance of the day was Lava Man's win in the Charlie Wittingham. This former claimer has done all that's been asked of him this year. He beat a very solid field in the Big Cap, and then returned to the turf, where he has had some mild success prior to the now legendary claim. He won impressively against state breds in late April, but today's entry seemed like a very ambitious step. And then, he won on the turf in a fashion rarely seen -- strong early, challenged middle, and unbeatable late. I'm so impressed that I'm going to print out his lifetime past performance and add it to my Champions book from DRF. Yes, he's that good. I guess the only remaining question is for his trainer, Doug O'Neil -- The Classic or The Turf?
Finally, in retrospect, the track was noticeably fast at Belmont, but I didn't notice any track bias. But, I did notice a trainer bias -- the big form improvements continued from Contessa in today's 1st and 12th races at Belmont. I'd keep my eye on his entries if I were playing the New York circuit. Of course, though, I don't follow my own advice. A last minute decision off of Taken Not Given -- a horse I've supported since February -- was my worst of the day.
S.A.
posted by Seth Abrams at 4:49 PM
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