Those “Breathe Right” type strips used by I’ll Have Another in his previous races to include the Preakness and Derby are not allowed in New York.
Seriously? Do they really have an advantage using them?
[QUOTE=LavenderFarm;6325800]
Never heard of Mario before these races, but hats off to him as a skilled jock - lots of tactical talent and knows the horse’s ability. Nicely done!
Great race and looking forward to the Belmont. Been a long time since we had a TC winner. I can get behind IHA and Mario as deserving of such a title.[/QUOTE]
You’ve got to love Mario, a guy who after winning the Derby and now the Preakness says “More than anything, I thank god I didn’t disappoint people.”
What a class act and a deserving winner… Can’t wait for the Belmont!
[QUOTE=runwayz;6325919]
Seriously? Do they really have an advantage using them?[/QUOTE]
I don’t know if “advantage” is the right word…some people think they help in addition to Salix (Lasix) with EIPH.
Does anyone know if IHA was the only horse using one in the Preakness?
[QUOTE=Sunlight Star;6325880]
Those “Breathe Right” type strips used by I’ll Have Another in his previous races to include the Preakness and Derby are not allowed in New York.[/QUOTE]
That’s odd. Wouldn’t seem invasive. Unless they hid something else.
By the way, I loved Larry Collmus’s call - really added to the drama of that finish!
(And wish Trevor Denman would refer to the race on the 1st Saturday in May as The Kentucky Derby, instead of constantly just abbreviating it as ‘The Derby’. He’s very skilled, but this isn’t England.)
But loved Collmus’s emotion - the race and the call simply grabbed you.
One thing that I noticed is that the announcers mentioned that Mario had ridden (and won) two races a few days back at Pimlico, which I would take to mean as familiarizing himself with the track. Perhaps that helped quite a bit with his riding the race.
Hopefully he will do the same during his three weeks until the Belmont, since the track at Belmont seems to fox a lot of the riders during the race itself. Seems that Mario despite his relative inexperience is no dummy.
Mario has a very experienced jockey agent in 86 yo Ivan Puhich; I am sure that he will help to steer him in the right direction as he navigates the next few weeks. Not to take anything away from the jockey, who is very talented in his own right.
Mario is riding at Hollywood Park today. Ironically, 3 of the 4 horses that he rides today are maidens at double digit morning line odds. Mario rides the 2-1 ML fave in an allowance race for trainer Ben Cecil.
I couldn’t be happier for Mario (who even mentioned his valet Jaime on tv yesterday) and the connections of IHA. What a thrill ride they are on!
Super Mario - up here we are so thrilled for him and are claiming him as our own. Now everybody has heard of Hastings Racecourse !
[QUOTE=CVPeg;6326199]
That’s odd. Wouldn’t seem invasive. Unless they hid something else.[/QUOTE]
No, it’s not that it’s invasive. The strip keeps the nasal passages open completely where otherwise on inhalation they would narrow. (If you’ve ever used a Breathe Right strip, easier to experience than explain…sorry.)
In EIPH the race horse (as I understand it) who “bleeds” eventually senses the blood in his throat and swallows in an attempt to get rid of it. As he can either swallow or breathe, not both at the same time, while swallowing he is not getting enough oxygen to maintain his speed…therefore he “stops”/slows down/“backs up”.
Some of the information I’ve read on the strips theorize that with the additional air flow either the horse doesn’t sense the blood or senses it later in the race. If it actually works that way…is it preformance enhancing…does it give an unfair advantage? Some football players use the strips and I’m guessing it’s not for this reason! So, I’m still open to their use in horses.
Did anyone notice them on any of the other horses in the Preakness?
Lots of event horses use the strips routinely. And weren’t there some jockeys a while back that used the strips also?
BTW, I haven’t been following the racing game for a couple of years, so late on the bandwagon here, but what did IWA do as a 2-year-old, or did he even start?
The exercise rider who bought IWA cheap and sold relatively higher at the Ocala sale is from around here and there was a nice write-up about him between the Derby and the Preakness. Sounds like he has a good eye, at least in this one case.
[QUOTE=betonbill;6326434]
Lots of event horses use the strips routinely. And weren’t there some jockeys a while back that used the strips also?
BTW, I haven’t been following the racing game for a couple of years, so late on the bandwagon here, but what did IWA do as a 2-year-old, or did he even start?
The exercise rider who bought IWA cheap and sold relatively higher at the Ocala sale is from around here and there was a nice write-up about him between the Derby and the Preakness. Sounds like he has a good eye, at least in this one case.[/QUOTE]
He romped in his debut at Del Mar going 5.5 furlongs wire to wire. Then ran second to Creative Cause in the Best Pal. And then got shipped to Saratoga for the Hopeful, but ran 6th and got injured.
ETA: And it’s IHA!
“ETA: And it’s IHA!”
Ooops, senior moment there (:uhoh: blush).
24-hours later, after a 7am Sunday morning bath, and I’ll Have Another has already been shipped in New York!
Final finishing order for the 137th Preakness Stakes:
- I’ll Have Another
- Bodemeister
- Creative Cause $3.60
- Zetterholm
- Teeth of the Dog
- Optimizer
- Cozzetti
- Tiger Walk
- Daddy Nose Best
- Went the Day Well
- Pretension
So now we have yet another year where the Derby-Preakness winner goes for the Belmont. Since Affirmed went onto New York and found victory there hasn’t been a drought of attempts 
Horses that have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes:
2012 — I’ll Have Another … we shall see …
2008 — Big Brown [pulled up DNF]
2004 — Smarty Jones [finished 2nd; never raced again]
2003 — Funny Cide [finished 3rd on a muddy track]
2002 — War Emblem [stumbled at start; finished 8th]
1999 — Charismatic [broke down DNF]
1998 — Real Quiet [finished 2nd by a nose]
1997 — Silver Charm [finished 2nd]
1989 — Sunday Silence [finished 2nd - defeated by 8-lengths]
1987 — Alysheba [finished 4th]
1981 — Pleasant Colony [finished 3rd]
1979 — Spectacular Bid [finished 3rd] << best horse ever not to win the TC
1978 — Affirmed [won/Triple Crown]
Who is going to continue on from the Preakness into the Belmont? Just I’ll Have Another and (surprisingly) Optimizer. What does the field look like the 1 1/2 mile test of champions? 13-horses looks likely …
In addition to I’ll Have Another, Optimizer, and Paynter, the Belmont field could include Alpha, Atigun, Dullahan, Five Sixteen, Guyana Star Dweej, Mark Valeski, Rousing Sermon, Stealcase, Street Life, and Union Rags.
The O’Neil crew should be worried about facing Mark Valeski.
If there’s a groom’s award I hope it went to the groom of Daddy Nose Best. He was magnificently turned out including a full set of braids. ('course that may have slowed him down, but it LOOKED great!).
[QUOTE=Beverley;6326764]
If there’s a groom’s award I hope it went to the groom of Daddy Nose Best. He was magnificently turned out including a full set of braids. ('course that may have slowed him down, but it LOOKED great!).[/QUOTE]
Agreed and I remarked the same to my wife. I wonder if it isn’t one of Steve Asmussen’s team as it looked remarkable similar to the various horses he’s run like Rachel Alexandra and Curlin My wife braid’s my beloved Susquehanna’s hair for eventing and I always point out "can you make them like the cornish game hen braids of ‘Rachel’ 
In case anyone is wondering for 2012 the leading earner:
#1 I’ll Have Another with a record of 4 starts 4-0-0 and earnings $2,629,600
As Bob Baffert remarked to NBC post -Preakness we should expect to see ‘Bode’ next in the $1M Grade 1 Haskell Invitational (on the Jersey Shore hopefully sans Snookie or the Situation!)
I still think Kent Desormeaux has lost his mount on Dullahan in the Belmont - as much as Julien lost Union Rags - reagrdless if NYRA has allowed him to ride again.
Didn’t Charismatic finish the Belmont? I seem to remember all the scene with jockey holding leg, etc., taking place just AFTER the finish line. So he would be 3rd or 4th or something, not DNF?
Agree on Bid, though. What a horse!
Union Rags is my heart favorite, but for this Belmont I’ll be pulling for I’ll Have Another. What a great horse and rider pair! For being so young, Mario has got a very tactical and cool way of riding. You watch other really good horses getting choked in the middle, but Mario is excellent at keeping IHA clear enough to run.
Sure was a lot of talk about Bodemeister. Proof is in the pudding though, IHA is the better horse right now. The Belmont will be crazy exciting!
Charismatic did finish 3rd. THEN Chris Antley figured out his gait was off, and he jumped off and held up Charismatic’s leg so he wouldn’t injure it further. Most people say that saved Charismatic’s life.
