CSS – Visa pulled out?!? I missed that part… WOW!!! That stinks!
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by Galileo1998:
That may be your opinion, but unless your opinion has any influence on the rules of racing worldwide the result standing shouldn’t be a shock. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
snork
Sonesta, bless Scrappy’s heart he ran a hell of a race, and I am sure his jock and connections are sorry he blew wide in that turn, but to compare the pace loss of a jockey looking back versus the pace lost with a near roll? I’m thinkin’ the only way scrappy could have crossed the finish line first was if AA had rolled rather than picked himself up and dusted on by.
I just wanna add my two cents here. I’m not sure if AA would have beat Scrappy if the incident didn’t happen. I think if Scrappy had stayed on the original path it would have been VERY close. Also, I talked to a friend that trains race horses. I asked her why he didn’t hit him right handed. She said he couldn’t do that because of AA coming up on the right. That would be an interference with AA. shrug Also, I disagree with anyone that says Scrappy should have been brought down off of 2nd place because of this. When you only interfere with the winner, there are no grounds to do this. Geesh - had that not happened what a close race it would have been. Scrappy is AWESOME!!!
Glimmer – Okay, so I’ve been to a gazillon sites but can’t find the name of the horse. So, do you know who this is? I feel like such a geek!!! With my luck, this will be a QH or something (since I’ve always thought it was Secretariat).
Ditto Jo,
Using a left-handed whip on the turn was not wise…especially while ON THE TURN! I’m glad that nobody went down in a heap, but tragedy was only marginally averted. Yes, the jock should have known what would happen went he went to a left-handed whip.
Regardless, considering everything that happened, there’s no doubt that AA would have won by a pole if he hadn’t been so clearly, shall we say?, challenged.
I’m still wired about this…the local racetrackers are abuzz and I’m pretty sure that we witnessed a historical race that will be talked about for a long, long time.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by Sonesta:
his jockey looking back to see if Afleet Alex was going to fall. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Were we watching the same race? 
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by cmannphoto:
I never took anything away from Afleet Alex and Jeremy Rose. As I said, I think they both did one hell of a job. My point was that Scrappy T deserves more recognition then just the horse that clipped AA. Scrappy ran a great race against some good horses. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The thing to remember is that had their been no incident, 95% of the people watching the race wouldn’t even remember the name of the horse who ran second by the next week. Scrappy T goes down in history this way. 
And, coming from one who has lead many over, once something like that happens in a race, absolutely NOTHING matters besides the fact that everyone leaves the track under their own power - horses & riders alike. Finish positions & history books be damned.
SeaOat: As I stated in the beginning of my first post my opinion might be a bias one. Seeing first and second hand all the hard work that Robbie, Emily, Benny and the rest of the crew puts into getting a horse to a race like the Preakness, just doesn’t seem right not to acknowledge their accomplishments. Emily has put in some very long days at the barns making sure all the horses have the best of care. She always puts the horse’s welfare before her own. Likewise, Scrappy T’s groom Benny knows everything about that horse and spent many a long day pampering him.
My choice of “great” might be taken the wrong way by some, but when you look at who he bet in this race, to me it was a great race. I am sure Emily feels the same way, she said to me if Scrappy T finished last, she would be ok with it as long as he came home sound and anything better was icing on the cake.
I am still learning this whole racing thing and I equate horse racing to NASCAR. In the early years it was just a bunch of cars/horses going around in circles. Not until network TV started keying in on the strategy and everything that happens in the pits did it become more interesting and their ratings went up. The same thing has happened to me. I thought the “Conditions book” was the conditions of the track, not the conditions for entering a particular race. I thought you just put a bunch of horses in a race and the best horse won. Now, I have a better understanding of all the little things that most people don’t see that goes into making a race horse do the things it does. I am always asking Emily who, what, when, where and how? It is amazing to me how much work it takes to channel a horse’s energy and to get them to release it at the right time.
Emily and I went to the draw on Wednesday night at the ESPN Zone in Baltimore. It was very interesting to see the strategy of being able to pick your starting post positions. Being first to pick was not every bodies choice, they wanted to see where some of the other horse were so they could pick who they wanted to be next to. Scrappy’s connection where lucky because they got to pick the position that they felt would work for him. Others were not so lucky.
I questioned the change of riders on Scrappy T and after listening to several people’s comments on why to switch riders I can see the logic behind each of them. Yet each reason has its pros and cons. The connections had their reasons for going with Remon. He had experience with the Pimlico track, to which he rode a “good” race until the top of the stretch. His timing of the whip to Scrappy T made the race more dramatic then everybody expected. Did it change the out come of the race? Probably not the order of finish, but maybe the margin of victory for Afleet Alex. I am not going to get into the “what ifs”, the race is over with Afleet Alex being the winner and Scrappy T betting the rest of the field hands (hooves) down. The most important thing is that both of the horses and riders came out of the race uninjured.
Charlie Mann
www.cmannphoto.com
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>mcm7780, The Triple Crown has been around for many many years (way before Visa started sponsering it with the added bonus). As long as those three races are run, there will always be a Triple Crown! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
with all this talk about “moving” the preakness, who knows. i mean the filly’s triple tiara is no longer… (last i knew) horse racing is really in need of SEVERAL stars to boost the industry, create rivalrys…etc. we need 2 great horses to duel, not just one 
Linny, this is what a DRF writer said on 5-20 in msnbc.com article.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7913238/
“We’re kind of doing a lot of what the handicappers are doing, wondering whether we’re going to get the distance,” Bailes said. “Pimlico is going to favor us a little bit trying to get the extra distance. Off of [the Withers], I really feel strongly he’ll get it.”
Bailes particularly liked the way Scrappy T relaxed in the Withers, sitting off War Plan through a moderate half-mile before taking over in the stretch. He did veer in during the stretch while awkwardly changing leads.
So does he veer like that alot. I am just trying to understand the difference.
Thanks
AB
edited for typo
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by mcm7780:
CSS – Visa pulled out?!? I missed that part… WOW!!! That stinks! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
They didn’t “pull out” they had a contract (10 years i believe) and this is the last year.
Scrappy T’s jock was at fault. You don’t hit a horse left handed coming out of the point of the turn…horses drift naturally towards the outside, he should have hit him right handed. I think the jock got overly excited and didn’t use his brain. He moved early, trying to get a jump start on Alex, who would have won no matter what because he had more left.
Afleet Alex, ran a heck of a race. Jeremy should be glad he didn’t fall otherwise he would have got dragged with his feet being so far in the stirrups. Now every sore sucker will be training 5 miles a day.
Giacomo, didn’t look like he handled the track as well. Looked like he was climbing in the first turn, got too far out of it and didn’t have the big kick. Ran a great race and Mike did a heck of a job playing it safe with him. I look for more positive things to come from him.
Scrappy T was my pick along with Alex. I watched on tv T galloping, he by far went the most sound out of all of them. Alex is short strided and stiff when he trains(watched him all meet at oaklawn and then at churchill) might be a special reason he has to jog three miles before he gallops. I hope they give him a break, he had a tough 2 year old season, and now three year old season and I would like to see him have a 4 year old season.
Prism:
Yes… I also thought it looked like he was still on his left when first sticked (I was inside, top of stretch on a 12ft perch) but not seen a replay yet. We had a side view and I made quick glance from big-screen to live as it happened just in front of us. Not sure if pieced together accurately but initial thought/mental image was that. Really thought one of them broke down for that split second and was sickened. Totally stunned when Alex up & blew by. Totally relieved both OK.
I believe this was RD’s first race on the gelding (?)…maybe not aware he couldn’t brand his butt, like some who need a hard stick when they start looking/lagging when up front; whatever the reason it’s all OBE now.
Haven’t seen a recovery like Afleet’s since Alysheba’s Derby win. Quite athletic buggers.
Saw most of yesterday’s big horses in stalls being horses this AM & everybody human on to next subject by noon… 
It was a great race and in the end it came down to 2 great horses. This incident proved how tough AA can be. He certainly looked pissed and determined after he recovered and that little edge propped him into another gear. That horse is certainly athletic (as JR even stated) and saved his butt. A truly talented animal who was given a great, no brilliant, ride by JR. For a horse to lose those few precious seconds stumbling almost to his chest, recover and then shoot out like a bullet, shows how much heart AA has!
On the replay I noticed that when Scrappy’s jockey looked way over his right hand shoulder his left hand pulled Scrappy to the left. The rein was wide and opening. Certainly, IMO, nothing was intentional but let’s hope it was taken as a learning experience for all.
Albion – The comment about your friends being in diapers gave me a nice visual image – little kids in diapers trying to act like jockeys! Could be cute! I was mistaken and thought that Visa had always sponsered the Triple Crown…guess that shows you what marketing can do! I didn’t realize they only had a contract to sponser the extra money for a winner for a few years. I wish my friends knew who the old winners were – none of them do! I have a picture of me on the statue of Secretariat at the Kentucky Horse Park and no one knew who the horse was even after I tried to explain! (And yes, I know I was naughty to climb onto the statue, but my dad was the one who gave me a leg up and he should have been a better influence on me!) 
Albion – Rememeber, some of us here were born after Secretariat won. 
I’ve always known it was a big thing, but most my un-horse friends don’t know what it is – I had to explain it to my roommate today. So I didn’t know if maybe it was a big thing among the horse world and then it got bigger once Visa added the bonus – like Jeapordy, it’s always been popular but it became a lot more popular once Ken Jennings started winning soooo much more than most winners!
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by Glimmerglass:
I stand corrected if indeed there was/is a 2nd Secretariat statue at the KHP The articles I read during the unveiling last winter suggested this was their first homage to the other Big Red.
My apologies to Windsor! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
No, no apology necessary! I really didn’t know either, I just knew that another statue of him had to be hanging around somewhere. Like I said, I was thinking it was at Claiborne.
mcm7780–The article I provided the link for above says while the newest Big Red statue will stand at the KHP’s Secretariat Plaza, “your” statue will be relocated to the Secretariat Center for retraining and rehoming retired thoroughbreds. So maybe someday you can go back and ride it again.
Well said, Charlie. I think it was a hell of a race, and Scrappy T really stepped up and ran beautifully, despite the almost collision. I look forward to watching his progress in the future.
Scrappy T is a very good race horse, but no way could he have beaten Afleet Alex!! That horse is INCREDIBLE!!! God I was soo scared when he went down on his knees!!! Go ALEX!
geez, that msnbc 'what if" article really got my hackles up- Scrappy and his jockey seemed to be in just as much danger as Afleet Alex and Rose- no, scrappy didn’t go down on his knees, but he very well could have been injured. And Ramon came within an inch, maybe two, of falling directly in Afleet Alex’s path- talk about a ‘what if’- why is nobody talking about THAT what if? For Scrappy T and Ramon to come out of that scramble and finish 2nd is every bit as impressive to me as Afleet Alex’s victory…
Am I too biased having read about him here?
