Post positions, from the inside out, as reported by the Associated Press:
1 - Congrats (Mike Luzzi, 15-1)
2 - Strong Hope (John Velazquez, 4-1)
3 - Peace Rules (Bailey, 8-5)
4 - Ten Most Wanted (Pat Day, 6-1)
5 - Empire Maker (Bailey, 8-5)
6 - Wild and Wicked (Shane Sellers, 20-1)
7 - Funny Cide (Jose Santos, 3-1)
8 - Sky Mesa (Edgar Prado, 4-1)
Himbo - the full quote was:
“It’s just a hair off,” Tagg said. “The blood count is in the normal range, but not exactly how I wanted it to be. If his blood count is good and he is acting right and eating good, then I will run him. If one of those things isn’t right, then I won’t run him. It’s real simple.”
I don’t think his remark taken as a whole should be used to knock Tagg whatsoever. His best interest is Funny Cide being in top shape, short of that why put him in the race?
The owners are hands-off and he’s run two lukewarm efforts after two exceptional ones. Taken as whole, I’d say if you aren’t confident you’ve got the best horse he can be, then pass on it and go for the G1 Penn. Derby.
LEE-roy Jolley? <withhold opinion>
His father, Moody Jolley = jerk <keeping it mild>
I’ll never forget or forgive that smug bastard (MJ, not LJ) crowing when Ruffian broke down, in the match race with Foolish Pleasure.
I will take the memory of that race to my grave.
Oh, and about the temp thing:
I’m quite sure Tagg knows all about the when/how/why variations of equine temp. fluctuations. And took all factors in consideration.
I don’t believe he is the type of person, like some who “Boast-N-Whine” (B.Delp, B. Baffert, W. Lukas, etc.), who would make any excuse to save face.
If he was, he would have made a more “dramatic” one.
JMO.
[This message was edited by Man O’ War on Aug. 11, 2003 at 11:24 PM.]
Yeah and the horse is still galloping,eating,blood count normal,defecating,etc all the things a healthy horse does and hes still not running him-hmmm
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Man O’ War:
I don’t believe he is the type of person, like some who “Boast-N-Whine” (B.Delp, B. Baffert, W. Lukas, etc.), who would make any excuse to save face.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ok may I ask if you know any of these trainers in person? Work for them? Work among them?
Since I know this crowd a bit and though lost races are hard to explain I would hardly call every statement they make after a lost race an “excuse.” I especially am confused when you throw Bob in this group, when he will tell you straight to your face, if a horse was short or if the jock got it wrong. Or if he should of worked it differently.
Just really curious how well you know these people. And please don’t take offense I just know you’re a backsider. I don’t know for whom or how long etc.
~Emily
“The brave may not live forever, but the cautious never truly live at all”
Geez get over yourself Glimmer. I was commenting on how the horse is in every way in the normal ranges and how Tagg wants it to be better, how much more normal does he want him to be??? 
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ash:
Also, what time is the race on Saturday and on what channel? Thanks! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
ESPN (not the Duce) Saturday 5 -7 PM EST; the actual race I understand has a post time of 6:25 pm EST which was pushed back from earlier last week.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Himbo:
Frankel said he did not have EM ready for the Preakness and if you remember EM went into the derby with a quarter crack which is like you or I running with sneakers on with a bad hangnail but who really knows what the truth is I just hope the two duke it out in the Travers and remember Saratoga is the graveyard of Champions so one of the “lesser” horses could win the whole shabang and make everyone look like an idiot. 
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Funny how Frankel claimed EM wasn’t “ready” for the Preakness when prior to the Derby he claimed he was a lock for the Triple Crown.
Resident racing historian
Founder of the Mighty Thoroughbred Clique
Sorry Heather, I can’t agree with you on EM being less of a horse because he skipped the Preakness. Now you might argue that his connections are not as superior as the the FC connections because they opted to skip the Preakness, but best as I can tell Empire Maker is the horse he is, regardless of what races his connections enter him in. I won’t diss him for skipping that race if it made sense to his people any more than I would diss FC’s connections if they feel he isn’t ready for the Travers.
And FC and his connections seem to be doing just fine in all regards. He’s a gelding and his dam is deceased, so who cares if the breeding establishment isn’t that wild about him (and I think a 500K Distorted Humor share goes a long way to putting paid to that notion). All that matters is that the viewing and betting public likes him, and I think they do.
Call your village. Their idiot is missing…
I had never heard of Barclay Tagg before Funny Cide won the Kentucky Derby, but I must say that I have nothing but respect for him. He seems to put the welfare of the horse first before anything else. That’s the way it should be.
When I was reading “Seabiscuit”, some of Tom Smith’s training methods reminded me of things I have heard about Barclay Tagg’s methods.
“There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” - Will Rogers
No, Ash, I don’t think EM sat out the Preakness because of the stone bruise, and I don’t recall saying anything of the sort. I said Frankel hung crepe in regards to the stone bruise prior to the Derby.
I do think EM sat out the Preakness because Frankel (by his own admission) didn’t have him fit enough to run in the Derby, and once that race was lost, he did the Very Smart Thing and went back to training the horse to run the next race (instead of training the horse to run the next three races). And since he was doing the Very Smart Thing AND there was no triple crown at stake, he opted to point him to the race that was the real jewel in a potential sire’s crown. And I think Tagg is doing the Very Smart Thing by keeping his horse out of the Travers if he thinks he doesn’t have a real shot at winning, regardless of the reason why.
Call your village. Their idiot is missing…
Hi All,
Just a few comments…
For the poster who mentioned they did not know much about Barclay Tagg, he’s been around a long time and is very well-respected among his peers. Going back a bit, he was Frank Whiteley’s assistant trainer for part of the time that Ruffian was in the barn. So, he had a hand in the making of one of the greatest fillies the world has ever known.
Also, with health and training issues, I never question a trainer I respect like Tagg. He knows the horse, he knows what is normal for the horse, and he has the horse’s best interests in mind. He’s in a no-win situation - if Funny Cide runs and isn’t 100% and something happens to him, the media will be all over Tagg. If the horse doesn’t run because in his heart of hearts he feels it is the best thing to do for the horse, everyone will say he is ducking Empire Maker.
I trust Tagg to do the right thing for the horse. I wish some other big name trainers were as cautious and concerned as Tagg. Sure, I want to see Funny Cide run in The Travers - but only if the horse is healthy and has gotten in enough training time before the race.
Gallop On!
Hallie McEvoy
Racing Dreams, LLC
drifting cloud I agree - why would anyone question Tagg’s responses as games when he’s not courting the media and would simply prefer, when he absolutely has to, then make the final call ‘yes’ or ‘no’?
Times Union 8/19 “Funny Cide remains in limbo”
Quote: “He looked a little better (Monday); he is getting a little better each day,” Tagg said. “I know all you guys are thinking I am trying to be evasive, but I really don’t know the answer.”
The press is clearly trying to pump up the race knowing Funny Cide news sells, so to make it seem like Tagg is waffling at least keeps the story alive. Himbo, is someone suggesting that he’s trying to get a low weight assignment out of pity?
Barclay said he was waiting on among other things to see who was actually going to race or drop out. Per published reports, Congrats and Dynever are expected to not race after all. Thus its only a field of 5 for almost certain - not including Funny Cide.
Maybe Iam convinced because Tagg said in the Times Union “I’am going to wait till the last minute because you never know whos not going to show up” “We dont want to put this horse out on the track and get him beat” “he is pretty healthy but you have to be 100% to beat the Empire Makers” Now why would you not think the man does not want to go against Empire Maker after all those quotes??? Pretty healthy and according to the vets at the track -hes never been off his feed,blood counts are normal,temp is normal geez people how much more normal do you want the horse. Slightly elevated white cell but still in the normal range. Tagg knows Empire Maker is the better horse,hes no dummy.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Himbo:
Empire Maker is the better horse in more ways than one-Class breeding,better conformation,and he can run further than FC. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Himbo, those are fighting words 
Funny Cide may be from the wrong side of the Mason Dixon line, he isn’t Secretariat or a Phar Lap but he has heart, power, and personality in an era where a lot of fast horses with great confirmation are here today, gone tomorrow! He took the Derby in the 10th fastest time ever - that isn’t a fluke.
I see the score between the two as 1 - 1, which puts Empire Maker no further ahead of Funncy Cide. Now I truly do hope FC does do the Travers and the big gelding takes the win!!
I had a friend tell me right after the Jim Dandy that he heard Frankel in a screaming fight with Terry Meyocks. One thing Frankel said was that there was NO WAY that EM would sdtart in the Travers. There is clearly some very heavy stuff going on behind the scenes. I don’t dare venture a guess as to what they might be.
Resident racing historian
Founder of the Mighty Thoroughbred Clique
Geez! To someone like me, who obviously knows very little about racing, this is confusing!! I thought everyone wanted to see a rematch between the 2 horses? I guess the trainers don’t?
Linny-
Did FC and EM run against each other in the Wood Memorial? Was that before or after the Triple Crown races?
Thanks DMK- I guess you are right, it is a given. I don’t know much about the differences in the tracks (footing, length etc) and I wasn’t sure if you would go on to race in the Belmont if you thought your horse wasn’t right in the Derby (even if he did win) But at that level I guess the stakes are so high you would take the risk. Also, did Spend a Buck win the Derby and not race in the Belmont? (See, I really don’t know much about racing!)
Momma Mia, here I go again…
I’am soooooooooo disappointed those two horses are out now I will have to pick someone else to win the Travers. My friend called me last night and had been at the benefit party and heard Frankel telling everyone he was not running EM 
but there will be other races to meet up with Funny Cide I’am sure! I also talked to Joe McMahon this am and he was disappointed the two were out of the race but hes loving the Fc mania,the more the horse runs and wins the more valuable his momma becomes and the better for Joe!
Himbo-
Why do you think Empire Maker didn’t run in the Preakness? Do you think he would have run if FC didn’t beat him in the Derby?
Also, what time is the race on Saturday and on what channel? Thanks!
Momma Mia, here I go again…
Himbo – the articles I have read say that Funny Cide hasn’t been eating all of his food (unusual for him). Barclay Tagg knows the horse. If he thinks there is something a little off, I salute him for doing the right thing and not running him. He needs to be 100% to run against Empire Maker and the others.
“There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” - Will Rogers
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