Does anyone know why Better Talk Now’s rabbit, Shake the Bank, isn’t being employed against Curlin? I know that Curlin is somewhat relaxed unlikely to follow a rabbit on dirt but on turf at under 1 1/2 mi? I would’ve employed Shake myself for the task …
[/quote]
I don’t know why Shake the Bank isn’t running with them, but I do know that he’s running at Delaware Park in the Caeser Rodney Stakes on Sunday. Personally, I’m excited to see him “run his own race,” so to speak. I’ll be there, cheering him on
[QUOTE=miss_critic;3354451]
Looking at BTN’s PPs, although I am a fan, I just don’t see him getting up there. It would be nice to see something happen in this race that will a part of history.[/QUOTE]
Never know if the older man can’t pull off something like he did last year: video replay 2007 Manhattan Handicap which he was rallying too late this year to not take a piece of.
Daytona ran 2 weeks ago and was dreadful and Kip Deville is strictly a miler.
It should be a nice race though. Two former BC Turf runners lining up to face Curlin. I’ll be there. Anyone else?
He was well beaten in the Coronation Cup (G1, 12f) at Epsom last time out, behind Soldier of Fortune and Youzmain, I think he finished 6th or 7th. He started the year in May with a win at Lingfield in a conditions Stakes (more or less the equivalent of an allowance race). Last year he was well beaten in HK Vase (G1, 12f) and finished down the field in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1, 10f) and the Prince of Wales (G1, 10f) at Ascot. Ironically his best career races have probably been his BC Turf win at Churchill in 2006 and his 3rd in the BC Turf at Monmouth last year, which suggests he seems to run well on the left side of the pond, maybe one of those horses that responds well to Lasix.
Interestingly he did race against Grand Courtier and Sudan before, when he finished ahead of them in the Grand Prix de Paris (G1, 12f) in 2006, behind Rail Link, who ironically went on to win the Arc that year… hmmm, how’s that for a form line. Also the two times he has raced against Better Talk Now, they have only been separated by a half a length of less. So all in all I’d say he is well matched with this field, the non-Curlin part of the field at least.
Generally speaking a 2nd tier Euro is a top tier US grass horse. Red Rocks’ form behind Youmzain and Soldier of Fortune put him in the top level of American turf runners.
Blackie (BTN) is a very good horse who’s running style demands that everything fall into place and he and Red Rocks (as Drvmbi33le said) are very close in general class level.
I’ll try to get pics tomorrow of all involved and put them on at COMH.
Thanks guys-So Sudan should sit just off Mission Approved is what it looks like. This race is most interesting to handicap with the Curlin factor in there. It could set up nicely for BTN or Grand Couturier.
With only Mission Approved having real speed, I’m not sure how well it sets up for Blackie but you know he’ll always come running. Of course, Graham could have entered Shake the Bank and didn’t so maybe he figured that Mission Approved would do the job for him…
I am a fan of Curlin, but based on that evidence he is nowhere near good enough on turf to be competitive in the Arc. I’m all for giving new things a sporting chance, and kudos to his owners for doing so, but I don’t like to see a good horse humiliated, and he will be if he runs in the Arc.
