A Tale of Two Horses
In sports, when
a team or individual triumphs in dubious fashion it is known as “winning ugly.”
Although
both are considered strong candidates for Horse of the Year Honors — at least
by some — neither impressed me last weekend.
Let’s start
with Acclamation.
 |
(Click on image to enlarge)
|
After
cruising to an easy victory in the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap in his
six-year-old debut at Hollywood Park, last year’s top older male made
it seven-for-his-last-seven with a front-running score in the Eddie Read at Del
Mar.
 |
| (Click on image to enlarge) |
And therein
lies the problem: Acclamation has won seven straight races (five of them versus
Grade I company) on or near the lead… yet, he’s hardly had to break a sweat in
the early stages to do it.
Over the
past year, the son of Unusual Heat has recorded a string of ridiculously soft early speed rations (see
key below), including a +7 in the 2012 Eddie Read, a +4 in the 2012 Whittingham
and +4 in the 2011 C. L. Hirsch. Worse, he’s beaten a total of just 42 horses in his last ten starts and there is evidence to
suggest that, if pressed for more speed early, Acclamation will fold like Adam
Scott in the British Open.
When he’s
recorded a +1 ESR or lower (faster), the Donald Warren trainee is one-for-four — the one being last year’s Pacific Classic on Del Mar’s all-weather surface,
which typically produces slightly better ESRs than turf.
With
speedsters like Bodemeister, Game On Dude, Paynter and a number of others
waiting in the wings, Acclamation is surely going to have to show more early foot
to compete for another Eclipse Award this year.
Early speed — or, specifically, the lack thereof — is also at the heart of Royal Delta’s problem.
 |
| (Click on image to enlarge) |
In my last column I noted that the daughter of Empire Maker “needs to prove she can rally from further off the pace than she’s accustomed to or show that she can duplicate the strong (-4) LSR that she earned last time after exerting herself more in the early stages.”
In the Delaware Handicap, she did neither.
 |
| (Click on image to enlarge) |
Instead, Royal
Delta demonstrated once again that she’s vulnerable in races featuring a strong
pace, as she barely held of Tiz Miz Sue by a neck.
William Mott’s
stable star has now won just two of her last five races (this includes Saturday’s
Delaware Handicap) featuring a -5 ESR pace or less; she’s four-for-five in
races featuring a slower pace.
Again, I
refer to Bodemeister, Game On Dude, Paynter, et al.
Royal Delta
is talented, but she’s going to need to improve greatly to keep the string of female
Horse of the Year winners alive. At this point, I’m betting against it.
 |
| (Click on image to enlarge) |
FREE Weekend Win Factor Reports
Les Bois Park
Colonial Downs
Charles Town
Delaware Park
Fair Meadows Tulsa
Grand Prairie
Los Alamitos
Mountaineer
Prairie Meadows
Saratoga
Colonial Downs
Charles Town
Delaware Park
Fair Meadows Tulsa
Grand Prairie
Los Alamitos
Mountaineer
Prairie Meadows
Saratoga
10 comments:
If you are interested in writing perfect PhD Dissertation, try to check https://dissertationauthors.com/blog/phd-dissertation-writing out! Here you can get some useful tips about it
Wowww so beautiful post and picrtures tooo, I'm a student at the New York Law University but seperately Im a photographer and have a lot of orders so I do not have time to write essay for my university but from now it is not a problem with the ability to get speach or speech so this possibility always help me with my essays
This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information...
Home Remodeling Catonsville MD
nice post
SILK Cargo Packers & movers is the best cargo packing and moving services in Lahore cargo shipping agent Cargo Transportation Services in Lahore cargo movers & packers Cargo Packers & Movers in Lahore cargo freight forwarders Cargo Freight Forwarding Services in Lahore
this is a great article. I was searching for some type of articles for my assignment and then I found help with dissertations service they r very helpful in managing assignment works if uh r worried about your assignments and articles I highly recommend uh to contact them
Hindustan Times ePaper is always updated (daily at 7 am) with current news. The paper is accessible in pdf format daily. Users have the privilege to download the HT epaper and read it offline at their today Hindustan Times Epaper download convenience. The Hindustan Times HT is a popular Indian daily newspaper designed to work both online and offline through the download process. The reader has the choice to read from their devices and can print the epaper in pdf format.
ความสะดวกสบายในการทำธุรกรรมเป็นอีกหนึ่งจุดเด่นของ lsm555 โดยผู้เล่นสามารถฝาก-ถอนได้ตลอด 24 ชั่วโมง ผ่านช่องทางที่หลากหลาย ทำให้ไม่พลาดทุกโอกาสในการเล่น
best blog ever
Packers and Movers in Lahore
Are you looking for the best
House shifting services in Lahore
Mahir Packers and Movers is the best Packers and Movers in Pakistan. Top rated packers and movers in Lahore
Packers and Movers in Lahore
Post a Comment