TwinSpires.com Blog

  • A Tale of Two Horses

    POSTED Jul 26, 2012 By Derek Simon
    In sports, when a team or individual triumphs in dubious fashion it is known as “winning ugly.”

    This past Saturday, Royal Delta and Acclamation could relate.

    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

    Arapahoe Park
    Les Bois Park
    Colonial Downs
    Charles Town
    Delaware Park
    Fair Meadows Tulsa
    Grand Prairie
    Los Alamitos
    Mountaineer
    Prairie Meadows
    Saratoga
    • 2012 Breeders' Cup
    • Acclamation
    • BC
    • Bodemeister
    • Derek Simon
    • Eclipse
    • Game On Dude
    • Horse of the Year
    • horse racing
    • horseracing
    • pace
    • paynter
    • Royal Delta
  • 11 comments:

    Richard Majece said...

    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

    August 1, 2019 at 2:29 PM
    Betty Bilton said...

    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

    November 11, 2019 at 7:14 AM
    Michel hardy said...

    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

    June 21, 2021 at 4:26 AM
    SILK Logistics Shipping said...

    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

    March 1, 2022 at 2:37 AM
    Robert John said...


    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

    August 10, 2022 at 4:26 AM
    berry456 said...

    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.

    November 10, 2022 at 1:37 AM
    Packers and Movers in Islamabad said...

    best blog ever
    Packers and Movers in Lahore

    February 21, 2025 at 4:36 AM
    Packers and Movers in Karachi said...

    Are you looking for the best
    House shifting services in Lahore

    February 27, 2025 at 11:10 PM
    Mahir Packers and Movers said...

    Mahir Packers and Movers is the best Packers and Movers in Pakistan. Top rated packers and movers in Lahore
    Packers and Movers in Lahore

    March 1, 2025 at 3:22 PM
    Wu Tang Name Generator said...

    Enter your name and instantly get a Wu‑Tang Clan—style rap name. Free online Wu Tang Name Generator, mobile‑friendly, shareable, and lightning fast.

    August 16, 2025 at 11:04 PM
    inlove đếm ngày yêu said...

    đếm ngày yêu online miễn phí: tính số ngày yêu chính xác, nhắc mốc 100/200/365/500/1000 ngày, hỗ trợ đổi tên & avatar, lưu giữ tự động để lần sau truy cập tiếp tục đếm.been love memory!

    August 31, 2025 at 5:11 AM

    Post a Comment

Newer Post Older Post Home

Welcome to the TwinSpires Blog. Our contributors will be continually updating posts to offer commentary, insight, advice and expert opinions on horse racing and wagering. The goal is to help you win more and become a better all around horse player.

Subscribe vis RSS

Contributors

Derek Simon

TwinSpires' horse racing author, handicapper, and podcast host, Derek Simon of Denver, Colo. offers his insightful, humorous and sometimes controversial take on the horse racing industry. He even publishes the ROI on the picks he gives out.

Frank Cotolo

TwinSpires' harness racing expert, Frank Cotolo follows all of the big North American circuits throughout the year, providing the best value picks and latest news from the sulky.

Ed DeRosa

The Director of Marketing for Bloodstock Research Information Services (BRIS) and a lifelong Thoroughbred racing enthusiast and astute handicapper, Ed joined Churchill Downs Inc. following nine years as a writer and editor with Thoroughbred Times.

Peter Thomas Fornatale

A writer and editor who has been following horse racing for fifteen years. Peter has written books for the Daily Racing Form Press; Crown; and Simon and Schuster; among other publishers, and regular features in The Horseplayer Magazine.

Jill Byrne

A television racing analyst for Churchill Downs, Jill has earned acclaim and a loyal audience throughout Thoroughbred racing.

Tags

Archives

  • September (1)
  • April (1)
  • March (1)
  • December (1)
  • November (1)
  • October (3)
  • September (6)
  • August (16)
  • July (19)
  • June (17)
  • May (16)
  • April (19)
  • March (17)
  • February (16)
  • January (16)
  • December (17)
  • November (17)
  • October (20)
  • September (20)
  • August (29)
  • July (30)
  • June (24)
  • May (30)
  • April (27)
  • March (30)
  • February (30)
  • January (32)
  • December (19)
  • November (28)
  • October (27)
  • September (23)
  • August (24)
  • July (23)
  • June (30)
  • May (34)
  • April (35)
  • March (36)
  • February (26)
  • January (28)
  • December (20)
  • November (23)
  • October (27)
  • September (24)
  • August (23)
  • July (19)
  • June (41)
  • May (18)
  • April (22)
  • March (43)
  • February (38)
  • January (21)