sovereign1 said...

Barber Road seemed to like the slop.

Oaklawn horse, they all pretty much have to like slop to run ITM.   If it's muddy I would certainly use him in a superfecta underneath.

Another one with 2 Halo Lines. 

He developed a bad case of seconditis in Arkansas, so having two Turn 2’s is just another two for him lol.  

I think they helped in the slop.

Oldbettowin said...

He developed a bad case of seconditis in Arkansas, so having two Turn 2’s is just another two for him lol

Best you can say about him is that Barber Road is a hard-tryer.   And he likes slop.   Not much to say about that race otherwise.   An over-hyped horse who had lower odds than she should have due to being a filly in a race that usually has only colts, yet was listed as "the class in the field" in the PPs (which she wasn't, but them saying that was a clue to just how weak this field was, if she was "the class".)  Kavod, who we knew was going to go to the front and show up in the superfecta "maybe" because he was taught to run on the front and gets gassed at the end, his "twin" We The People who was another E speed horse that got hammered because the PPs say E and EP horses do well at OP and many believed in his jockey, but who had only run an allowance and a maiden against nobodies, and had not even earned his auction price yet; a 3rd stringer for Bafteen (doppleganger) , and Un Ojo who won the Rebel because of the track conditons and weather on that day and who I would not have touched w/a 10 foot pole in the arkie derby.    And, Ben Diesel had never won a race since his maiden in 4 tries. 

That is the almost the definition of a weak prep race.  For $1 million no less.   Seems like a lot of trainers were asleep, or the way this race is scheduled just didn't fit in with any campaigns. 

Liked your spot on call on the above.

No one can say Winter is wishy-washie.

princeofdoc said...

If it's not part of a trainer's usual protocol, I get concerned.  Asmussen nearly always works his horses slowly.....except occasionally, very occasionally, and I always take note of when one of his stable puts in a bullet.  Pletcher worked several of his that day, all fast, though not bullets, except for Mo.  So, yes, he may have had his reasons, but I am imagining what they might be.

He actually mentioned it in his interview recently.  And it IS his usual protocol to back off on a recently raced horse, actually.  Pletcher unlike baffert he doesn't work them back fast.  Maybe you were thinking about Baffert? 

The bad news for this horse IMHO is waiting too long between races to let the Lasix wear off, since he's using L every other race.  (which obviously wasn't something Todd was going to tell us. LOL).  8 weeks between is too long to imbue fitness.  

The interview is here:  Pletcher is clear about him being 13 days out from a big race and that he doens't work them back fast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox3jOuBOEDM
 

Interesting analysis.....

I do think Doppelganger may be better than 3rd string, and we may see that soon

LMAO

princeofdoc said...

I do think Doppelganger may be better than 3rd string, and we may see that soon

Is he running in a race soon?  

Last race he ran was Arkie Derby 25 days ago and came in 4th.   He beat Kavod and Ben Diesel,  2 horses who have never won a graded stakes race.   He ran 4th in the San Vincente at SA and beat Happy Jack, another horse who has never won a graded stakes race and has only won a maiden. 

That sure doesn't sound like a typical Baffert 1st stringer to me.  

Maybe I will give him benefit of a doubt and upgrade him to a Baffert 2nd stringer. That Doppleganger can win at Santa Anita is not a question....but I do want to see him race elsewhere again on a more tiring surface. 

Of note, Crown Pride just outworked Doppleganger's last two 4F works  (CDX versus Santa Anita fast track).  Crown Pride half mile in 46:40.   Doppleganger's half miles at SA are 49:00 on April 16th, and his best of the year 47:20.   

But maybe that is by design, not getting Doppleganger to work bullets may teach him to relax more?  Personally,  I think teaching him to do blazing splits like Forbidden Kingdom may not be his wheelhouse. (hard to end up in the Baffert barn and NOT have to do stuff like that?)   My gut says he needs longer races/more distance, so maybe he can learn to relax more while galloping along.  His 6F works were always very good and he seemed better at the beginning of the year.  Will be interesting to see what Bafteen does with him.