Fucking Chalk!

[trumad]

Had a Benjamin on Mine that Bird at 7/1.

Another half a furlong and I'd be up about 800 bucks.

Please let the odds be the same for the Belmont.

[TZ]

1. I'm sorry but you won on BB last year

IIRC . I am more than happy with the result .I enjoy seeing the best horse win.

[trumad]

2. Sorry---I think the best horse is Mind that Bird---

Dead last and short by a half furlong.

I think Mine that Bird will dominate the Belmont.

[TZ]

4. Borel said she HATED the track and was struggling he never had to use a whip before.....

and she won from the far outside post..So I wouldn't be too sure. I hope both run in the Belmont though. Will be a great race.

[Awsi Dooger]

3. Smith is no Borel

Not on a stretch runner. Smith had the basic idea right on how to ride MTB, but you could tell it was not natural for him. Early in the race he was last, but not on the rail. He was about two widths out. Consequently, when he started passing horses it was on the outside, not the inside where Borel would have been.

Very strange encounter with Flying Private at the top of the stretch. They were moving together with Flying Private on the inside of MTB. It almost looked like Flying Private's jockey was eyeing MTB and determined to keep him outside. That's based on a close up isolated shot that NBC used.

Flying Private made it almost impossible for MTB to veer inside. Then once MTB was forced outside, Flying Private took advantage and took the clear inside path that MTB might otherwise have had. He finished a decent 4th.

If Borel had been on MTB and rode the rail, the one obstacle might have been Big Drama, the Calder horse who reared in the starting gate. Big Drama ran with Rachel and was only beaten 5 lengths. But he was very green down the stretch, ducking toward the rail then back away from it.

Anyway, MTB was much more agile and gutsy than virtually anyone expected.

I'm sick that Borel chose Rachel. Inept situational handicapping. Great, he won a Triple Crown race. Another one. An actual Triple Crown is thousands of times more valuable, now and particularly long term, and it was hardly unreachable.

You had great value at 7/1. All week I doubted MTB would hit the board, particularly with Smith riding him.

[a kennedy]

5. I posted this on another thread......such a size difference between the two horses....

MTB and RA, see here...

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/horses/triple/preakness/2009-05-16-preakness-final_N.htm

I think the Belmont, if she runs, could be the downer for her.....if she was struggling on the Preakness track, what's it gonna be like for her on the Belmont track and being the longest of the big three races??? Still can't get over how much larger she is then MTB, not that there's anything wrong with that..... :evilgrin:

here's another picture of the size difference:

<http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2009229073_preaknotes17.html>

edit to add another picture.

[Justpat]

6. As with other matters in life,

size doesn't mean a lot with horses. Some small horses have incredibly long, efficient strides. And I have been on big horses who
cannot stride out a yard.

Mine that Bird is a beautiful mover. But the filly is also. She has size, length of stride and will to win.

If Wooley doesn't train MTB into oblivion in the next three weeks, I think he will turn the tables on the filly in the Belmont.
He will pull a Victory Gallop move the last eighth and win it all.