Belmont Park - October 1, 2011
Race 8 - 4:33 PM
Kelso H. (Grade II)
Purse $200,000. A Handicap For Three Year Olds And Upward. One Mile.
PPHorseJockeyWgtTrainer
1 Jersey Town (KY) C H Velasquez 119 B Tagg
2 Jackson Bend (FL) C S Nakatani 121 N P Zito
3 Uncle Mo (KY) J R Velazquez 117 T A Pletcher
4 Golddigger's Boy (PA) S Elliott 115 R Preciado
5 Sangaree (KY) R Maragh 116 S bin Suroor
Last edited by Paladin; 09-30-2011 at 06:14 AM.
GO MO
Animal Kingdom, Eblouissante, Amazombie, Somali Lemonade, Royal Delta,
Archwarrior, Flashy Gray, Antonia Autumn, Verrazano, Mr Commons, Midnight Lucky
2012 Thoroughbred In Memoriam
Once upon a time there was a horse named Kelso. But only once. ~ Joe Hirsch
I'd like to see Mo do well, but not at the expense of Jackson Bend. Gotta root for the mighty mite.
"Sinclair Lewis aptly predicted in It Can't Happen Here that if fascism came to America it would come wrapped in the flag and whistling The Star Spangled Banner." ~Harrison Evans Salisbury
I like them both...but I have to cheer for Uncle Mo...Originally Posted by islandgirl45
I'd like to see Mo do well, but not at the expense of Jackson Bend. Gotta root for the mighty mite.
Cheered for Jackson Bend when folks thought he wasn't up to it...and couldn't win again...
They have said the same about Mo...so I want him to get his win now...
"...and God took a handful of Southerly wind, blew his breath over it, and created the horse." - Bedouin Legend
PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HORSE RESCUE OR OLD FRIENDS KY OR NY - AND GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE.
Jackson Bend
Jackson Bend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry Mo.
So that's what's become of Sangaree--stayed with bin Saoor when he was brought back.
I ran marathons. I saw the Taj Mahal by moonlight. I drove Highway 1 in a convertible. I petted Zenyatta.
You would think Uncle Mo is the obvious choice here. But Jackson Bend is going to be tough. I just think he's better sprinting. But it's a one turn mile, so he might be just as good here. Jersey Town will probably be right there too.
Uncle Mo got a little tired in the Kings Bishop at 7F and just got caught by Caleb's Posse at the wire. I think Jackson Bend is a better horse than Caleb's Posse. So the question is did Uncle Mo get enough out of the Kings Bishop to beat Jackson Bend at a mile here? I'm gonna go with Jackson Bend. But that's not saying I would be surprised to see Uncle Mo win.
Here's a neat story about Jersey Town, published before the Forego. Sounds like Tagg is just a tiny bit in love with this horse.
http://www.st-publishing.com/cms2/in...VdTpM.facebook
First rule: Try always to do what's right for the horse. The people part will work out. -- Josh Pons, Merryland, 2007
It's a pretty nice field for a compact race...I think a strong case can be made for Jersey Town, Jackson Bend, and Uncle Mo, and frankly, I wouldn't try to talk anybody off Sangaree, either.
Regarding Jackson Bend, I'm just a bit concerned that he showed marginal graded talent until he showed up at Saratoga. Now he's back to Belmont - a surface that is a little different - and I just can't help but wonder if Saratoga moved him up and if he's due to regress away from there. His last two races were monster efforts, though, and if he replicates, I think he's the horse to beat. I'm just very unsure if he'll replicate or not. His only career race at Belmont, granted a race off the layoff last October, worries me just a bit. The thing with Jackson Bend is that of the big three in this race, he's the one that'd surprise me least if he was off the board.
Jersey Town isn't a horse I love to win a race like this, but I do think he's well suited to move forward adding a furlong and making his 3rd off the layoff. He's always around at the finish, but right now I think his win in the Cigar Mile last fall was the anomaly until he proves otherwise.
Regarding Sangree, he's a quick horse and I think he'll have got a lot out of that last race up at Saratoga against Rule. Nothing really seems to faze him when he's in form - distance, surface, etc. - he's just a very honest horse that goes out there and gives his best, but often comes up short. I do like him from a pace perspective, though. I don't expect to see much speed from either Jersey Town or Jackson Bend, and I anticipate that Pletcher will have Velazquez rate Uncle Mo again in anticipation of what he'll find in the Classic. If they can get off to relatively uncontested fractions, he's not going to simply cave late.
Now, Uncle Mo. I think that the common consensus among bettors is that he's going to be fully cranked for this, and should move forward from the King's Bishop. Honestly, I don't blame anybody for thinking that way, but I also wonder exactly what Pletcher and Repole are looking for here. Given that the goal remains the Classic, does Pletcher have him ready to run his eyeballs out here? I honestly don't know. My gut wants to say no, but I also know that Repole REALLY wants to win this race, so either way wouldn't surprise me. With that in mind, I don't think this race is necessarily 'must win' for Mo. Jersey Town and Jackson Bend are both extremely capable of running huge races and still may have a slight edge over Mo.
Well there's lots of smart ideas in books I've never read, when the girls come talk to me I wish to hell I had
Mo is a mystery to me. He is starting to remind me of Discreet Cat who was brilliant on occasion. I think he has the ability to walk away with this race. I will use him in horizonal bets only. Gravy, I too wonder about Jackson Bend maybe just being a Spa lover who will come back to earth in this race.
Your don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.....RZ
I think if they are pointing to the Classic they have to empty him here and get the most possible out of this race...if not he can run easier.
I think the Classic is too much for him at this point. If he had had another race fine...but a sprint and a mile are not the best preps.
Has anyone won the Classic off an 8 furlong or lesser prep? We know Zenyatta won with an 8.5 furlong prep.
Maybe Kennedy can let us know.
"...and God took a handful of Southerly wind, blew his breath over it, and created the horse." - Bedouin Legend
PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HORSE RESCUE OR OLD FRIENDS KY OR NY - AND GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE.
Rooting for Jackson Bend... Mo to take second.
Horse sense is the thing a horse has that keeps him from betting on people. ~~W. C. Fields
GO MO!! Hope Jackson Bend comes in second by a nose.
From 84-86 & 96-2010 (Incomplete data from 87-95)
Horses running in the Classic having run their last prep race at 8f or less: 24-3-1-1
1st
Wild Again
Skywalker
Raven's Pass
2nd
Henrythenavigator
Giants Causeway
3rd
Turkoman
Most of these horses ran 8f on turf as their final prep. Only 7 tried the Classic directly from an 8f or less dirt race. Turkoman was the only one to hit the frame.
This question was put forth as well in a private message
Yes, Tiznow in 2001 was laid off from March to September and had 2 preps prior to a Classic win.has won the BC Classic off of an extended layoff with just two preps.
Pleasantly Perfect was laid off from March to October and had just one prep prior to his Classic win.
I don't see much to worry about from this angle.
My big worry with Uncle Mo is that he has never won a race at 9f and his last (and only) two turn win came as a 2yo. I don't think he's stout enough to win the Classic.
Kennedy -- as always -- many thanks for your insights.
"...and God took a handful of Southerly wind, blew his breath over it, and created the horse." - Bedouin Legend
PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HORSE RESCUE OR OLD FRIENDS KY OR NY - AND GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE.
Mo over Jackson Bend. Another really tough race to figure out...sarcasm.
Perhaps you mean Move over Jackson Bend... there's something leaner: Jersey Town!
Seriously, I think Mo or Jersey Town is the winner here. If there is such a thing in this short field, then Sangaree is the "price horse" to watch.
From David Grening-- Barclay Tagg on Jersey Town: ``You show him a brick wall and ask him to run through it, he’ll run through it. He loves to run.’’
To which Joe Clancy replied: Jersey Town coolest horse I met in Saratoga all summer. Would play middle LB if he was in NFL.
First rule: Try always to do what's right for the horse. The people part will work out. -- Josh Pons, Merryland, 2007
Bill Finley: Put or shut up time for 'Mo': http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/stor...-time-uncle-mo
First rule: Try always to do what's right for the horse. The people part will work out. -- Josh Pons, Merryland, 2007
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