Vosburgh Invitational Stakes (G1)

[Paladin]

Belmont Park - October 1, 2011
Race 7 - 3:57 PM
Vosburgh Invitational S. (Grade I)
Purse $350,000. For Three Year Olds And Upward. Six Furlongs.

PPHorseJockeyWgtTrainer
1 Force Freeze (KY) P Lopez 124 P R Walder
2 Apriority (FL) A O Solis 124 D Fawkes
3 Euroears (KY) J Castellano 124 B Baffert
4 Calibrachoa (KY) R Maragh 124 T A Pletcher
5 Giant Ryan (NY) C H Velasquez 124 B Parboo
6 Big Drama (FL) R A Dominguez 124 D Fawkes
7 Justin Phillip (KY) C S Nakatani 122 S M Asmussen
8 Trappe Shot (FL) J R Velazquez 124 K P McLaughlin
9 Caixa Eletronica (KY) J Lezcano 124 T A Pletcher

A - Coupled Entries - Calibrachoa, Caixa Eletronica

[Man o' Taz]

Belmont Park - October 1, 2011
Race 7 - 3:57 PM
Vosburgh Invitational S. (Grade I)
Purse $350,000. For Three Year Olds And Upward. Six Furlongs.

PPHorseJockeyWgtTrainer
1 Force Freeze (KY) P Lopez 124 P R Walder
2 Apriority (FL) A O Solis 124 D Fawkes
3 Euroears (KY) J Castellano 124 B Baffert
4 Calibrachoa (KY) R Maragh 124 T A Pletcher
5 Giant Ryan (NY) C H Velasquez 124 B Parboo
6 Big Drama (FL) R A Dominguez 124 D Fawkes
7 Justin Phillip (KY) C S Nakatani 122 S M Asmussen
8 Trappe Shot (FL) J R Velazquez 124 K P McLaughlin
9 Caixa Eletronica (KY) J Lezcano 124 T A Pletcher

A - Coupled Entries - Calibrachoa, Caixa Eletronica

Wow -- would loved to have seen Caleb's Posse step up here.

Its a nice field. Good for Euroears...coming east for his BC prep...can't wait to see him.

[Somnambulist]

Big Drama and Trappe Shot in the same field is awesome. I'm excited for this one.

[Man o' Taz]

Big Drama and Trappe Shot in the same field is awesome. I'm excited for this one.

Who knows....this field might be better than the field for the BC Sprint...who knows...

I think the best field of the year is going to be for the Ladies Classic...

When you look at those Grade I winners in the Lady Secret and then you add the field from the Cotillion AND the Beldame (excluding Classic bound Grace) it is very, very strong.

[Secretariat Forever]

Big Drama and Trappe Shot in the same field is awesome. I'm excited for this one.

agreed!

[dustino140]

Race of the day, bar none.

Even looking behind the top pair, Euroears is every part a world-class sprinter, and Force Freeze ran like one list time out in his first start in the states in a long time.

[Man o' Taz]

Race of the day, bar none.

Even looking behind the top pair, Euroears is every part a world-class sprinter, and Force Freeze ran like one list time out in his first start in the states in a long time.

I agree. I think the Joe Hirsch is next...with a number of top horses...

[Blue Jeans]

Rooting for Big Drama!

Wishing "Petunia" (#4) a second or third.

[Lookin At Lucky]

EUROEARS!!! From Lone Star Park to Santa Anita to Dubai to Del Mar to Belmont to Churchill Downs (after the Vosburgh) , this horse is a world class sprinter and I hope he crunches the field!!!

[Ballerina]

No respect for Justin Phillip? He's gonna love a wet track - it's been raining, it's raining today, and they're predicting rain for Saturday.

[Somnambulist]

No respect for Justin Phillip? He's gonna love a wet track - it's been raining, it's raining today, and they're predicting rain for Saturday.

I'm not sure if it's going to rain enough to do anything... it's just saying "few showers" now and before I actually saw a possibility of sunlight. I think he moves up big time if it rains and would definitely include him in my tri.

I'm unsure what to do with Trappe Shot. He looks brilliant over Belmont, but you should look good beating D'Funnybone and this is the first time he's facing a field of this quality. I like him, but I feel like he's almost been fairly hyped up for no overtly salient reason and that concerns me. I think the rain moves him up, but I think I'd be more inclined to pick someone else for the top spot than him. Who that is, I don't know.

[Jeff]

No respect for Justin Phillip? He's gonna love a wet track - it's been raining, it's raining today, and they're predicting rain for Saturday.

He's a 3-yo in against older, some of whom are pretty tough customers. You'll get a nice price if you like him. Not sure I do.

[PJMIII]

Loaded Vosburgh Looks Like BC Race

The Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I) is still five weeks away, but few would complain if the field resembled this weekend’s $350,000 Vosburgh Invitational (gr. I) at Belmont Park.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...s-like-bc-race

[Horsebagger]

I'm not sure if it's going to rain enough to do anything... it's just saying "few showers" now and before I actually saw a possibility of sunlight. I think he moves up big time if it rains and would definitely include him in my tri.

I'm unsure what to do with Trappe Shot. He looks brilliant over Belmont, but you should look good beating D'Funnybone and this is the first time he's facing a field of this quality. I like him, but I feel like he's almost been fairly hyped up for no overtly salient reason and that concerns me. I think the rain moves him up, but I think I'd be more inclined to pick someone else for the top spot than him. Who that is, I don't know.

I kind of expect this horse to be ready to fire his best shot tomorrow to get a G1 win before the BC. His last work was super, and any kind of moisture moves him up on a track he's already demonstrated he loves. He's on the smallish side, but the barn has taken it easy with him for the most part spacing his races, and I sense he's being cranked up for two big runs before he's sent to the shed. I see him as a solid single since I can't imagine Big Drama can be set for his best with only one race since the winter. He'll be a lot tougher nut to crack BC day. jmo.....

[peeptoad]

Deepest race on the card imo, and there are a lot of ways to go.
On first glance at the pps I'm inclined to side with Trappe Shot who will be a deserving heavy favorite, Euroears, who possesses dangerous early speed, and Giant Ryan who I think could be a threat no matter the track condition.
I'm tempted to leave Big Drama off since I'm not sure I trust he's in the form he'll need to win this, and he'll offer little to no value anyway.
Justin Phillip is probably in a little deep, and would need the race of his life to win this, but he seems to take to the slop. Still, if he couldn't catch Mo or hold off Caleb's Posse, I have a hard time thinking he'll be good enough for this salty, older bunch.

The price horse is Giant Ryan imo...

[second_glance]

Big Drama OUT of the Vosburgh. No details yet, but apparently he got sick after his trip to Belmont.

As per DRFInsidePost and Steve Byk on Twitter.

[Somnambulist]

Big Drama OUT of the Vosburgh. No details yet, but apparently he got sick after his trip to Belmont.

As per DRFInsidePost and Steve Byk on Twitter.

THIS SUCKS.

I've been looking forward to seeing this horse in person since he was 2.

[islandgirl45]

Big Drama's trainer David Fawkes tells DRF he spiked a temperature, but bloodwork came back normal. Fawkes will train Big Drama up to the Breeders Cup.
http://www.drf.com/news/belmont-big-drama-miss-vosburgh

[Kennedy]

This is a fabulous race and is the first of two (hopefully) installments dealing with the question of superiority between Trappe Shot and Big Drama. These boys are good and I'm not really decided on the best of the two. Last time we saw this kind of matchup in the Vosburgh Pico Central gave Speightstown a good schooling but Speightstown took the BC Sprint in Pico's absence.

I am personally thinking that superiority will not be established in this race but rather one of the two may run worse than expected and this field has the quality to be about more than just the headliners.

The Vosburgh has traditionally not been the best spot for the "now" horse to strut their stuff. Often horses coming in off more muted efforts find success. Trappe Shot in my mind is the hot horse and despite his fantastic record at Belmont and in sprints I'm going to oppose him here but certainly have on eye on him for the BC.

My horses are Big Drama and Euroears. I think Big Drama is just class from head to toe but may not be sharpened all the way for this one. I think he's sharper than his connections are letting on but I think Euroears just might be able to give him the slip. Euroears has been a monster since coming to Baffert and Bob rarely ships for nothing. The form line through Smiling Tiger gives Euroears a fantastic shot even if the BSF's make him look a bit light.

Giant Ryan would not shock me at all but I'm not taking him.

Euroears
Big Drama
Trappe Shot

[Horsebagger]

This is a fabulous race and is the first of two (hopefully) installments dealing with the question of superiority between Trappe Shot and Big Drama. These boys are good and I'm not really decided on the best of the two. Last time we saw this kind of matchup in the Vosburgh Pico Central gave Speightstown a good schooling but Speightstown took the BC Sprint in Pico's absence.

I am personally thinking that superiority will not be established in this race but rather one of the two may run worse than expected and this field has the quality to be about more than just the headliners.

The Vosburgh has traditionally not been the best spot for the "now" horse to strut their stuff. Often horses coming in off more muted efforts find success. Trappe Shot in my mind is the hot horse and despite his fantastic record at Belmont and in sprints I'm going to oppose him here but certainly have on eye on him for the BC.

My horses are Big Drama and Euroears. I think Big Drama is just class from head to toe but may not be sharpened all the way for this one. I think he's sharper than his connections are letting on but I think Euroears just might be able to give him the slip. Euroears has been a monster since coming to Baffert and Bob rarely ships for nothing. The form line through Smiling Tiger gives Euroears a fantastic shot even if the BSF's make him look a bit light.

Giant Ryan would not shock me at all but I'm not taking him.

Euroears
Big Drama
Trappe Shot

Kennedy, i'm curious if you have the stats on Baffert shipping into NY this year. I don't, but I have a sense for all the horses he's shipped in, they have not done well overall. But not sure.