The Million Dollar G1 Whitney Stakes

[stark]

1 Imperative (KY) 9/GL J A Bracho 118 A T Quartarolo 30/1
2 Forewarned (OH) 4/CL J Bisono 118U St. Lewis 30/1
3 Monongahela (PA) 5/HL J Lezcano 120 J Servis 12/1
4 Thunder Snow (IRE) 5/HL C Soumillon 124 S bin Suroor 3/1
5 Vino Rosso (KY) 4/C L J R Velazquez 124T A Pletcher 6/1
6 McKinzie (KY) 4/C L M E Smith 124 B Baffert 7/5
7 Yoshida (JPN) Owner Link 5/HL J Rosario 124 W I Mott 10/1
8 Preservationist (KY) Owner Link 6/H L J Alvarado 122 J A Jerkens 3/1

[BaroqueAgain1]

Imperative? He last ran in April's Charles Town Classic, where he finished 8th and last. He has not won in over two years.
I fear his present connections are going to run this venerable gelding into the ground...until something breaks.
The nine-year-old was once a very good racehorse, and he deserves a pampered retirement.

[Mylute]

Imperative? He last ran in April's Charles Town Classic, where he finished 8th and last. He has not won in over two years.
I fear his present connections are going to run this venerable gelding into the ground...until something breaks.
The nine-year-old was once a very good racehorse, and he deserves a pampered retirement.

I watched HorseCenter yesterday and Brian Zipse said he heard Ron Paolucci say that Imperative will be retired if he runs poorly again in the Whitney.

[WarBiscuit]

Imperative? He last ran in April's Charles Town Classic, where he finished 8th and last. He has not won in over two years.
I fear his present connections are going to run this venerable gelding into the ground...until something breaks.
The nine-year-old was once a very good racehorse, and he deserves a pampered retirement.

He's raced a couple of times since the CT Classic - actually won an allowance at Thistledown on June 10th, and finished 6th of 7(Carl Hanford Memorial Stakes) at Delaware Park on July 6th. But yeah, with over 3 million in his wallet, the connections would do well to consider retirement.

WarBiscuit

[Izvestia]

For Imperative’s sake, I hope he plods around and is retired.

I’m rooting for Thunder Snow in this!

[MySaladDays]

Imperative? He last ran in April's Charles Town Classic, where he finished 8th and last. He has not won in over two years.
I fear his present connections are going to run this venerable gelding into the ground...until something breaks.
The nine-year-old was once a very good racehorse, and he deserves a pampered retirement.

I watched HorseCenter yesterday and Brian Zipse said he heard Ron Paolucci say that Imperative will be retired if he runs poorly again in the Whitney.

Then i will hope that he runs poorly. Enough already. Mr. Paolucci needs to find another horse now rather than juice out the last drop from his one-and-only

[MySaladDays]

For Imperative’s sake, I hope he plods around and is retired.

I’m rooting for Thunder Snow in this!

LOve TS. I think this may be a little short of his optimum (which is 10F BCC style) but he can win from a mile and upwards as proved.......

If you look at the BCC official page I had to laugh how 250 experts voted mckinzie to win the BCC, who has won 1 race at 1-1/16th on a wet track. I hope he wins or places tomorrow so that if he goes to BCC I have an auto delete from the field. Of course you never know what kinda magic baffert will bring, but with the way things are at SA now, I think not. He did awful at Oaklawn last year when he shipped in for stakes races.

Rarely has a non USA bred won the Whitney. A horse I never liked much I am giving a shot to win here, Vino Rosso. Seems like the right race for him.

[Flanders]

He did awful at Oaklawn last year when he shipped in for stakes races.

That wasn't McKinzie, it was Solomini.

McKinzie has been close in most of his races this year. He almost won the Santa Anita H. and showed last year he can win at 9f. Do I think he should be the favorite to win the BCC? Probably not but then I don't know who I would vote higher either. There isn't a true standout to me but I think McKinzie has been the most consistent.

[Kurenai]

As per usual: I will root for Thunder Snow

[Della]

As per usual: I will root for Thunder Snow

Me too

[stark]

Thunder Snow scratched.

[luvsgeldings]

yes Stark, I just heard that Thunder Snow scratched - he was coughing this morning(?) --- hope he is ok, but sorry he will miss the race - was looking forward to seeing him run today.

[Mylute]

Scratched with a fever and a cough.

[stark]

TVG Ca$h-Keeper contest question.....
Will Preservationist finish in the top 3?

Going all in on YES.

[stark]

TVG Ca$h-Keeper contest question.....
Will Preservationist finish in the top 3?

Going all in on YES.

Ahhh crap, that was my race #8, just needed two more after that.

Will have to wait until next week for a the very fun, challenging FREE contest.

[carole]

I thought that looked a very comfortable win for McKinzie, no doubt he’s a very talented horse!

Also in the Test (GI) before, what a battle between Covfefe and Serengeti Empress!! Bellafina in 3rd, looks like they caught up to her.

[tachyon]

Glad Yoshida ran well to finish second.

[BaroqueAgain1]

I think keeping Yoshida closer to the field worked out better for him in the Whitney. He comes running in the stretch but, when he drops too far off the pace, he generally can't make up the ground.
I'm pleased to see McKinzie doing so well. We lost Street Cry much too soon, so seeing his Kentucky-Derby-winning son, Street Sense, do well as a stallion is very cool.

[WarBiscuit]

So, did Imperative earn his retirement today, or do they give him one more shot at something?

WarBiscuit

[Starine]

McKinzie ran well again and it was satisfying to see him win after losing the Met Mile in which he was clearly the best horse.

Pleasantly surprised to see Yoshida narrow the gap in a runner-up effort; I had my doubts about him closing into those fractions.

A lot of today's racing, admittedly, lost its luster with Thunder Snow out of this race and World of Trouble out of the Troy.