Monday, January 19, 2009

Personal Reflections

- Call me a hater, but I'm just not ready to accept a Kentucky Derby winner named "The Palmplemousse".

- I enjoy reading pedigree analysis and auction pages, but does it really matter that the third dam is a half-sister to a Grade II winner in 1975? When you are looking at good horses, they are ALL related to elite stock in some way. They have been inbred for hundreds of years!

- I like reading the stories about new stallions siring their first foals. This week we saw Corinthian, Jazil, After Market, Sun King and Shakespeare becoming dads for the first time. As a relatively new racing fan, it is still a charge for me to see the horses I followed on the track being productive in the shed. It's exciting to wonder if these offspring will be as successful as their parents.

- Speaking of sires, as we reflect on the race named after him, I think we can officially label Smarty Jones as "disappointing". He was ranked 32nd on the list of first-croppers. Filly Be Smart is responsible for over 45% of his first-year earnings, so how bad would he look without her? No wonder his 2009 fee is listed as PRIVATE.

5 comments:

Amateurcapper said...

Alan,
No doubt about Smarty being a disappointment...definitely thought he'd sire more precocious runners. I wonder if he was crossed with too many stamina influences, dulling his speed? Perhaps that's why he's private treaty...they want to assure coming crops are more commercially successful.

Anonymous said...

Last summer, firster Go Smarty flashed a green seven furlongs in 1:20 3/5 (Elusive Quality’s middle-distance grass brilliance shining on through Smarty Jones) but then pulled up lame beyond the wire.

He would've padded the Smarty stats. I wouldn't give up on him yet

Anonymous said...

Not to worry about the Derby, The Palmplemousse is from CA. and races on synthetics.

Anonymous said...

Ernie,
I remember that Go Smarty race vividly - an amazing display. You go through Smarty's pedigree and, except in patches, it doesn't lead you to weeds, but my sixth sense tells me that's where his kids need to go...
The Palmplemousse is ridiculously cool, like a race horse created by Peter Max. -- John S.

Anonymous said...

I have been on the Calif racing scene since racing came back in June 1945
after WW 2 when we only had racing at Caliente, Mexico
This horse with the grapefruit name is the genuine article. He may not handle the 10 furlongs May 2 and JULIO
is capable of wrecking this animal, but don't discount his chances.

 

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