The Test

This weekend's Test Stakes at Saratoga features a very good field of Fillies.

Indian Blessing will be the favorite at post time and deservedly so. In fact her new rating-running style makes me feel she is a top contender for the Breeders' Cup Sprint - yes against the boys!

What do you guys think?

Music Note To Win Breeders' Cup

I am sure the handlers of Music Note are thinking of bigger and better things for their great looking Filly.

Interestingly, when Music Note already had opened a big lead in midstretch and the race was over, she was asked for more run. Either her connections wanted to see how much more she had in the tank or they wanted to make sure she got some more conditioning out of the race. She seemingly wins while never being put into top gear.

Either way all their questions were surely answered and she should be on the road to The Breeders' Cup. She is turning into an incredible horse!

Curlin's Next Step...

In the end I guess the real question is; Will Curlin improve his performance on grass?

Surely he can't turn in a similar performance as in his first grass effort and expect to beat any of the top horses in any country in a Grade I Listed -Stakes.

Now his gate, stride, action are all being questioned as to him having any or only limited success on grass.

So John Henry he is not. I just hope this doesn't screw him up for when he heads back on dirt.

What do you think Curlin's handlers should do with him? What would you like to see happen?

Curlin to get another chance?

On Monday, Curlin's connections had stated that they are still considering their next moves. His rider, Robby Albarado said he would like to see Curlin have one more try on grass before scrapping the project.

At this point I think you have to give the horse one more shot on grass before you say he didn't take to it. I would enter him in a 1 1/8th stakes race on the grass and see if he fires in the stretch just like he does on dirt. At this point you kind of owe it to the horse.

And for all the folks that are ranking Curlin as one of the greats and one of the best let's all get a reality check. To this point the best horses Curlin has faced have all beaten him. He exchanged wins with Street Sense, he got beat by Rags to Riches and he has now lost to Red Rocks (grass). So why is he one of the greats again?

No doubt he is a very good horse with a lot of guts and he is a huge stand-out right now cause there just isn't a lot of special horses walking around at the moment. But Great is a ways off, don't you think?

Curlin...In It To Win It?

Although Curlin finished 2nd in his turf experiment in Saturday's Man'o War at Belmont I feel he ran a very good race and the turf experiment should continue.

He lost to a world-class horse and Breeders' Cup Champ in Red Rocks while also facing a pretty deep field all while racing on a new surface and trying to win at a distance he hasn't won at. So when you add all that together you have to say Curlin ran a very good race.

As for the actual running, the flow of the race didn't help Curlin's "non-aggressive" way of being ridden by Robby Albarado as there was an early speed battle that left about 12 lengths between the dueling leaders and Red Rocks who was running in 3rd position.

Curlin was perhaps about 4 lengths off Red Rocks at one point which would later make a huge difference in the outcome of the race. I mean if you are Team Curlin and you go over the way the race figured to be run and decide exactly which horses are the real contenders, you have to say to your Team that ideally you want to stay with Red Rocks as he being the "top horse" to beat.

However there seemed to be no real race strategy and Red Rocks being rated along ahead of Curlin on the back side was allowed to be put into high gear a little later than Curlin, who had to make up ground just to get up to Red Rocks.

Staying wide and in the clear is fine and dandy when you are on the best horse and have the field "measured", but in such a deep, proven field you aren't afforded these "givens".

Perhaps Team Curlin just got a reality check and next time out on grass will be more aggressively ridden like they are "in it to win it" and not just ridden to "see what we can do".

Indian Blessing

Going on a year ago, I had the privilege of seeing Indian Blessing’s debut race at Saratoga. It was a spectacular performance. I remember sitting in the grandstand watching her swing around the club house turn and then watching her rocket by. I’ve been a fan ever since. 2008 has been a mixed bag for her. Her last race on Belmont Stakes day she came in 2nd to Zaftig by 4-1/2 lengths. I’m hoping for another great race in Saturday’s Prioress at Belmont. She returns to the 6 furlong distance and if she returns to her starting form she’ll be able to go with any of these and still have something left for the end.