Travers

[Toga]

I would take the field. It's not the graveyard of champions for nothing.

 

[bevosu]

I wouldn't put money on American Pharoah to win, but I've been watching horse racing for a while and he's the best looking (most impressive) 3 year old I've seen in a long time.

 

[Briancuse]

Not many horses have been as impressive as American Pharoah, I wouldn't bet against him.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

NYRA did a great job with the Travers. Everything for the most part went very smoothly. Definitely the most people I have ever seen at the track but they had every window open and no problems betting. It would have been great if Pharoah won but I don't think it ruined anyone's day (except maybe for Baffert). Castellano did a great job on Keen Ice and a better job in the following race coming from even further back. If he gets 10%, he earned himself $200,000 in the matter of less than an hour.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

NYRA did a great job with the Travers. Everything for the most part went very smoothly. Definitely the most people I have ever seen at the track but they had every window open and no problems betting. It would have been great if Pharoah won but I don't think it ruined anyone's day (except maybe for Baffert). Castellano did a great job on Keen Ice and a better job in the following race coming from even further back. If he gets 10%, he earned himself $200,000 in the matter of less than an hour.

For as good as castellano is ( and other than Irad, he's probably best in the game on east cost, IMO)Espinoza was equally as bad. He was terrible, didn't need to get hooked up with frosted so early. and then went to the whip way too early and often. Then to top it off, he whines about it right after the race. Lezcano and Frosted took a lot out of Pharoah but victor was dumb enough to let it happen. He rode the race like a 9f race not a 10f race should have let Frosted go early without any doubt.

The race definitely would have definitely been a bit different if Rosario had not gotten hurt in the 9th and had ridden frosted as scheduled but Lezcano rode best he could and tried to win for sure. These 3 year olds are so different that they were in the spring as well. Great race really.

Hopefully they just train pharaoh for one more race, that being the bc classic. He's definitely tired at this point more from the travel and nonsense I bet.

 

[upperdeck]

only 50K meant quite a bit more room at the track.. had they let it be a normal year they would have probably set a track record. once you get above 40k the place starts to get congested.

jockey cost the horse the race for sure.

wish they would look into opening up the infield again.. that would allow for the bigger crowds and its always fun to watch a race from the infield, it feels so different and you can see a whole race from in there and it gives more room for people to watch on the rail. miss the good old days of crossing the track between races.

 

[donniesyracuse]

All three of the main NYRA tracks have beautiful infields. I think allowing large crowds on them will compromise that. I'd hate to see them go the way of Pimlico and Churchhill Downs. Beautiful infields are something New York Racing does well.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

only 50K meant quite a bit more room at the track.. had they let it be a normal year they would have probably set a track record. once you get above 40k the place starts to get congested.

jockey cost the horse the race for sure.

wish they would look into opening up the infield again.. that would allow for the bigger crowds and its always fun to watch a race from the infield, it feels so different and you can see a whole race from in there and it gives more room for people to watch on the rail. miss the good old days of crossing the track between races.

Just never been a fan of Espinoza. I think he is vastly overrated, just my opinion. He has won a ton of races. Lots of good young riders coming up though going to bounce some of these guys out. That said Stevens and Mike Smith still riding lights out for the most part. Beholder the 6 year old mare is probably the best horse going two turns on the dirt right now. Breeder's cup classic will be fun with her in. Too bad California Chrome and Shared Belief wont make it.

 

[upperdeck]

All three of the main NYRA tracks have beautiful infields. I think allowing large crowds on them will compromise that. I'd hate to see them go the way of Pimlico and Churchhill Downs. Beautiful infields are something New York Racing does well.

limit the crowd sell it like the grandstand tickets and keep is small, maybe a couple food/drink trucks.tents some tables and do it up right. they have done a ton with the new brick work. keep it low so it doesnt take away from the other views. i think people would pay just for the experience. you could limit it to 500-1000 any given day advance sale only and see what it does. if there is no market no loss.. but i know how much fun it was to watch in there and churchhill would be the same if it wasnt over sold and a party place.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I think the movement in racing is to keep the infields closed. They use to do it for the Louisiana Derby at the Fairgrounds as well but stopped a few years ago.

 

[br801]

Just never been a fan of Espinoza. I think he is vastly overrated, just my opinion. He has won a ton of races. Lots of good young riders coming up though going to bounce some of these guys out. That said Stevens and Mike Smith still riding lights out for the most part. Beholder the 6 year old mare is probably the best horse going two turns on the dirt right now. Breeder's cup classic will be fun with her in. Too bad California Chrome and Shared Belief wont make it.

Espinoza's whining immediately after the race about being put in tight quarters by Frosted was ridiculous. Lezcano was riding to win the race, as he should have been. Had he conceded an easy lead to Espinoza, that race is over. Shame on the connections of Frosted for not racing for second money, I guess.

If they had a little foresight, Godolphin could have entered a rabbit to soften up AP and help set it up for Frosted, as has been done many times throughout the history of racing. If they had done that Saturday, imagine how the collective heads of Espinoza, Baffert and the Zayat's would have exploded.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

limit the crowd sell it like the grandstand tickets and keep is small, maybe a couple food/drink trucks.tents some tables and do it up right. they have done a ton with the new brick work. keep it low so it doesnt take away from the other views. i think people would pay just for the experience. you could limit it to 500-1000 any given day advance sale only and see what it does. if there is no market no loss.. but i know how much fun it was to watch in there and churchhill would be the same if it wasnt over sold and a party place.

I'm old enough to remember going into the infield with a cooler and crossing the track between races. It would be another great spot at Saratoga to enjoy the day at the races. I'm just wondering if the amount of turf races now have anything to do with it. I really don't remember 40 years ago having the turf races on those days but that was a long time ago.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Lezcano and Frosted took a lot out of Pharoah but victor was dumb enough to let it happen. He rode the race like a 9f race not a 10f race should have let Frosted go early without any doubt.

I just watched the race again and you nailed it. Once Pharaoh put Frosted away, Espinoza thought the race was his to win. When Keen Ice came from the outside, Pharaoh had nothing left at that point.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I just watched the race again and you nailed it. Once Pharaoh put Frosted away, Espinoza thought the race was his to win. When Keen Ice came from the outside, Pharaoh had nothing left at that point.

Don't care what caliber of horse is running, it takes a lot out of another horse when one is leaning on him, bumping, challenging him. The fractions weren't slow and horses aren't machines, not even the best horse. Meanwhile, Keen Ice sits the trip so to speak and closes for the win. Dale Romans is a very good horseman and had a great jock too, who was smarter than Espinoza. Like I said, I have never seen Victor as a thinking mans jockey.

Then he blames everyone else. Watch an interview when Mike Smith loses a race like the Whitney with Liam's map. He put the heat on himself, should not have gone to the whip, etc etc. All class. Espinoza not so much, passing blame on Lezcano, ran out of horse, etc. That is bush league and you can hear it every day the Finger Lakes if you want to. I just don't like him.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Looks like Pharoah will train up to the Breeder's Cup on 10/31. Best two days of racing all year. Hopefully Beholder runs as well. Best filly since RA and Zenyatta. Biggest Beyer figure of the year so far in Pacific Classic.

On a sidenote the performance of Travers Day was Run Happy in the King Bishop