How do you rate the 2006 Breeders Cup in regards to the Thoroughbreds compared to past Breeder Cups?

[admin]

Please discuss your answers to the poll here.

[Mister Stigg]

I personally voted best ever b/c it was the first time I have been to one live. Overall, I think I got to see alot of outstanding animals step onto the track to compete, and b/c of the dominating efforts of alot of the winners, I say it was at least excellent. Calvin Borel's infamous rail ride finally got him a w on breeder's cup day! Congrats to him, and Nafzger's still good! If you like close finishes, you probably won't vote good or excellent!

[gestalt]

The breakdowns hurt the game, the bias was evident, and am sure the handle was down. The quality of competition was good at times but nothing like years past. The foreign dominance of horse flesh is coming more dominant. The winning horses are running a tad slower than norm and proprietory interest prevail. The prep races reveal the setups and some horrible jockey rides. However, the races were entertaining but did nothing to advance the sport. Jockey colonies are in disarray, I really though Bejarno was going big time; he must be hurt. On the upside, it is the best game in town, Red Rocks and Street Sense taught me some lessons. The other races were true to form. Pick 3's and pick 4's are the best bets.

[eaoa89]

It was nice to see Wayne Catalano (who's pretty much known for astute claims and placing horses in the right spot, but not winning big races) and Rene Douglas win a Cup race, but the Juvenile didn't tell us anything (Sorry Calvin) the Europeans sent 2 horses (Libretist, Hurricane Run) who were over the top, and placed 2 others (George and Dave) in the wrong races, trying to enhance breeding rather than spot their horses where they had the best chance to win. Invasor proved that he is the best now, and hopefully Bernardini will be left in training so that he can prove that he's indeed as talented as everyone thought (I think he is but PROVE IT).
And will there ever be a better Turf mare than Ouija Board? The biggest thing that will come out of this will be that more tracks will (I hope) go to Polytrack, not only for the welfare of the horses (MOST IMPORTANT) but also for the wellfare of horse racing.

[ken]

Big payoffs are good for new bettors, records handle, 18 year old winning jockey, good balance of ITM horses from foreign, Ca, and others horses; good ITM balance of big and small owners and trainers, young and older horses; KY Derby connections won back at CD; Fleet Indian made it out OK.
You can trash it if you want, but there are always 2 sides!

[mister zesterhouse]

I've always said that I'd never go back to anther Derby unless a horse I owned was in it; well, just the opposite with the BC. It's a party all right but more so for the true fans of the sport: a serious celebration of the game with best taking on the best. Superstar jocks, trainers, owners, and the athletes themselves.

I didn't hit anything all day--needed Scat Daddy, CQ or Great Hunter to make it happen and they ran big but got Calvinized: sometimes there is a method to his rail skimming madness and the result yesterday was a 10 length monster off.

Ultimately though in the build-up to the main event there was a false choice: Lava Man or Bernardini. Off the Cali-juice, Lava Man is a Sore Man. And, Invasor is a superstar--i still wonder where Potri Flash ended up (the runner-up in all three Triple Crown races to Invasor).

Will there be a Discreet Cat/Invasor rematch? If you were a shiek would you let Bernardini finish up with a loss? Bernardini v. Discreet Cat v. Invasor: I wouldn't mind that.

[Jerfi]

All I could do was watch replays... which I did .... and was very happy with the way it all ran.

Lava Man in the paddock wasn't impressive...

I've followed the BC races since the first year ... and my own opinion is that this one was as good as any of the past ones ... and since my theory of playing all the middle odds horses, regardless, seems to pay off year after year, I have to vote this one a great spectacle, too!

[TopDog]

I thought there were many logical longshots this year (Street Sense with improving Beyers each start; Red Rocks, a European on turf in better form than the other European entries; Round Pond being third off the layoff on the rail with Matz). The pick threes are definitely the bet for big race days where even one moderate longshot can help the payoff reach the thousands. Ouija Board is truly in a class by herself,and never ever take a 3 year old over a 4 year old when the talent is fairly even. Maturity tends to win out in the end. INVASOR, HE'S THE BEST!!!!! All hail Kennt Mayne.

[Stumpy]

I am not sure how to start a new thread, so I hope it is okay if I ask my questions here.

I am looking to play some horse, but VERY new to the sport. As in, never even watched a race.

So, here is my question. Where can I find a schedule of the races comng up?

The ones that I can easily find on a horsebook. A schedule that includes dates/times and whether or not it is televised would be great!!

Thanks!

[clusterf1]

I doubt thar Shug thinks that it was a good Breeders cup . As for myself
only had Red Rocks and Dreaming of Anna as winners . The california
horses should have stayed home. Stormello got caught in speed duel
Wait a While and Lava Man didn't run a step. Only Thors Echo surprized
everyone,after the first couple of races I new my pick of Siren Lure had
no chance. It looks like Steve was the only one who had a good day,
but I wonder how much he invested in the pick 6 and the pick 4 . as to
Delta sports Steve did have Round pond on top, the sheets had
miesques approval on top

[Jerfi]

Well, I for one sure would NOT expect Steve to post the size of his bets, even if I were curious! :)

But.... if I am guessing, I'll readily guess that between the two bets, it would not have been over $2500.

I would not be surprised if his winning pick 4 ticket wasn't UNDER $500! (based on a $2 ticket).

[deltasports]

I doubt thar Shug thinks that it was a good Breeders cup . As for myself
only had Red Rocks and Dreaming of Anna as winners . The california
horses should have stayed home. Stormello got caught in speed duel
Wait a While and Lava Man didn't run a step. Only Thors Echo surprized
everyone,after the first couple of races I new my pick of Siren Lure had
no chance. It looks like Steve was the only one who had a good day,
but I wonder how much he invested in the pick 6 and the pick 4 . as to
Delta sports Steve did have Round pond on top, the sheets had
miesques approval on top
================================================== ======
THERE ARE 2 SHEETS>>>THE JERRY THOROGRAPH SHEETS & THE RAG SHEETS WHICH ONE ARE YOU REFFERING TO????????

[eagleon8@v]

I have always enjoyed the Breeders Cup. It was a fantastic idea. It doesn't really matter whether one cup has better horses than another. Each cup day is a day for players. I think 2006 had more large payoffs than many others and that is the reason we bet. We bet to get the highest possible payoff each race will give. In that respect it was a very good Breeders Cup day. a:

[clusterf1]

the sheets that had Miesques approval were thoroughgraph

[Tassey25]

Bettin for me was a losing day only wins were Ouija Board and It's No Joke. I still rate it as a very good race day, I watched it on TVG and ESPN at home and only disappointment with the race day was that "In my opinion" ESPN had no clue on what they were doing. I think the were a big step down from watching the races on NBC and CBS for the major races and TVG for everyday races. Maybe they need to work out some kinks or something but They also need somemore knowledge and less comedy. How many times does someone get a kick out of hearing them say Invasor in a spanish accent.

[gestalt]

Did err on the handle, new record, however- there are reasons: off shore money allowed this year, races were 3 minutes longer allowing more money to flow, the huge bets on the pick 6 winners showed the power of big syndicates, two winners over 1 million each, CD management knew how to get the most out of this years cup races. When all the factors are studied, the powers to be in this business are pointing toward these cup races. Lets hope ESPN can cover it properly. The Breeders Cup racing is the best there is but we are not getting the real stories. The privilege of getting info on horses like Street Sense, Round Pond, Red Rocks, and a few others, is closely guarded. The people telling the stories, like the DRF handicappers need to go back to school. The failure of these horses to run within a tic (.20) of the track records, is my evidence that these Grade 1,2&3 horses do not match up to previous years. I salute M Wolfson, you are trainer of the year. Nice work with Miesque's Approval, a truly awesome job. I will never reduce the BC races to a negative status, they make the daily screw jobs puny in stature.

[Jerfi]

Mr Gestalt ... very nicely said. Your flair for sound analysis and commentary is a real credit to this site!

The BC races ARE a phenom, for sure!

[deltasports]

YOU CANT COMPARE THIS OR THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THE BREEDERS CUPS OF 1984-85-86-87 & ETC..TO ME THEY SEEM TO GET WEAKER AS THE YEARS GET LONGER...WHAT DO U THINK WHEN STALLIONS COVER ANY WHERE FROM 100 TO 300 COVERS PER SEASON,THATS LIKE TAKING CROWN ROYAL (a shot) & MIXING IT IN A TALL GLASS OF WATER OR SODA..rofl

[thegrandmeister]

Please discuss your answers to the poll here.
i've seen better crops & breeders cups. classic was a 2 horse race. lava man as you said .wasn't worth a farthing. maybe the 2yr olds will get better in 07. i;d be interested in seeing the winter book & what it has to say. also the starters had too much trouble with the loading. it could have been better all around. i'd rather see some of you guys as announcers. maybe i'm biased as i worked at the 1st breeders cup at aqu. i don't think so but it may . gm. don't get me wrong the breeders cup as an institution is a great thing. something to be looked fwd to after sar & fall bel meet. gm

[davwar22]

I mostly missed the races called by Tom Durkin, hes the best. Otherwise, Churchill Downs did a great job with everything else.Also, think maybe limiting all fields to 12 would be safer for the horses, although it is a dangerous sport for riders and horses.It seems that these tragedies happen more than enough in the big contest that are televised for all to witness. I have watched all the breeders cup championship races since 1984, they are always a treat to watch and wager on, and when a horse does go down, it is also heartbreaking. D.L.Wardle

[diamondjoe]

Aside from the tragic mishap in the distaff, I actually was in the running with most of my picks. I only had a limited amount to bet, and I didn't win anything, but with a little luck, I could have won lots of money$)
I suppose the Distaff played to form, as the winner figured to be alone on or near the lead, and when the two favorites ate it, she was able to maintain it. Perhaps the sprint winner's last beyer figure wasn't a "giraffe fig" after all. Even Miesque's Approval figure on the beyer figs, if you were willing to look beyond the fact that he was a 7yo. All three of these were stretches, but then again that's where the ultimate challange of handicapping the Breeder's Cup lies. Not to mention the pick 6 did pay almost 1.5 mil, so some people were up to the challenge.
Anyways, congratulations on those who made big bucks, and next year will be my turn.bc(

[deltasports]

. also the starters had too much trouble with the loading. it could have been better all around. i'd rather see some of you guys as announcers. maybe i'm biased as i worked at the 1st breeders cup at aqu. gm[/QUOTE BY THE "GRANDMEISTER"
================================================== ========

THE 1ST BREEDERS CUP WAS HELD AT HOLLYWOOD PARK IN 1984.THE 2ND BREEDERS CUP WAS HELD AT AQUEDUCT IN 1985

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE CUP THERE WAS THE NIGHT OF THE STARS BY INVITATION ONLY FOR THE OWNERS/TRAINERS & JOCKS & OFFICALS.ONE OF THE STATE STEWARDS AND MYSELF HAD A TABLE FOR 6..WE SAW A GIRL,A YOUNG FELLOW AND AN OLDER MAN STANDING AGAINST THE WALL & LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE LOST.I WENT OVER & INVITED THEM TO SIT AT OUR TABLE.IT TURNED OUT THAT THE MAN WAS THE "BRETT MUSBERGER" OF BOGATA COLUMBIA AND THE YOUNG GIRL WAS THE WIFE OF THE YOUNG FELLOW.THE YOUNG FELLOW COULD"NT SPEAK ONE WORD OF ENGLISH & HIS WIFE COULD SPEAK A LITTLE.THE SPORTSCASTER WAS VERY FLUENT.IT TURNS OUT THAT HE BROUGHT THEM TO NEW YORK & AQUEDUCT TO SEE IF HE COULD GET HIM STARTED AS A JOCK BECAUSE HE WAS A TOP YOUNG RIDER IN SOUTH AMERICA.I TOLD HIM THRU HIS INTERPRETER THAT IF HE KEPT HIS NOSE CLEAN & WORKED HARD I WOULD GO OUT ON A LIMB AND PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR HIM WITH THE STATE STEWARD THAT WAS I WAS SITTING WITH.HE SMILED AND SAID YES SIR & THANKED ME IN HIS NATIVE TONGUE. HIS SPONSOR,THE SPORTSCASTER INVITED ME TO BOGATA FOR THEIR TYPE OF BREEDERS CUP THE NEXT MONTH WITH A FULL PAID ROUND TRIP FOR BEING SO HELPFUL..WE THEN HAD A FEW DRINKS AND THAT WAS THAT...OH! THE YOUNG MAN(WHO WAS HE) HE WAS JOSE SANTOS

AND ANY TIME I SEE HIM TO THIS DAY,I REMIND HIM THAT I WENT OUT ON A LIMB FOR HIM..HE IS NOT ONLY A NICE GUY,HE ALSO HAS A LOT OF CLASStro( tro( tro( tro(

[lyonscage@]

;;'
From All The Races At The Breeders Cup I Guess You Can Say I Done Very Poorly.i Had 1 Race That I Picked That Won ....ouija Board .next Year I Hope To Do Better When I Have More Experience.so I Gave My Vote As Fair For The Bc Races.

[madmartha]

The same color saddle-cloths on the horses numbers have GOT TO GO!
Following the horses were a nightmare for me and I couldn't enjoy it as
much as the "lessor" regular racing with different color saddle-cloth
numbers.

To my surprise, I fell to sleep during most of the Breeders - due to all
those ads! Why does ESPN need all those d____ ads - when we as
viewers have paid twice by betting and suscribing to cable/satelitte?!#

Thank god, I had the good sense to have taped most of it, tho.
During those commercial breaks - I switched to TVG and it was then,
I noticed the "heavy-hearted" concern of Gary Siebell's reaction to what had happened to Pine Island.

[Mister Stigg]

i've seen better crops & breeders cups. classic was a 2 horse race. lava man as you said .wasn't worth a farthing. maybe the 2yr olds will get better in 07. i;d be interested in seeing the winter book & what it has to say. also the starters had too much trouble with the loading. it could have been better all around. i'd rather see some of you guys as announcers. maybe i'm biased as i worked at the 1st breeders cup at aqu. i don't think so but it may . gm. don't get me wrong the breeders cup as an institution is a great thing. something to be looked fwd to after sar & fall bel meet. gm

Probably wasn't the starters' fault that Her Majesty didn't want to load. Maybe could have put the blind fold on her a little sooner, but that's last resort. It is trevor's fault for mixing up circular quay and street sense, among other troulbe. But lets not let these mishaps overshadow a great day of racing with full fields all loaded with mostly legitimate contenders=value.

[Mister Sanderson]

Probably wasn't the starters' fault that Her Majesty didn't want to load. Maybe could have put the blind fold on her a little sooner, but that's last resort. It is trevor's fault for mixing up circular quay and street sense, among other troulbe. But lets not let these mishaps overshadow a great day of racing with full fields all loaded with mostly legitimate contenders=value.
wow. where did this guy come from?? i like this new and improved guy, but don't get him started on monarchos. his erection will never go away!

I totally agree. The naysayers are always gonna naysay. We all have our quams about what we most like/dislike, but the collective day was good. We saw an Undefeated filly named Dreaming of Anna show off her speed and class. A blowup win by CALVIN UP THE RAIL BOREL in the JUVEY by 10, for God's sake, setting a Juvenile Beyer record. The best turf mare to ever run raced and dominated, we all know her name. Dettori did his dork-parachute dismount, and a great finale in the feature with the Best Two Horses duking it out. What else do you need? Next year start her off with a doob, I guess!bc(

[TNT_Gravy]

It was one of my best day's ever , but if only...
I hadnt jumped off Thors Echo for some damn reason that I still wake up kickin' my self for everyday bh)