A Lady Must Look Good

I am sorry to see people still not talking on here about the girls. I am still more excited about the filles. I must say I have never been one to make a pick by looks, but I do like a bright eyed alert filly prior to a race. I will have to start looking at that a little more. I just came back from Keeneland and had to go looking for Eight Belles and Proud Spell to see them up close and personal. Found them, but unfortunately Proud Spell wouldn't even stick her head out of her stall. Eight Belles did, but that's all I saw.

Any news on Awsome Chic? I haven't heard any news on her recently. Is she pointing to the Oaks?

I'll have to add her to my stable and check her works. She seems to have liked the distance in the FL Oaks.

Point taken on having a happy filly.

I was at GP on FL Derby day and was all about a filly named Backseat Rythm. She was an impressive physical specimen, but did not look terribly enthusiastic about running, and if anything appeared a bit apprehensive.

Interesting comments about "bright-eyed". I've always thought that horses have expressive eyes, but wasn't sure if I was just imagining things. One of the best handicappers I know picked Smarty Jones as his derby horse in his juvenile year based on a photo in which he showed a determined looking eye. It's interesting to hear some great horsepeople talk about it.

Rags to Riches had a big beautiful eye, intelligent and determined. Eight Belles looks like an angry horse when she runs, same with War Pass. Country Star has a gorgeous eye as well.

I hope Pure Clan's coat blooms, cuz she's my filly if Eight Belles goes to the Derby!

Hey, Mac, thanks for the tips on picking a filly. After having read your piece, I figured-out the filly who matches most of the criteria: BSHARPSONATA. She comes from off the pace...she has a heart of a champion. She doesn't quit; she keeps coming...and that she will on May 2nd right into the winner's circle at Churchill Downs...Now, which colt to use in the Big Dance for the double...hmmm...Gayego? Colonel John? ...Adriano...hmmmm...any advice?

Hi Mac,

I read your blog this morning and it made me laugh. It really has been pretty quiet over here on the girls side, which is a shame. I'm looking forward to the Oaks more than the Derby this year.

I like to see the fillies that have a little spring in their step, a beautiful shining coat, a long flowing tail, and a "Hey, look at me, I'm the best one here" look about them in the post parade, but then put on the "business suit" when they get in the gate. I started to follow Octave's career last year simply because I thought she was the prettiest horse in the '06 Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Bsharpsonata is a gorgeous horse (nice picture above, by the way), and so is Eight Belles. Throw in Pure Clan, and there's my "pretty horse" trifecta.

Hey Mac,

I always say it is ok to talk to yourself, just so long as yo don't answer.......you might be expecting a trip to the room with the soft white walls soon. There has been a disappointing amount of blogging here, but it is not just the readership. One of the experts has not even updated his top ten since March 21!!!! Interested to see who is pointing to the Oaks right now. I would really like to see Eight Belles go to the Derby , especially since I have Golden Doc A, A to the Croft and Proud Spell covered in the 1st future pool. Are all of them still probable for the Oaks?

Dale

Thanks, Mac
I really can't believe that how my futures bets look right now, usually by this time, most are out or have little or no shot......those were my only fillies in pool one....skipped pool 2.......added a little more on Golden Doc A and Proud Spell (and a little on Pure Clan)in pool 3.

for the Derby, the only bets in pool 1 were on Monba and the field (another reason to want Eight Belles to go in the Derby)......again skipped pool 2, but got $20 at 70/1 on Tomcito (a coworker went to Vegas).....hope he can get over that Polytrack Saturday to qualify. In pool 3, I added the Colonel and Pyro (and a $2 flyer on Yankee Bravo and Blackberry Road). Obviously, Big Brown can hurt me bad and scares me a lot, but not much value there.

As for Eight Belles going to the Derby, I really do not think it will happen. She is a big, strong filly and may very well be able to handle it, but I do not think Larry would send her there UNLESS the owner really twists his arm OR he really thinks she has a shot!

BTW, nudge some of your fellow blog masters to get on ever to this site to add some thoughts.

Dale

AWESOME CHIC Is in Churchill since last Saturday, she is CHIC. She works today at churchill with Robby Alvarado on board who has the call.There was no intention from the owner to run in hot springs the intention and focus are the lilies.

mac do you think we will see 2 ladys against the boys?

mac
I think that is logical wath you are saying but on the other hand both fillies are grade 1 already and one more it will not add much value on them but if any of those finished on the board it will add a copuple of 0 at the rigth also buyer and ragozin are the same as the boys. I think that there is no super horse in the K derby anything can happens including that a lady can show the boys a lesson. one question why proud spell donot show up as contender and eigth belles does?

I was just watching the Lexington Coolmore race on ESPN, and Jeanine Edwards was standing with Eight Belles and Proud Spell. Wow, Eight Belles is enormous! She towered over Proud Spell and Jeanine.

Personally, I hope she doesn't go into the Derby. She would be a force to reckon with in the Oaks, but I think she'd get lost in the shuffle of the Derby. Maybe they'll run her in the Oaks and then point her toward the Belmont. Two filly winners in two years would definitely be something.

After watching all the race replays, Pure Clan is my pick for the Oaks. I was wondering what perspective anyone could offer on The Fantasy? Specifically on Pure Clan right at the end. It looked like she was done, then it seemed that she suddenly started to run again a couple strides before the wire, made up a bit of ground, and while I know that the gallop out doesn't always mean that much (although it was the reason I tossed Scat Daddy in the Derby last year), she passed Eight Belles right after the wire, and that one seemed done with it. I don't really know that much about this kind of thing, hence the reason I'm asking (^_^) She seems to want the extra ground. . .

While I still think the fillies have run as well as the boys this year, I hope that the two girls don't go in the derby. Not because I don't think they could do well - this seems like any kind of year, so you never really know - but because they aren't really 100% committed. The possibility that they would be scratched and run in the Oaks pending a bad post draw in the Derby (when a colt would not). . . how maddening. Anyway, even if a filly was to go in the Derby, I'm not sure either of those two would be my pick.

Also, can anyone tell me why the Oaks field is limited to 14 when you can have 20 in the Derby? I know people talk about how the Derby field shouldn't be so large anyway, but they do it all the time in Europe, Asia, and Australia, and there doesn't seem to be a problem. It also makes for very exciting racing! If there can be 20 in the Derby, why not the Oaks?