Your opinions on War Pass's race Saturday???

Question

I was really rooting for War Pass and then now, he gets defeated and comes in dead last! I actually felt bad when he was not getting comfertable trying to get to the lead. It seemed as if since he could not get to the lead, he just like, gave up. It sucks he is defeated but just because this one race, it doesn't mean he still doesn't have a shot at the TC.

So, your opinions on his shocking place? Do you like War Pass? And what do you think is going to happen now?

Just wanna know your thoughts. Because I really like that horse. Along with Indian Blessing and Visionaire.

-mel

Answer 1

I was rooting for War Pass yesterday too. It was very disappointing to see him come in last after his undefeated streak. War Pass got bumped out of the gate, and was never a factor after that. It seems like he didn't like the track either. He also came out of the race with cuts on his legs. He did not get the lead and I thought he would come back and have a burst of speed through the stretch, but he didn't. He still has a shot at the Triple Crown though. I am not totally knocking him out of my TC choices. They are aiming him for the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Pyro is going to be there too! My favorites right now are Pyro, Georgie Boy, and Visionaire.

Answer 2

I was actually for Big Truck and Atoned! I have never really been a fan of War Pass. I am a Pyro person. GO PYRO!!!!!

Answer 3

I Glad because I got Georgie Boy @ 69-1 odds

I'm very scared of "PRYO"

Sorry; but Indian Blessing is out of Ky Oaks

Answer 4

He had so much trouble in that race that you almost HAVE to toss it.  I sure hope he has another race before the Derby, though.  The Bluegrass would not be ideal, IMO, since the polytrack is so different at Keeneland.  I'd rather see him go in the Wood, though, even there, we know what he can do on a speed favoring track...though, I do plan to BE at the Wood and would like to see him in person.  In any event, I think draw a line through the TB Derby, but watch him extra careful next time.  The distance is still a big ? for him IMO.  That said, if we can get 9/2 on him on Derby day, well....

Answer 5

I'm glad War Pass had that experience before the Derby.  If he raced against only a few horses and always broke well to the lead, he'd never have the experience of a bad trip until the Derby.  Once he got to Churchill and those gates opened with 20 horses, it's hard to imagine that he'd get a good trip.  It's better that he experienced being squeezed back and getting dirt in his face now before the real race in May.

War Pass was a better horse than a few of those horses who beat him on Saturday... Big Truck and Atoned are good horses, but the other 4 that were in the race are not better horses than War Pass.  The reason that they finished better than him is because War Pass didn't get the trip he wanted and wasn't comfortable with the trip he got.  He's never been squeezed back, he's never been taken 3 wide around the turns and hurried to stay with the pace.  He's never been behind another horse getting dirt kicked up at him.  War Pass wins by getting in front, opening up by the time he reaches the stretch, running on a little bit in the stretch with a little more energy, and by then he's so far in front that no one could catch him.  Asking him to come from behind and close and make a strong run in the stretch is asking him to completely change his running style and do something he's never done before.  By the time the horses reached the stretch, War Pass was done.  He wasn't happy with the experience that he got in that race so he cantered through the stretch to the finish line.  He wasn't happy that day, he had his confidence beat up a little bit, and he wasn't willing to run anymore that day... you have to respect that.  It's the same with any other horse... some days my TB comes out and feels good wants to jump, and some days she just doesn't feel as good, she bumps a couple fences, then she doesn't want to jump anymore.  Sometimes you just have to respect that, let her go back in her stall to recover, then ask her to jump tomorrow instead.

I'm glad that War Pass got the bad trip now before this happened to him in the Derby.  A pace horse needs to learn to settle back and come from off the pace sometimes.  Especially so in War Pass's case since he's going into the Derby and the pace will be pressed hard by J Be K... War Pass can't run super fast fractions and go on to win over a mile and a quarter.  He needs to learn to relax and let the others go on with the lead... that means he's gonna be behind horses getting dirt kicked up in his face.  He'll be better prepared for the Derby because he had this experience in Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Answer 6

will give him another chance, chalk it up as a work-out.....

Answer 7

I think the main thing, like his trainer Zito said, was if he can't get the lead, then it takes him out of his game plan. It was not the jocks fault, he just did not have it yesterday.

watch out for big truck and another horse called big brown. These two may run one, two in the derby !

Answer 8

I think it was a case of War Pass simply not liking the track. Tampa Bay Downs has been known not to be kind to horses who have never raced over it before. Plus, War Pass got slammed out of the gate & really never got the lead, which is where he obviously needs to be.

I do think he'll rebound from this race, but I do not like him in the Derby. If he got bounced around with just 6 horses, imagine the problems he'll encounter when he faces 19 other horses.

I still think that Pyro is the horse to beat. Was not impressed with Georgie Boy's race. He has only raced on poly tracks so far & Churchhill Downs is not 1 of them. Plus, I don't think he'll get the distance.

Answer 9

I was surprised that he came in last,but he had a bad trip,got bumped,didn't get the lead and all that.He just had a real bad day.He is still a good horse and I expect to see him win lots more races.