Add that AL was the lone speed and was allowed to run pitifully slow fractions and that Pincay, Sham's regular rider, was off the mount that day. AL was almost guaranteed to run the race of his life -- and Sham still almost caught him. I remember this well; no one thought that AL was the issue. Instead, the Wood raised two questions: (1) could Secretariat really get the 1 1/4; and (2) was he really so superior to Sham that the Triple Crown was a realistic goal. Of course, Big Red answered b
Many thanks for posting. The prior version is down. I'd seen segments of this race but not the entirety. I had no idea Angle Light broke from the far outside, although it's not a huge field.
Gad, so much energy from the outset. You wonder what clicks with a horse when they run so far above typical form.
Aqueduct seems harder and more speed favoring than my typical impression. The dirt settles quickly, more like a California track.
Looks like Sham may have gotten past not long after the wire.
@AwsiDooger You're most welcome. Angle Light ran very well that day to wire the field, and your point about a what clicks inside a horse on a given day is indeed a mystery. It's a wondrous thing to behold when it does happen.
Opinions vary as to why Sham didn't win, but I feel that his talent is greater than what he showed here. Shame he got hurt in training after the Belmont; it would have been great to see him against Big Red in the fall.
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! God bless.
Wow. The quintessential "dark horse"! Never even heard of him.
Nice race. He outran Secretariat AND Sham, start to finish! Oh, well...Secretariat probably had his mind on some cute lil' filly back at the barn... ;-))
@nameofthepen Yes, Angle Light was a good horse, and it was nice to see him win a G1 race, but IMO, had Secretariat not had a bad abscess in his mouth (he repeatedly shied away from the bit when Turcotte really urged him on), I'm sure he would have won instead. I can't fault Big Red for trying to ease his own pain. I just wish Ron would have been informed of it before the race, so he could, as he said, "soft rein" him and get the speed needed to win.
Add that AL was the lone speed and was allowed to run pitifully slow fractions and that Pincay, Sham's regular rider, was off the mount that day. AL was almost guaranteed to run the race of his life -- and Sham still almost caught him. I remember this well; no one thought that AL was the issue. Instead, the Wood raised two questions: (1) could Secretariat really get the 1 1/4; and (2) was he really so superior to Sham that the Triple Crown was a realistic goal. Of course, Big Red answered b
mulgrum 2 months ago
Many thanks for posting. The prior version is down. I'd seen segments of this race but not the entirety. I had no idea Angle Light broke from the far outside, although it's not a huge field.
Gad, so much energy from the outset. You wonder what clicks with a horse when they run so far above typical form.
Aqueduct seems harder and more speed favoring than my typical impression. The dirt settles quickly, more like a California track.
Looks like Sham may have gotten past not long after the wire.
AwsiDooger 2 months ago
@AwsiDooger You're most welcome. Angle Light ran very well that day to wire the field, and your point about a what clicks inside a horse on a given day is indeed a mystery. It's a wondrous thing to behold when it does happen.
Opinions vary as to why Sham didn't win, but I feel that his talent is greater than what he showed here. Shame he got hurt in training after the Belmont; it would have been great to see him against Big Red in the fall.
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! God bless.
cf1970 2 months ago
Wow. The quintessential "dark horse"! Never even heard of him.
Nice race. He outran Secretariat AND Sham, start to finish! Oh, well...Secretariat probably had his mind on some cute lil' filly back at the barn... ;-))
nameofthepen 2 months ago
@nameofthepen Yes, Angle Light was a good horse, and it was nice to see him win a G1 race, but IMO, had Secretariat not had a bad abscess in his mouth (he repeatedly shied away from the bit when Turcotte really urged him on), I'm sure he would have won instead. I can't fault Big Red for trying to ease his own pain. I just wish Ron would have been informed of it before the race, so he could, as he said, "soft rein" him and get the speed needed to win.
Thanks for the comments. Merry Christmas!
cf1970 2 months ago