The connections don't want to admit it because of the Life At Ten incident but his first week of "display" at Stud he still showed signs of the abcess caused during the race, many who saw him atest to this including I.
@danylson10 - I say Jerkins NOT Pletcher. Quality Road was at his best pre Pletcher. Running in the Fountain of Youth(Run at a mile that year), and the Florida Derby ( Breaking Track records for both 1 mile, and 1 1/8).
@danylson10 -Where did you read that??. If true then that is a real shame for Big Beautiful QR, and MR Jerkins!. He was on the lead at the top of the stretch, and then Stopped. If that is the Reason, then thank god, because Nothing I enjoy more then watching colts like QR, Ghostzapper, and the fillies Ruffian, and RA who can dominate on the lead.....that is my kinda Horse!. That is a terrible way for him to go into Retirement.
i think zenyatta is a little overstated here.. i like and would like to see her 20 for 20 BUT she has never ran against this high caliber of a field.... quality road is more of a sprinter Blame over took him in the whitney.. blame has a hard time catching the lead if they get away BUT he really opens up half way down the stretch which is good for head to head duals.lookin at lucky has great stretch recovery but seems to struggle in my opinion.QR will burn out BL LAL and Z will be at the wire...
Pletcher should have entered QR in the Dirt Mile, this horse does not want any part of 1 q/4, none. He had a 48 opening half in the Whitney at 1 1/8th and still could not hold off Blame. At 1 1/4 he'll be done by the time he reaches the toip of the Churchill stretch. Pletchers a fool.
@danylson10- You dont break Legendary Horses track records by burning out in the last 1/4 mile. at 10 furlongs if he puts in a 46: and change 1/2 mile alone on the lead he has a chance to win. but if he goes faster than 46 fighting another horse for 6 furlongs his lungs will explode at the 1/4 pole its been proven he has no kick at 9 furlongs if someone is on his ass. quality road is J&H personality. not a true classic horse. Dirt mile a win. BCC 5th or 6th. as for BIG RED's record hell no.
you all guys are something something.......yeah youre all right this horse is very good but the problem is todd pletcher he dont know how to handle a really good horse as u all knew that he has a lot of good horse but when it comes to a big race they're not there u know why they r injured nyahhhhhhhhhhh fool trainer pletcher i hope this is the 1 who can beat zenyata in the bc classic 2010 in kentucky lets see what he got in november ok folks...........nobody beats the queen at this point
Quality Road lost because Velasquez was lally gagging!!!at the turn the horse thinks the race is over and so those the Jockey!! Quality Road should have won this race, Saratoga the graveyard of Champions!!!european and mil,please
@MrILikebigasses Carrying five less pounds. Today Blame isn't running against Quality Road and it's no surprise because every horse will be carrying 126 pounds. The connections know they cant beat Quality Road on equal terms. Quality will Romp home today by at least 2+ lengths.
@MrILikebigasses Carrying five less pounds. Today Blame isn't running against Quality Road and it's no surprise because every horse will be carrying 126 pounds. The connections know they cant beat Quality Road on equal terms. Quality will Romp home today by at least 2+ lengths.
I just played Ghostzapper's Met mile and this one at the same time and Quality Road beat Ghostzapper by almost two lenghts, Quality Road was flying that day!!!
@danylson10 Don't compare Quality Road to Ghostzapper. That's simply ridiculous. Ghostzapper won that race without really being asked. You sound silly.
Musket Man is game isnt he? He was really trying super hard to reel in QR there. Not convinced QR will get 10f strongly enough to win the Classic, but he is next to unbeatable up to a mile
@Gberet83: Wishful thinking on my part. It doesn't matter though. Wherever that horse runs, he will not get beat. TP has him perfectly primed. And what people don't realize is that he doesn't have to be on the lead. He can go to the front or sit off it. It will be absolutely amazing watching him for the rest of the year !!!
I absolutely cannot wait to see Quality Road and Blame go at it Saturday in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. We'll be treated to the two best conventional dirt colts in America in the same race, bar none. I give Quality Road a slight edge. But I wouldn't take Blame for granted. He's beaten some pretty heavy hitters himself. In the Clark Handicap and the Stephen Foster Handicap. Quality Road will have to work a bit for this win. Because Blame is certainly no easy mark. JMO.
I can't wait to see Quality Road and Blame square off at Saratoga in the Whitney Handicap. I'd give Quality Road a slight edge in the race because he's raced and won at Saratoga, and Blame's track of preference seems to be more Churchill Downs. But I guarantee you Blame will be no easy mark in the Whitney. Him and Quality Road are the two best colts in America over conventional dirt. Blame has only been beaten once in his career. A 2nd in the Super Derby to Regal Ransom. He's for real.
@GBeret83 Quality Road is a great horse. Blame's 10-7-1-2 record is nothing to sneeze at either, even great horses can finish 3rd in two of their first 3 races. I think Musket Man is live in the Whitney also... he doesnt win all the time, but in his career, out of 10 horses that have finished in front of him, 8 have been Grade 1 winners! - including the monster depicted in this video. Last year, I thought Pyro was one of the best horses to not win a Grade 1 race, and Musket Man is now the same.
I'm a huge Zenyatta fan. I believe if she put's her mind to it and really bears down, she can run down just about any horse out there. Male or female. That said, I also believe Quality Road is a lightning fast colt that could create problems for Zenyatta on conventional dirt. Because Quality Road likes to run on or very near the lead. But I give Zenyatta the edge for one reason. Distance. If the two meet? It will be in the Classic. Zen has proven she can win at 1-1/4. Quality Road has not. JMO.
I'll tell you what !!! Quality Road breaks 2:00 in the Classic. That freakin MONSTER will not lose a race this year !!! Todd Pletcher finally has that FREAK where he wants him. Track record in the Donn. Then a rest. :33 flat in the Met. Then a breather. The Whitney. Then I believe the Gold Cup. Then the Classic. Pletcher has this horse on all cylinders, and he knows it.
@jermocide22, I give Quality Road a slight edge in the Whitney Handicap over Blame. Because of front end speed and experience. But Musket Man made a pretty nice late surge at Quality Road in this race. If it had been Blame bearing down on Quality Road instead of Musket Man? It might have been a different ending to this race. But we'll find out Saturday how well Blame rates with Quality Road? I think Quality Road will win. But it won't be as easy as you think. It will be a real dog fight. IMO.
@GBeret83 I've got to call out your love for Blame, but don't take that the wrong way, I don't mean it with any malice. I just think he has to prove that he can go under 1:49 for 9 panels first. His last race says he can do that. So I don't doubt it, but sub 1:48 might be out of the question at this stage of his career. His Stephen Foster victory was quite impressive, he did what he had to and came home in under 12 seconds for that final furlong, HOWEVER. The notion that Blame would be able to
@GBeret83 ..run down Quality Road after those fractions with how far back he would have been is ambitious. Blame needs all the distance he can get to beat Quality Road. There is just no way Blame would have ran a 1:33 mile. I kinda hope to be proven wrong by the Whitney, as it would be a better fiscal gain. But it certainly wouldn't surprise me if Blame finished 2nd, 3rd, or 4th today. Quality Road is just too tough -right now-.
@jermocide22, Pletcher already announced after the Met Mile, and it was on the NTRA web-site. That Quality Road will stay at Saratoga this summer. He'll run in the Whitney Handicap and the Woodward Stakes before going on to Churchill Downs for this year's Breeders Cup Classic. So if Pletcher hasn't changed his mind since the Met Mile? Quality Road will race in the Woodward Stakes and not the JCGC in 2010.
@jermocide22, All weak long I've told anyone who would listen that Blame would be without question the best conventional dirt colt that Quality Road would face all season. If not in his career. So yes, Quality Road has been beaten by a colt just as equally talented as he is. I love both Quality Road and Blame. Many said Blame had no shot at beating Quality Road in the Whitney because Quality Road is just a "monster." Well if Quality Road is a monster, what can be said for Blame? Is he one also?
@GBeret83 So.. you're really not going to address what a terrible ride Johnny V gave Quality Road. Perfect pace scenario for Blame combined with Johnny V not seeing Blame in the stretch and he won by a head. If you look at that photo, the bob was beneficial to Blame to make it look like a larger margin. 23:4, 47:2, 1:10:4, 1:35:1, 1:48:1. You're telling me that Quality couldn't have run this today? Quality Road is the better horse. Still.
@jermocide22 What's your take on the Whitney? I know you are a huge QR fan.....should he go for the Dirt Mile rather than the Classic? To me I don't see how he could possibly beat Blame over an extra furlong, especially considering he got away with murder up front in the Whitney which I doubt will occur in the BC. He is a superstar up to 8f and theres no shame being a great sprinter/miler.....
Todd Pletcher's horses peak too early in the season, Example; Devil may care, Eskendereya, Life at ten. all these ran huge at the start of the year but
by the end of the year these horses started to decline. and so will quality road
After seeing Blame win the Stephen Foster Handicap, over 9 furlongs, with an impressive burst of speed late in the race to run down Battle Plan, I wonder how Quality Road would respond in a race where it was Blame closing late on him instead of Musket Man. I think the possibility of a Quality Road vs. Blame match-up, maybe later in the summer at Saratoga in the Whitney or the Woodward, would be quite an appealing race for race fan's. Seeing those two go at it would make for a great race. IMO.
@GBeret83 I agree. I can't wait to see those two hook up in the Whitney. Then, after that comes the Woodward and maybe the Jockey Club Gold Cup although Quality Road may not run there although I think he should. But, anyway, Quality Road and Blame are definitely the two top older male runners in the conutry right now and who knows, we could be seeing the beginnings of a pretty decent rivalry going into the summer and fall months heading to the Breeders Cup.
@GBeret83 My favorite year in Horse Racing was back in 1997 when you had that great rivalry between Skip Away, Formal Gold, and Will's Way. The three of them faced each other on four seperate occassions and took turns beating the other two. My favorite race of thier's was the last one in thw Woodward when Formal Gold just annilated Skip Away and Will's Way. After that, Will's Way and Formal Gold were both retired due to injury and thus, the rivalry ended. But, it was fun while it lasted.
@pdogmtp Yrust me, I'd never forget about those three. I was talking with GBeret mostly about Handicap Division though. But, that was a great year for the 3-year olds as well. Oh, and speaking of the Handicap Division, I forgot about Gentleman and Siphon out west in '97. Man, if all of those horses had made it to the Breeders Cup that year, it would have been the greatest field ever assembled. But, unfortunately, a lot of them got hurt or ill so, Skip Away ended up being the Last Horse Standing.
What will he be like if they run him back quickly? I think Quality Road can beat any horse in the world on dirt at 1 1/8 or less. Beyond that, who knows....but he's older, bigger and stronger than the last time he tried that; and he didn't exactly run badly that day.
@mvlach77, I think you're right. I still believe the only reason he lost the Travers and JCGC to Summer Bird is because they raced over an off track. Which obviously favored Summer Bird. Dominguez was all over Musket Man with the whip in the stretch. Velazquez hit Quality Road 2 times, and then hand rode him home. I really believe if the Met Mile had been another furlong, Quality Road would've drawn further away from Musket Man. I don't believe Musket Man would've caught him. JMO.
@mvlach77 agianst n3x or a other than hes a miler bro, who beat musket man by a length, atta boy roy has beaten the same horses and i dont here anyone talking best horse in training, or horse of the year for him?
@mvlach77, No knock at all against Quality Road. I love the horse. But today, Saratoga was as dry as it could be, and he ran against one of the best in Blame. That's the biggest problem I have with thinking that Quality Road will win the 2010 Classic. He's certainly a great conventional dirt colt. But with his front running style, and the fractions that he likes to set, I just don't think he'll last 10 furlongs at a break neck speed against Zenyatta or Blame. JMO.
QR just point toward the BC Mile. Nobody will beat him there. If he gets softened up early, Zenyatta will close and swallow him at the Classic distance of 1 1/4. Great race for him, very classy.
@Unbiased72, since the Breeders Cup races are going to be held on a conventional dirt track in 2010, the B.C. Dirt Mile would certainly be an option for Quality Road. Although I don't believe his best distance is 8 furlongs. So far in his career, I think 8-1/2 or 9 furlongs has show his best stuff. But if he doesn't prove he can win at 10 furlongs at some point in the season before November? Then the Dirt Mile would definitely be a great fall back position for him to pursue. IMO.
@Unbiased72 Ya, if he wants to stay perfect this year, he should steer clear of Zenyatta, otherwise Zenyatta will gobble him up for a snack. there would be NO competition
QR keeps getting better and better. He's a monster. If he stays healthy he will be 2010 HOY. I just hope Zenyatta will make this years BC Classic and hopefully race against QR.
@BetterInFull Zenyatta should, if she keeps winning like she does, she her connections will let her run in the BCC again, to gobble up the rest of the field :)
@mvlach77, I very much agree with that statement. Many were calling Quality Road a "one track" wonder horse. Saying Gulfstream Park was the only racetrack he could win over. Yesterday's win in the Met Mile now gives him win's at Gulstream, Saratoga, and Belmont. So that's one monkey off of his back. The other that needs to go is, as you said, proving that he can win at the Classic distance of 10 furlongs. Something I think he'll likely achieve at some point in 2010. JMO.
In my opinion, among older males in the U.S., I think today's win definitely makes Quality Road the best older male in the U.S. on conventional dirt. His only real rival, with a case to argue for dirt, would be Blame. Blame's got 5 win's and 1place in 6 starts on dirt. I think it would be interesting to see Quality Road and Blame in the same race on dirt at equal weight. Over synthetics, it would be hard to argue Rail Trip as the best older male in the U.S. given his last two starts.
The connections don't want to admit it because of the Life At Ten incident but his first week of "display" at Stud he still showed signs of the abcess caused during the race, many who saw him atest to this including I.
danylson10 1 year ago
@danylson10 - That is terrible for the big Fella. I hope he gets well soon.
Nucleo85Torino 1 year ago
@danylson10 - I say Jerkins NOT Pletcher. Quality Road was at his best pre Pletcher. Running in the Fountain of Youth(Run at a mile that year), and the Florida Derby ( Breaking Track records for both 1 mile, and 1 1/8).
Nucleo85Torino 1 year ago
An abcess caused his dismal result in the Classic, Still a Monster!!!
danylson10 1 year ago
@danylson10 -Where did you read that??. If true then that is a real shame for Big Beautiful QR, and MR Jerkins!. He was on the lead at the top of the stretch, and then Stopped. If that is the Reason, then thank god, because Nothing I enjoy more then watching colts like QR, Ghostzapper, and the fillies Ruffian, and RA who can dominate on the lead.....that is my kinda Horse!. That is a terrible way for him to go into Retirement.
Nucleo85Torino 1 year ago
Classy...Consistent....QUALITY ROAD!. A great Miler. But it ends there.
Nucleo85Torino 1 year ago
i think zenyatta is a little overstated here.. i like and would like to see her 20 for 20 BUT she has never ran against this high caliber of a field.... quality road is more of a sprinter Blame over took him in the whitney.. blame has a hard time catching the lead if they get away BUT he really opens up half way down the stretch which is good for head to head duals.lookin at lucky has great stretch recovery but seems to struggle in my opinion.QR will burn out BL LAL and Z will be at the wire...
RockLikeBoulders 1 year ago
Pletcher should have entered QR in the Dirt Mile, this horse does not want any part of 1 q/4, none. He had a 48 opening half in the Whitney at 1 1/8th and still could not hold off Blame. At 1 1/4 he'll be done by the time he reaches the toip of the Churchill stretch. Pletchers a fool.
bluetiege 1 year ago
Quality Road will come close to Breaking Secretariat's record and if he does please don't say garbage comments on this post Quality Road Haters!!
danylson10 1 year ago
@danylson10- You dont break Legendary Horses track records by burning out in the last 1/4 mile. at 10 furlongs if he puts in a 46: and change 1/2 mile alone on the lead he has a chance to win. but if he goes faster than 46 fighting another horse for 6 furlongs his lungs will explode at the 1/4 pole its been proven he has no kick at 9 furlongs if someone is on his ass. quality road is J&H personality. not a true classic horse. Dirt mile a win. BCC 5th or 6th. as for BIG RED's record hell no.
drfager01 1 year ago
you all guys are something something.......yeah youre all right this horse is very good but the problem is todd pletcher he dont know how to handle a really good horse as u all knew that he has a lot of good horse but when it comes to a big race they're not there u know why they r injured nyahhhhhhhhhhh fool trainer pletcher i hope this is the 1 who can beat zenyata in the bc classic 2010 in kentucky lets see what he got in november ok folks...........nobody beats the queen at this point
gantimpala2000 1 year ago
@gantimpala2000 we use punctuation so that our words don't look like some spit dribbling down a babies chin.
JockinAyder 1 year ago
@ebig who ran the faster time brain surgeon????????Quality Road not GhostZapper right???
danylson10 1 year ago
Quality Road lost because Velasquez was lally gagging!!!at the turn the horse thinks the race is over and so those the Jockey!! Quality Road should have won this race, Saratoga the graveyard of Champions!!!european and mil,please
danylson10 1 year ago
Quality Road = an eastern-hyped farce!
europeracing 1 year ago
Blame won the race. Lets stop with all this Quality Road being the best he is not. He proved it today. Blame beat him
MrILikebigasses 1 year ago
@MrILikebigasses Carrying five less pounds. Today Blame isn't running against Quality Road and it's no surprise because every horse will be carrying 126 pounds. The connections know they cant beat Quality Road on equal terms. Quality will Romp home today by at least 2+ lengths.
dubford1 1 year ago
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@MrILikebigasses Carrying five less pounds. Today Blame isn't running against Quality Road and it's no surprise because every horse will be carrying 126 pounds. The connections know they cant beat Quality Road on equal terms. Quality will Romp home today by at least 2+ lengths.
dubford1 1 year ago
Quality Road went down in flames.
Most Over-Rated maybe.
npspec34 1 year ago
I just played Ghostzapper's Met mile and this one at the same time and Quality Road beat Ghostzapper by almost two lenghts, Quality Road was flying that day!!!
danylson10 1 year ago
@danylson10 Don't compare Quality Road to Ghostzapper. That's simply ridiculous. Ghostzapper won that race without really being asked. You sound silly.
eblp4life 1 year ago 2
Musket Man is game isnt he? He was really trying super hard to reel in QR there. Not convinced QR will get 10f strongly enough to win the Classic, but he is next to unbeatable up to a mile
schardy80 1 year ago
@Gberet83: Wishful thinking on my part. It doesn't matter though. Wherever that horse runs, he will not get beat. TP has him perfectly primed. And what people don't realize is that he doesn't have to be on the lead. He can go to the front or sit off it. It will be absolutely amazing watching him for the rest of the year !!!
jermocide22 1 year ago
I absolutely cannot wait to see Quality Road and Blame go at it Saturday in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. We'll be treated to the two best conventional dirt colts in America in the same race, bar none. I give Quality Road a slight edge. But I wouldn't take Blame for granted. He's beaten some pretty heavy hitters himself. In the Clark Handicap and the Stephen Foster Handicap. Quality Road will have to work a bit for this win. Because Blame is certainly no easy mark. JMO.
GBeret83 1 year ago
umm, jesus...1 33 flat...? thats nuts...i wanna see the best of him this year, who can beat him at this point???noone...cant wait...
kadir1982 1 year ago
I can't wait to see Quality Road and Blame square off at Saratoga in the Whitney Handicap. I'd give Quality Road a slight edge in the race because he's raced and won at Saratoga, and Blame's track of preference seems to be more Churchill Downs. But I guarantee you Blame will be no easy mark in the Whitney. Him and Quality Road are the two best colts in America over conventional dirt. Blame has only been beaten once in his career. A 2nd in the Super Derby to Regal Ransom. He's for real.
GBeret83 1 year ago
@GBeret83 Quality Road is a great horse. Blame's 10-7-1-2 record is nothing to sneeze at either, even great horses can finish 3rd in two of their first 3 races. I think Musket Man is live in the Whitney also... he doesnt win all the time, but in his career, out of 10 horses that have finished in front of him, 8 have been Grade 1 winners! - including the monster depicted in this video. Last year, I thought Pyro was one of the best horses to not win a Grade 1 race, and Musket Man is now the same.
gregcz2000 1 year ago
I'm a huge Zenyatta fan. I believe if she put's her mind to it and really bears down, she can run down just about any horse out there. Male or female. That said, I also believe Quality Road is a lightning fast colt that could create problems for Zenyatta on conventional dirt. Because Quality Road likes to run on or very near the lead. But I give Zenyatta the edge for one reason. Distance. If the two meet? It will be in the Classic. Zen has proven she can win at 1-1/4. Quality Road has not. JMO.
GBeret83 1 year ago
I'll tell you what !!! Quality Road breaks 2:00 in the Classic. That freakin MONSTER will not lose a race this year !!! Todd Pletcher finally has that FREAK where he wants him. Track record in the Donn. Then a rest. :33 flat in the Met. Then a breather. The Whitney. Then I believe the Gold Cup. Then the Classic. Pletcher has this horse on all cylinders, and he knows it.
jermocide22 1 year ago 2
@jermocide22, I give Quality Road a slight edge in the Whitney Handicap over Blame. Because of front end speed and experience. But Musket Man made a pretty nice late surge at Quality Road in this race. If it had been Blame bearing down on Quality Road instead of Musket Man? It might have been a different ending to this race. But we'll find out Saturday how well Blame rates with Quality Road? I think Quality Road will win. But it won't be as easy as you think. It will be a real dog fight. IMO.
GBeret83 1 year ago
@GBeret83 I've got to call out your love for Blame, but don't take that the wrong way, I don't mean it with any malice. I just think he has to prove that he can go under 1:49 for 9 panels first. His last race says he can do that. So I don't doubt it, but sub 1:48 might be out of the question at this stage of his career. His Stephen Foster victory was quite impressive, he did what he had to and came home in under 12 seconds for that final furlong, HOWEVER. The notion that Blame would be able to
eblp4life 1 year ago
@GBeret83 ..run down Quality Road after those fractions with how far back he would have been is ambitious. Blame needs all the distance he can get to beat Quality Road. There is just no way Blame would have ran a 1:33 mile. I kinda hope to be proven wrong by the Whitney, as it would be a better fiscal gain. But it certainly wouldn't surprise me if Blame finished 2nd, 3rd, or 4th today. Quality Road is just too tough -right now-.
eblp4life 1 year ago
@jermocide22, Pletcher already announced after the Met Mile, and it was on the NTRA web-site. That Quality Road will stay at Saratoga this summer. He'll run in the Whitney Handicap and the Woodward Stakes before going on to Churchill Downs for this year's Breeders Cup Classic. So if Pletcher hasn't changed his mind since the Met Mile? Quality Road will race in the Woodward Stakes and not the JCGC in 2010.
GBeret83 1 year ago
@jermocide22, All weak long I've told anyone who would listen that Blame would be without question the best conventional dirt colt that Quality Road would face all season. If not in his career. So yes, Quality Road has been beaten by a colt just as equally talented as he is. I love both Quality Road and Blame. Many said Blame had no shot at beating Quality Road in the Whitney because Quality Road is just a "monster." Well if Quality Road is a monster, what can be said for Blame? Is he one also?
GBeret83 1 year ago
@GBeret83 So.. you're really not going to address what a terrible ride Johnny V gave Quality Road. Perfect pace scenario for Blame combined with Johnny V not seeing Blame in the stretch and he won by a head. If you look at that photo, the bob was beneficial to Blame to make it look like a larger margin. 23:4, 47:2, 1:10:4, 1:35:1, 1:48:1. You're telling me that Quality couldn't have run this today? Quality Road is the better horse. Still.
eblp4life 1 year ago
@jermocide22 What's your take on the Whitney? I know you are a huge QR fan.....should he go for the Dirt Mile rather than the Classic? To me I don't see how he could possibly beat Blame over an extra furlong, especially considering he got away with murder up front in the Whitney which I doubt will occur in the BC. He is a superstar up to 8f and theres no shame being a great sprinter/miler.....
schardy80 1 year ago
@jermocide22 I agree, but what if he goes against Zenyatta in the Breeders cup? He'll have NO CHANCES against her...
ginita105 1 year ago
@ginita105
No chances? My ass.. This time its at Churchill...On REAL DIRT... Quality Road is a beast, Bring on Zenyatta :D
queenluciaa 1 year ago
@queenluciaa
Todd Pletcher's horses peak too early in the season, Example; Devil may care, Eskendereya, Life at ten. all these ran huge at the start of the year but
by the end of the year these horses started to decline. and so will quality road
1800s 1 year ago
@queenluciaa Ehehe, we'll see about that :D
ginita105 1 year ago
I would like to see Quality Road in Breeders Cup Mile against Goldikova. That would be a great race.
pleasantcolony 1 year ago
@pleasantcolony If QR was a turf horse, haha.
eblp4life 1 year ago
After seeing Blame win the Stephen Foster Handicap, over 9 furlongs, with an impressive burst of speed late in the race to run down Battle Plan, I wonder how Quality Road would respond in a race where it was Blame closing late on him instead of Musket Man. I think the possibility of a Quality Road vs. Blame match-up, maybe later in the summer at Saratoga in the Whitney or the Woodward, would be quite an appealing race for race fan's. Seeing those two go at it would make for a great race. IMO.
GBeret83 1 year ago
@GBeret83 I agree. I can't wait to see those two hook up in the Whitney. Then, after that comes the Woodward and maybe the Jockey Club Gold Cup although Quality Road may not run there although I think he should. But, anyway, Quality Road and Blame are definitely the two top older male runners in the conutry right now and who knows, we could be seeing the beginnings of a pretty decent rivalry going into the summer and fall months heading to the Breeders Cup.
shooter297 1 year ago
@GBeret83 My favorite year in Horse Racing was back in 1997 when you had that great rivalry between Skip Away, Formal Gold, and Will's Way. The three of them faced each other on four seperate occassions and took turns beating the other two. My favorite race of thier's was the last one in thw Woodward when Formal Gold just annilated Skip Away and Will's Way. After that, Will's Way and Formal Gold were both retired due to injury and thus, the rivalry ended. But, it was fun while it lasted.
shooter297 1 year ago
@shooter297 Great year. Don't forget Silver Charm, Freehouse and Touch Gold. Pretty good rivalry there too.
pdogmtp 1 year ago
@pdogmtp Yrust me, I'd never forget about those three. I was talking with GBeret mostly about Handicap Division though. But, that was a great year for the 3-year olds as well. Oh, and speaking of the Handicap Division, I forgot about Gentleman and Siphon out west in '97. Man, if all of those horses had made it to the Breeders Cup that year, it would have been the greatest field ever assembled. But, unfortunately, a lot of them got hurt or ill so, Skip Away ended up being the Last Horse Standing.
shooter297 1 year ago
What will he be like if they run him back quickly? I think Quality Road can beat any horse in the world on dirt at 1 1/8 or less. Beyond that, who knows....but he's older, bigger and stronger than the last time he tried that; and he didn't exactly run badly that day.
panhandleman2 1 year ago
I think on a dry track QR can win at 1 1/4 against the best.
mvlach77 1 year ago
@mvlach77, I think you're right. I still believe the only reason he lost the Travers and JCGC to Summer Bird is because they raced over an off track. Which obviously favored Summer Bird. Dominguez was all over Musket Man with the whip in the stretch. Velazquez hit Quality Road 2 times, and then hand rode him home. I really believe if the Met Mile had been another furlong, Quality Road would've drawn further away from Musket Man. I don't believe Musket Man would've caught him. JMO.
GBeret83 1 year ago
@mvlach77 agianst n3x or a other than hes a miler bro, who beat musket man by a length, atta boy roy has beaten the same horses and i dont here anyone talking best horse in training, or horse of the year for him?
flipthepenny 1 year ago
@mvlach77, No knock at all against Quality Road. I love the horse. But today, Saratoga was as dry as it could be, and he ran against one of the best in Blame. That's the biggest problem I have with thinking that Quality Road will win the 2010 Classic. He's certainly a great conventional dirt colt. But with his front running style, and the fractions that he likes to set, I just don't think he'll last 10 furlongs at a break neck speed against Zenyatta or Blame. JMO.
GBeret83 1 year ago
QR just point toward the BC Mile. Nobody will beat him there. If he gets softened up early, Zenyatta will close and swallow him at the Classic distance of 1 1/4. Great race for him, very classy.
Unbiased72 1 year ago
@Unbiased72, since the Breeders Cup races are going to be held on a conventional dirt track in 2010, the B.C. Dirt Mile would certainly be an option for Quality Road. Although I don't believe his best distance is 8 furlongs. So far in his career, I think 8-1/2 or 9 furlongs has show his best stuff. But if he doesn't prove he can win at 10 furlongs at some point in the season before November? Then the Dirt Mile would definitely be a great fall back position for him to pursue. IMO.
GBeret83 1 year ago
@Unbiased72 Ya, if he wants to stay perfect this year, he should steer clear of Zenyatta, otherwise Zenyatta will gobble him up for a snack. there would be NO competition
ZenyattaFanantic 1 year ago
QR keeps getting better and better. He's a monster. If he stays healthy he will be 2010 HOY. I just hope Zenyatta will make this years BC Classic and hopefully race against QR.
BetterInFull 1 year ago
@BetterInFull Zenyatta should, if she keeps winning like she does, she her connections will let her run in the BCC again, to gobble up the rest of the field :)
ZenyattaFanantic 1 year ago
ran a 114 beyer.
buckywaters 1 year ago
Fair enough. He did run a 110 Beyer in defeat in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at a 1 1/4. But yes he needs to win at that distance.
mvlach77 1 year ago
@mvlach77, I very much agree with that statement. Many were calling Quality Road a "one track" wonder horse. Saying Gulfstream Park was the only racetrack he could win over. Yesterday's win in the Met Mile now gives him win's at Gulstream, Saratoga, and Belmont. So that's one monkey off of his back. The other that needs to go is, as you said, proving that he can win at the Classic distance of 10 furlongs. Something I think he'll likely achieve at some point in 2010. JMO.
GBeret83 1 year ago
Anyone know the Beyer figure for QR?
mvlach77 1 year ago
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GBeret83 1 year ago
Quality Road is reminding me of Ghostzapper.
mvlach77 1 year ago
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GBeret83 1 year ago
@mvlach77 me too, that was the worst handicap divisional year between 1999 and 2005!
flipthepenny 1 year ago
Tom Durkin the BEST.
21Sarabi 1 year ago
Tom Durkin is the best announcer in the world, and Quality Road is something, 1:33 for a mile.
flylion132 1 year ago
@flylion132 Tom Durkin sucks and he is a fat sack of shit!!!!
leroythedolphin 1 year ago
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GBeret83 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
this guy is just lousy at calling races
ghostzapper2006 1 year ago
In my opinion, among older males in the U.S., I think today's win definitely makes Quality Road the best older male in the U.S. on conventional dirt. His only real rival, with a case to argue for dirt, would be Blame. Blame's got 5 win's and 1place in 6 starts on dirt. I think it would be interesting to see Quality Road and Blame in the same race on dirt at equal weight. Over synthetics, it would be hard to argue Rail Trip as the best older male in the U.S. given his last two starts.
GBeret83 1 year ago