Beyer: Preakness a defining moment for I’ll Have Another

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In his latest column, Andy Beyer lauds the efforts of both I’ll Have Another and Bodemeister in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes. The writer also has high praise for jockey Mario Gutierrez, and his ride aboard the Preakness winner.

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  • James D. Jimenez

    About time!!!!!

  • David

    Unless he bets across the board this guy must never cash a ticket.  Handicapping today’s (Spring) 3-year-old classics doesn’t/shouldn’t resemble analysis applied prior to twenty years ago.  You get a fast horse, hope you can hang and shorten only when all others are doing the same or be there when the race falls apart and you’re able to pick up the pieces.  Two things are apparent – Santa Anita’s switch to dirt is paying dividends and Bob Baffert has adapted to the new game just fine and is able to spot fast horses.  Now Andy (and Crist) please jump all over the rest of the (prospective Belmont) field and let us get off this 42-year snide.  Please.

  • http://Bellwether4u.com James Staples

    real dirt strip @ SA has done wonders for Cal Horses n the classics…period…

  • Guest

    Now I’m just curious, there has been some mention about how flair strips like the one IHA wears are not allowed for use at New York tracks. Looked around the internet and found an article that said that while NYRA may not allow flair strips, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board allows them under specific permission from the board. Can anyone here validate these statements?

  • wabstat

    Too little, too late.  Beyer’s column in DRF on Preakness day represents the low-point in his career.  To arrogantly insinuate that people who measured IHA superior to Bode did not understand rudimentary hanpicapping proves that the game has left Andy Beyer behind.  This is coming from someone who has read all of Beyer’s books and has made his own numbers for over thirty years.  I’ve been a fan and eagerly devoured all of Beyer’s columns over the years, no more.  He (and the other “experts” at DRF) just totally missed this spring and don’t have the class to admit their mistake.  IHA signaled at every point this year that he was a player.  Wins the  8.5F RB Lewis in 1:40 4/5 (BSF 96), win the 9 F SA Derby in 1:47 4/5 (BSF 95).  How fast did he need to run to earn a 100 BSF ?, set the track record?  Meanwhile, Bode wins the 9F AK Derby in 1:48 3/5 (BSF 108), even after cruising the middle half mile in over 50 seconds.  Does this make sense? Did Bode run 13 BSF points faster than IHA in their final preps? Nonsense.  Anyone who is a speed handicapper knows that the numbers get fuzzier with longer the distances.  Early pace and the lack of a solid varient at seldom run distances plays an increasing significant role.  The BSF coming out of California route races do not pass the smell test, and to have us believe that IHA suddenly blossomed from mediocre to champion between the Derby and Preakness does not either.             

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