Girolamo

gardenesque1 · Rip Van Winkle has run through foot problems all year, but in a wide open BC Classic, I want nothing to do with a horse less than 100%. · 96 days ago

cigar · Agreed! Nasty deal... he's one of those have to use, now this gives me an excuse to TOSS. · 96 days ago

cigar · Colonel John would need a career best race and it might not be good enough, but an on-the-board finish at a big price? Maybe. As for Zenyatta, a friend of mine posted this on Facebook: Bob Baffert on Zenyatta taking on the boys in the Classic: "It's a big question mark but it’s going to be answered. It’s a championsip race and that’s what it’s all about. If she’s a true champion she’ll do. It if she’s a filly and mare champion she won’t." · 97 days ago

Rossington · My guess is with Regal Ransom and Quality Road on the front end it will be very quick fractions. This could set up the race perfectly for a late closer like Zenyatta or Gio Ponti. · 97 days ago

Rossington · Both of O'Brien's horses, Rip Van Winkle and Mastercraftsman are for real. I've watched a lot of replays of races that they've either won or gave Sea The Stars all he wanted. Personally, although O'Brien doesn't seem to think so, I feel that Mastercraftsman is a bit more talented even then Rip Van Winkle. I plan to bet Mastercraftsman whether he's in the Dirt Mile or the Classic. I do, however, feel that Rip Van Winkle will be right there with the front runner's come Classic's end. If she sticks with the Classic, it would for me be difficult not to bet Zenyatta to at least hit the board. She handles the synthetics and most particularly Santa Anita race course as well as any horse in racing does. Since it seems that most good turf horses do well on the pro-ride surface, I also wouldn't rule Gio Ponti out of this race either. Beyond that, it's difficult to say. Einstein has done well here in the past having won the S.A. Handicap earlier in the year. Richard's Kid, although a longshot, has done exceedingly well on synthetics having won the Pacific Classic and finishing third in the Goodwood. Summer Bird and Quality Road are the question mark's to me in the race. Having raced exclusively on conventional dirt, no one really knows how they will fire on synthetics. If he does, I feel Quality Road may be sitting on a big race having been bogged down on off tracks his last two races. Colonel John is also proven on synthetics, although I think this particular group of horses may be a little better competition than he used to facing. All and all, this is a tough race to handicap with a lot of "what if" factors to consider. I anxiously await. · 103 days ago

invasor · In races in which there are multiple entries, they have carefully ensured the inclusion of pace setters · 105 days ago

Rossington · I say now or never for Zenyatta. If she had been entered in the Goodwood Stakes, Gitano Hernando or not, she could have won that race. There really wasn't much there to beat, imo. MTB who hasn't won a race since the Ky. Derby, Colonel John who runs well on the surface but is a bit overmatched in the Classic, Informed and Parading, whom neither have ran to par for some time now. So with Sea the Stars now retired, I say let Zenyatta run against the boys. Quality Road or Summer Bird are neither proven on the surface. Of the American entries, only Einstein may give her trouble. So let her run, so what if she finished 3rd to Rip Van Winkle and Midshipman. No shame in that. · 118 days ago

Medlocke · This was a race I really thought there was no way that Kensei could lose. But when he went to the gas tank in the stretch, all empty. Girolamo easily ran by him and Kensei didn't even have enough left to hold off Burley's Gold for second. I had seen Kensei run a few times this year and he's a big colt that usually runs big. But not this day. · 119 days ago