rossington

Frankly, I'm starting to believe that Sir Henry Cecil is coddling Frankel a bit too much. His younger full brother with the very same, identical pedigree of Frankel has run 4 straight outstanding races now in listed in group stakes company. 2 at 10f and 2 at 12f. Winning the G3 Gordon Stakes today at 12f, and not finishing worse than 2nd in any of the 4. Honestly, I don't think Frankel should even be running in the Sussex Stakes this year. He should really already have at least one race under his belt by now at 10f. Either the G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Ascot or the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, and Cecil should be thinking ahead to the next 10f target like the upcoming G1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York in August. But TJMO.

Hats off to the Ramsey's for sending over some of the turf horses in their yard to compete in some of the stakes races in the UK on turf this season. Big Blue Kitten in the G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes, and Hyper has now run in both the listed Wolferton Handicap at Ascot and the listed Steventon Stakes at Newbury. Hyper's 9th of 13 finish in the Wolferton Handicap is really a bit deceiving. because there was only about 3-1/2 to 4 lengths that separated the top 9 horses in that race. He ran pretty poorly at Newbury however in the Steventon Stakes. Finishing a well beaten last of 7. But in fairness to Hyper, it was on very soft, testing ground that day.

@topgunmail, I think your BC Classic picks are spot on!! I have it as So You Think to win, Flat Out to place, and Havre De Grace to show. I'm gonna box that tri-fecta!!

So You Think to win, Flat Out to place, Havre De Grace to show, and box the tri-fecta!! JMO.

I've read a ton of comments, primarily from fan's in Europe, saying that So You Think is over-hyped. Over-hyped, maybe? But not overrated as far as I'm concerned. I'll take this horse's underachievement's any day of the week!! 3 G1 stakes win's in his first season in Europe. Plus, 2 G1 stakes 2nd's at Ascot. Beaten less than a half-length in both races. Not to mention a hugely creditable Arc 4th. Lest we forget, Danedream and Cirrus Des Aigles both set track records in the Arc and Champion Stakes. Now, I believe he has a very legit chance of finishing his 2011 season with a win in the BC Classic here in America, still yet. A lot of people say he's being over-raced. By the time he run's in the Classic, he will have run in the Arc, Champion Stakes, and BC Classic over a 5 week span. Last season in Australia, So You Think won the G1 Cox Plate on 10-23 and the G1 Mackinnon Stakes on 10-30. Both over 1-1/4. Then he finished 3rd, 3 days later, in the G1 Melbourne Cup over 2 miles. That's 3 G1 races in 10 days. So I doubt running 3 G1 races over 5 weeks will effect this horse in the least. TJMO.

@ruhlmann, The same Cirrus Des Aigles who confirmed he's having the best season of his career in 2011 by holding off So You Think by a half-length to win the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

Sad, sad news!! One of the all-time great American thoroughbred's, indeed!!

@ZenyattaFanatic, AMEN!! I just watched a story on HRTV recently about Ferdinand, and I still get enraged every time I hear them talk about Ferdinand having been sent to slaughter somewhere in northern Japan. Horses that win our Kentucky Derby's and BC Classic's are our national treasures, and deserved to be treated as such. With at the very least, a retirement due a king at the Kentucky Horse Park. Not sent off by the Japanese to be made into dog food. TJMO.

I haven't heard officially one way or the other if Henry Cecil and Prince Khalid Abdullah intend to make the trek to Churchill Downs with Frankel in 3 weeks time for the BC Mile or not? But regardless whether Frankel shows up for the race or not? He's left little doubt that he's the best turf miler in the world by a street this year. If he does show up for the BC Mile? My advise to everyone is to lump on big. Because with no disrespect intended to Goldikova or Freddie Head, Frankel could likely stop halfway through the race to take a p-ss, and still beat Goldikova with a fare bit in hand. TJMO.

When did this come about, all of a sudden? Henry Cecil and Khalid Abdulla have been repeatedly saying for month's that Frankel will not come to Churchill Downs for this year's BC Mile. But that he will race again as a 4yr.old, and may come to Santa Anita for the 2012 Breeders Cup races. That's been Cecil's and Abdullah's stock answer for most of the season when ask about the possibility of Frankel running against Goldikova in this year's BC Mile? Don't get me wrong. I'm happy as can be to be reading this!! I'm just surprised to be reading it. I had already come to the conclusion that Khalid Abdullah's 3yr.old colt in France, Mutual Trust, was likely going to be Juddmonte Farms representative in this year's BC Mile. I can tell you this much. If Frankel does run in the BC Mile? Goldikova's bid for a 4th straight win in the race is all over but the crying!! Because no one is going to beat Frankel at a mile. TJMO.