Most owners are silent as the grave when it comes to what races they are entering.
We are all looking for that small soft field with the big purse that we can easily win. So, we keep our mouths shut and try not to advertise our plans. Bill of Stonewall Stables and I had this discussion on the forum a couple years ago, and we agreed....there is just no advantage in letting others know what your plans are.
The reasons are two-fold:
- If another stable has a horse that has your boys number, you are giving them a roadmap to another victory. Not advisable.
- If you are actively trying to avoid a particular horse, you sure as heck don't want them to know where you are racing.
Common sense, huh?
I broke my rule during War Machine's career.
Brimming with confidence, I actively advertised where he was going to race. At one point, I offered up a $250,000 bounty for the first horse to beat him during the 2006 campaign. That was prompted by my utter conviction that he was unbeatable, and my desire to ensure that there would be entries in his races. You see, as he piled up wins, the size of the fields began to dwindle. I was actually afraid that a couple of those lucrative races might actually be canceled due to lack of entries.
By the way, Amanda of Bally Doyle collected that reward when Dancing Delaware beat War Machine at Hollywood Park in the Swaps Stakes during the 2006 season. War Machine looked flat and finished a dismal third in that race. Bombed Out from Bowen Lodge came in second. Before you ask....no, Bowen Lodge did not also collect the bounty. In my offer I specifically said I'd pay the winner of the race in which War Machine lost.
My point is, with a horse like War Machine during his prime, or Thunder Arctic, or A Bus, you can let everyone know where you'll be racing and damn the torpedoes.
For all the others in the lower tiers of talent, it's best to keep quiet.
Oh, by the way, did I mention that Nova will be at the Breeders Cup Sprint?
Dang! That slipped.....
I broke my rule during War Machine's career.
Brimming with confidence, I actively advertised where he was going to race. At one point, I offered up a $250,000 bounty for the first horse to beat him during the 2006 campaign. That was prompted by my utter conviction that he was unbeatable, and my desire to ensure that there would be entries in his races. You see, as he piled up wins, the size of the fields began to dwindle. I was actually afraid that a couple of those lucrative races might actually be canceled due to lack of entries.
By the way, Amanda of Bally Doyle collected that reward when Dancing Delaware beat War Machine at Hollywood Park in the Swaps Stakes during the 2006 season. War Machine looked flat and finished a dismal third in that race. Bombed Out from Bowen Lodge came in second. Before you ask....no, Bowen Lodge did not also collect the bounty. In my offer I specifically said I'd pay the winner of the race in which War Machine lost.
My point is, with a horse like War Machine during his prime, or Thunder Arctic, or A Bus, you can let everyone know where you'll be racing and damn the torpedoes.
For all the others in the lower tiers of talent, it's best to keep quiet.
Oh, by the way, did I mention that Nova will be at the Breeders Cup Sprint?
Dang! That slipped.....
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