Railbird 2004–2019

Whitney Handicap

In the Fractions

Handicapper Brad Thomas critiques the 2013 Whitney Handicap results:

“Nothing illustrates the weakness and over-the-hill nature of the handicap div like the unaggressive way speed horses have been ridden in …

“races like the Foster and Sat’s Whitney. No one had the guts to test Fort Larned in the former and Cross Traffic got away with a cheap …

“first quarter in the latter-effectively turning the 9F Whitney into a sprint with a galloping run-up. This decaying div is wide open …

“to any developing 3YO still ambulatory late in the year and to Royal Delta …“

Watching Cross Traffic and every other contender but Successful Dan drift, list, and stagger across the wire (replay), it’s hard to argue otherwise.

The DRF Formulator Whitney fractions:

Cross Traffic was given a Beyer speed figure of 108 for his Whitney win.

(Thomas tweets via @superterrific.)

Posted in Racing on August 4, 2013 / Tagged Beyer Speed Figures, Cross Traffic, Pace, Saratoga, Successful Dan, Whitney Handicap

He Was the Best

I’m heading up to Saratoga for the Whitney Handicap, which is a Breeders’ Cup Classic Challenge race and a stakes I best remember for 2006, the year Invasor won by digging in and outlasting Sun King by a nose. There is no Invasor in this year’s field, but the winner will get a guaranteed spot in this fall’s Classic, a race Invasor also won in 2006 at awesome odds of 7-1. If I’m missing, just a little, a horse retired more than four years ago, it’s probably because I recently wrote a profile of Invasor for Hello Race Fans, which includes several replays from his career, including — of course! — the Whitney.

Posted in Racing on August 5, 2011 / Tagged Breeders' Cup, Hello Race Fans, Invasor, Saratoga, Whitney Handicap