I am posting comments from a thoroughbred owner who posted in another board:
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Impressions from CD backside this am (61 Views)
Posted by: covelj70 (IP Logged)
Date: April 21, 2013 10:46AM
So, I got to spend the Morning at Churchill this am.
Very sunny but very chilly morning.
For folks who haven't been to CD backside, there are various "gaps" where the horses go from the backside onto the track. The track folks typically call them the "baffert gap" or the "Lucas gap" based on which big name trainers barns are closest to those gaps.
For the best view of the breezes, you need to be on the front side. For the best/only view of the horses coming onto and off of the track, you need to be on the backside.
I always go to the backside as I like to see the horses coming off of the track and see who is holding their weight well and who is breathing heavy coming off of the track after the breeze, etc.
I was by the gap where all of the pletcher horses came on and off so I got a good look at the 5 pletchers and normandy invasion. I saw all of others on the track but I do not have really have a strong opinion on any others since I didn't see up close.
The two by far that made the most favorable impression were Verazzano and palice malice. Verazzano couldnt have blown out a match after his breeze and he is carrying weight so well. He is the best looking horse I have seen since rock hard ten and he is thriving right now. Palice malice is the other who really impressed me in terms of the weight he is holding and his coat considering what he just went through.
The two least favorable impressions were Normandy invasion and revolutionary. NI is a small frail looking horse who doesn't carry alot of weight. Tough for me to back a horse who's that slight making his way through a 20 horse field. As of today, he's off all my tickets. Revolutionary is another very light framed horse and he was blowing hard after his work. I wasn't that impressed. Overanalyze definitely lost some weight compared to last weekend when i saw him in Arkansas but that is normal and i will be anxious to see if he regains the weight by next weekend when I am back. Charming kitten looks like a typical turf horse so nothing much else to say there.
Hope this is helpful to folks. As i always remind people, don't put all your eggs in one basket and rule a horse out on what anyone is saying about how they look and train. I just try to find the ones I like anyway and confirm they seem to be coming into the race the right way.