So much to share/say… First – congrats to Bob Baffert for the outstanding training job on Bayern — who may well be getting good enough to be one of the best of this generation…  This is turning out to be a heck of a 3 year old crop with CC, Shared Belief, Wicked Strong, Tonalist and a few other very nice runners from this crop.

Secondly, has it ever occurred to anyone that the trainer is responsible for how fit the horse is and not the jockey.  I simply can’t believe that Art Sherman — in his disappointment — starts to point a finger at Espinoza because he took a tuck and sat the pocket instead of getting out and battling head to head with Bayern.   Whether or not — if California Chrome doesn’t love to be sitting in the catbird seat — when the running came,  HE HAD NO RUN!  That is the fault or the plan of the trainer.  If Art Sherman — who was a jockey — thinks his comments were fair — I DO NOT AGREED…  I think they were UNFAIR!  But one thing that Art Sherman did do, was vindicate CC’s ride in the Belmont — in that one, he gave up his pristine position on the rail to take an outside trip that failed to work!  Which is it!!!!!

I assume CC was untrained and will be a bit more lively in the BC….

Thirdly — Untapable is unmatched in the filly division right now…

Today’s racing is full of fun and challenging racing, but all the commentary has to be focused on The Pennsylvania Derby…  and California Chrome…

The first horse to consider for horse of the year should be the winner of the Kentucky Derby.  That is because the winner of the KD has an unusually arduous road to win the KD…  In the case of horses who have won the KD and then go on to win either the Preakness or the Belmont, they simply become the Horse of the Year — IN MY OPINION…   Usually these horses are pretty much done after this torturous road —  again my opinion.  Here is what they have done, 1) they have encountered the best of the young horses — who are pionted toward the single race the KD and then toward the Preakness and then again toward the Belmont.  2) The carry max scale weight through every event 3) they are stretched out for the KD and the Belmont without any weight break, 4) they ship all around and 5) they do all this in just a 5 week period!

So now, CC has had enough tine fir a little R and R, so why should we not think that he has grown up, matured and gotten bigger — badder and faster?   I think back to a number of horses who competed successfully throughout the entire series and they win big races, like the Travers and the Haskell…   So I am not concerned about his returning race today….  I think he will simply blow these away…  IF there is a race I have some concern about, it will be the next race and if he shows up in fine fettle for Shared Belief and the BC — and runs a “really big one” he will be a great horse — IN MY OPINION!   Remember this, he was really as close to winning the Triple Crown as almost anyone – he was only beaten 2 lengths and had some racing difficulties that were not necessarily called for…  This is a strong horse who just loves to run and run and run… Candy Boy and Taptiure don’t appear to be competition for him — IN MY OPINION!