Can Barbaro win the Triple Crown? no advertising needed
by Jibberish version 2.0
By Steven Nover of covers.com (has been covering sports gaming in Las Vegas since 1984)
Saturday May 13, 2006
Now we find out Barbaro is a super horse. Where were all the Handicaps to Barbaro before the Kentucky Derby?. Finally, atleast we have some maistream intrest in horse racing. This Barbaro could become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. But is there value in taking Barbaro at +$2.20 to capture the Preakness and Belmont after one Neveda hotel, Wynn Las Vegas, had Barbaro 18-1 to win the Triple Crown the week before the Derby? "Is 2-1 going to get you fat?" said Vinny Magliulo, vice president of marketing and corporate developing for the Las Vegas Dissemnitaion Co., which serves as Neveda's horse wagering hub. "No, but if you like him enough to win the Triple Crown then you have to love him as your key in exotics. That's where you'll make alot more money. Two-for-one to win the Triple Crown is an accurate price. You can do better by keying the horse in some exotics and trifectas. Sure he has to win, but you'll have the favorite going for you." Before getting fancy, we need to determine if Barbaro is the real thing. It sure is hard not to be impressed by his 6 1/2 length victory against a good field in the Derby. That was the largest margin of victory in the Derby in six decades. One person who believes Barbaro is the real the real thing is Andrew Beyer of the Washington Post, perhaps the best daily newspaper turf writer in the country. "In the wake of Barbaro's 6 1/2 lenght runaway in Saturday's Derby, superlatives are fully justified," Beyer wrote "Maybe it's premature to use the 's' word for the undefeated colt, but baring some unlucky developments, he is going to win the Triple Crown." Barbaro should be able to withstand the brutal challenge of running three tough races on three different tracks in 36 days because he is rested. It was telling that Barbaro was able to stay within three lengths of the leaders in the Derby when they were going near sucidal-pace, and still had enough for a strong finish with jockey Edgar Prado barely touching the whip. "It was almost a hand ride the entire way" said Magliulo, the former sports book director at Ceasars Palace "You only saw the whip a couple of times. It was pretty impressive. He's a strong horse. He's not like a nimble colt. He's legit." We've been down this path before, however, with previous impressive Derby winners like Smarty Jones(2004), Funny Cide(2003) and War Emblem(2002). We've seen two out of three several times over the last few year" Magliulo said "Going into the Preakness, I think this horse (Barbaro)has a better shot than the horses in recent memory that have come close." Barbaro is around even money in next Saturday's upcoming Preakness. Despite the quick turn around, Barbaro should be fresh since it will be just his second outing in 13 weeks. It will be the first time Barbaro has raced with less than a five week layoff, though. He'll be encountering fresh talent. But that shouldn't matter according to Beyer. "Barbaro possess a combination of speed and stamina that is rare in contemporary American thoroughbreds." Beyer wrote in his column "It is a combination that has been missing in most of the horses who have pursued the Triple Crown in recent years. Smarty Jones, Funny Cide and War Emblem all won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but, they were all sons of sprinters and their shortcomings caught up with them in the 1 1/2 mile Belmont." "Other Derby and Preakness winners failed in the Belmont because they were off the pace runners lacking tactical speed that is vital in the Belmont. But Barbaro has the whole package. He is fast enough to run with the sprinters. Yet he possess a strong finishing kick and a pedigree that suggests he will be even more effective at longer distances. Beyer goes on to note that the most extraordinary thing about Barbaro is his potential to actually perform better on grass than on the dirt because of his pedigree and his trainer Michael Matz, who is also turf-oriented. With three wins on grass already, the fact that this horse can excel on both surfaces, Beyer says, is an outstanding feat. "The last American horse who was a champion on dirt and turf was John Henry in the early 1980s. And before him there was Secretariat in 1973. His versatility gives Barbaro the potential to attempt feats unprecedented in the sport."
