He wasn't injured, according to Sadler, just a bit "immature," to quote him. Better to let him grow a little than to let him injure himself (like he almost did in his one and only start).
$100,000 Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III, Race 3, 1:30 p.m., 2YOs, 7 Furlongs, All Weather)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Papa Turf (KY), E A Maldonado, 116, J M Kasparoff
2. Shared Belief (KY), C S Nakatani, 116, J Hollendorfer
3. Brother Soldier (KY), J Talamo, 116, C Dollase
4. Kobe's Back (KY), R Bejarano, 122, J W Sadler
5. Golden Dynamo (KY), J Couton, 116, R W Leonard
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/81927/four-to-test-kobes-back-in-hollywood-prevue#ixzz2k5j0bnXK
His maiden win was one of the most impressive I've seen. He's going to be hard to beat if he comes back healthy and with his head on straight, because there's no disputing his talent.
Kobe's Back appears to like to run from the back of the pack (his start was fine this time), but he could not catch Shared Belief, who ran off by 7 lengths. VERY impressive start by the Candy Ride gelding, who will run in the Hollywood Futurity next.
Prediction: If Baffert sends out New Year's Day for that race, he'll be beaten by Shared Belief.
Shared Belief was very impressive, the way he scooted off from the rest of the field...Kobe's Back just didn't have the turn-of-foot to catch him in the stretch.
The question now is...how will these two develop from here? SB is by Candy Ride out of a Storm Cat mare, so he seems to have the pedigree to handle longer distances, but...the gelding is a small horse. Looks like a typical little precocious speedster.
Will the larger Kobe' have the better future as a sophomore?
That was a very impressive race by Shared Belief, though I don't think he really beat much. He still looked great striding out for the wire. Will he go to the Futurity next?
Quote from: peeptoad on November 11, 2013, 05:47:55 AM
That was a very impressive race by Shared Belief, though I don't think he really beat much. He still looked great striding out for the wire. Will he go to the Futurity next?
According to his trainer, yes he will. He could run into both New Year's Day and Strong Mandate, so if he beats them, with the 2 year old picture being so muddled, he could walk away with an Eclipse.