Anybody Else Have Post Pharoah Blahs

[afleetphil]

I'm having trouble getting excited  after we were on the top of the mountain with American Pharoah. Big let done. Gotta get back into it.

[Raven]

I was never on that mountain!
So count me out.

[Man o Taz]

Well, to put thing in perspective we were still 12 days away from American Pharoah's first start in 2015 at this point last year.

Now, look at what we have to be thankful for:

1. California Chrome has returned to the track and has two wins in the San Pasquale and a Dubai Handicap.
2. Frosted set a track record in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Stakes at 9.5 furlongs.
3. Donn Handicap winner Mshawish and Keen Ice will join Chrome and Frosted in the Dubai World Cup on March 25th.
4. Mohaymen was electric in a maintenance race which just happened to be the Fountain of Youth Stakes where he jumped to the top of the leaderboard with 71 points after remaining cool in the midst of chaos pre-race and getting bumped by an unsettled Awesome Banner.
5. Zulu showed his quality placing a strong 2nd in the FOY despite having to be urged at the top of the stretch by John Velazquez.
6. Nyquist is training well and still pointing to a showdown between undefeateds in the Florida Derby.
7. Cathryn Sophia was dynamic in her Davona Dale win where she scored a 98 BSF.
8. Malibu Sunset is moving forward with a win.
9. The Gotham Stakes is looking like a good field good with Shagaf, Sunny Ridge and Flexibility gearing up for the race.
10. Runhappy will be pointing to the Met Mile after the Churchill Downs Stakes.

[curtis]

I don't quite get the Mohaymen hype. He keeps running the same race over and over and over again. Are they sandbagging expecting he'll step it up in the FL Derby and then even more at Churchill or are 95 BSF's his ceiling?  I guess I see him as this year's Carpe Diem.

[Man o Taz]

You may be right. Perhaps this is the best he can do. But I think this was a maintenance race. He took on tougher competition and he still won going away. The Florida Derby will be still tougher competition. If he can work faster leading up to that race and compete in it (I do not think he needs to win it) I think he can have a good shot in the Kentucky Derby. If, facing competition that has caught up to him or is superior to him, he finishes in 4th or worse, well maybe the Derby is not for him. He reminds me a lot of American Pharoah with his temperament and Dortmund/Curlin with his blue collar get the job done - let's not make it flashy racing style.

[Zenyatta]

I don't quite get the Mohaymen hype. He keeps running the same race over and over and over again. Are they sandbagging expecting he'll step it up in the FL Derby and then even more at Churchill or are 95 BSF's his ceiling?  I guess I see him as this year's Carpe Diem.

I don't get it either, he's not that fast, but then, he may just be going to the level of his competition. No sense in winning by 15 lengths and getting a high Beyer when you don't have to.