There are no words....

[Fuguzzi]

Fastest 3 year old in history and STILL we haven't seen his bottom. Glad I lived to see a colt like this one. Awe inspiring. Glad he beat my pre - race prediction by a tick!  LOL

[SeattleSlew]

If they retire him after 3 yo season, he may not better the mile today.  I think he is a super horse (in the class of the top 10 all-time) but today was 90 degrees +, still wind and stablemate cutting the fractions.  Would love to see him race at 4.

[TimTimTimbo]

If they retire him after 3 yo season, he may not better the mile today.  I think he is a super horse (in the class of the top 10 all-time) but today was 90 degrees +, still wind and stablemate cutting the fractions.  Would love to see him race at 4.

This, but being they are or were going for the record, I guess it's a lock they retire him. Sad, but imagine how fun racing would be if these champion 3yold raced until they were at least 5. But $$$$ talks.

[Calhoun]

Fastest 3 year old in history and STILL we haven't seen his bottom. Glad I lived to see a colt like this one. Awe inspiring. Glad he beat my pre - race prediction by a tick!  LOL

Whoever you are, you're a great addition to Plop and one of the best and most knowledgeable posters we've seen. 

I consider you the Mr. Miyagi of horseplop.

A few questions:

1.  How much more is there to get to his bottom?  His last quarter ... to me it looked like he was pacing as fast possible. Would whip/other encouragement made him go any faster?

2.  Track/weather matters, right? Were conditions close to - if not - perfect for his big mile? 

3. The trip ... does he go faster with solid competition right next to him from, say, the 5/16 to the 1/8?

4. What do you think he goes in a Time Trial?  Some others:
-1965(?) Bret Hanover 153.3
-1971(?) Steady Star 152.0
-1980 Niatross 149.1

Going into Niatross Oct 1, 1980 TT, the any Age/Sex WR in a race was Niatross' 152.4 at Syracuse in 1980 (? I think)
 
Steady Star was very fast but certainly, by race record - not an all time great.

How fast would Confederate go TT? 

What do you believe Miki or Bulldog would have done in a TT under perfect conditions?

In any event, Confederate deserves our attention and if your time allows, please let us know more of your thoughts..

[JIDGE]

This, but being they are or were going for the record, I guess it's a lock they retire him. Sad, but imagine how fun racing would be if these champion 3yold raced until they were at least 5. But $$$$ talks.

Very true.  Retire him when he's at the top of his game -- or close to the top by season's end.  Too much of a risk to bring him back at four and possibly cheapen his value, in addition to losing a full year of stud duty.

[Fuguzzi]

Whoever you are, you're a great addition to Plop and one of the best and most knowledgeable posters we've seen. 

I consider you the Mr. Miyagi of horseplop.

A few questions:

1.  How much more is there to get to his bottom?  His last quarter ... to me it looked like he was pacing as fast possible. Would whip/other encouragement made him go any faster?

2.  Track/weather matters, right? Were conditions close to - if not - perfect for his big mile? 

3. The trip ... does he go faster with solid competition right next to him from, say, the 5/16 to the 1/8?

4. What do you think he goes in a Time Trial?  Some others:
-1965(?) Bret Hanover 153.3
-1971(?) Steady Star 152.0
-1980 Niatross 149.1

Going into Niatross Oct 1, 1980 TT, the any Age/Sex WR in a race was Niatross' 152.4 at Syracuse in 1980 (? I think)
 
Steady Star was very fast but certainly, by race record - not an all time great.

How fast would Confederate go TT? 

What do you believe Miki or Bulldog would have done in a TT under perfect conditions?

In any event, Confederate deserves our attention and if your time allows, please let us know more of your thoughts..

[Fuguzzi]

Hey Calhoun - Very flattering words. I think I better call myself the Sensei! Just kidding. My wife said nice ego stroke.

I will answer your questions in depth soon. Gotta run some errands. Look for an update later this morning. Thanks again! Btw I am not the "KING", George Anthony, but knew him well. Solid citizen!

[White Rabbit]

He hit his bottom yesterday. He will go to the stub barn with that record. That race yesterday was a TT , his stablemate put up insane #’s for absolutely no reason and he still didn’t crack 46 which is what they were after.

[dinkadoo]

He hit his bottom yesterday. He will go to the stub barn with that record. That race yesterday was a TT , his stablemate put up insane #’s for absolutely no reason and he still didn’t crack 46 which is what they were after.

Be interesting to see if there is much more time he can drop....  Yesterday was a perfect storm, great weather, fast track, stablemate to setup the fractions....

And I am not sure I buy into he was underwraps.... In the photo on the USTA site you can see Tetrick is fully laid out with the lines loose on hips.... But we haven't seen him pushed much this year - so who know's how much more there is.

[jupiter]

TT's are a thing of the past, worked for fillies needing a record to go to breeding shed and horses they just wanted a record on. Does anybody think his value is going to rise that much more if he goes any faster in a TT.  Also this horse is trained by the best at peeking a 3 yr old. If they have the ability he'll get it out of them.

[JIDGE]

Be interesting to see if there is much more time he can drop....  Yesterday was a perfect storm, great weather, fast track, stablemate to setup the fractions....

And I am not sure I buy into he was underwraps.... In the photo on the USTA site you can see Tetrick is fully laid out with the lines loose on hips.... But we haven't seen him pushed much this year - so who know's how much more there is.

I was there.  Tim was silent, shook the right line halfway down the stretch and never pulled the ear plugs.  Pelling warmed the horse up after the 6th. Jogged two miles and went a trip in 35-40.

[Fuguzzi]

Whoever you are, you're a great addition to Plop and one of the best and most knowledgeable posters we've seen. 

I consider you the Mr. Miyagi of horseplop.

A few questions:

1.  How much more is there to get to his bottom?  His last quarter ... to me it looked like he was pacing as fast possible. Would whip/other encouragement made him go any faster?

2.  Track/weather matters, right? Were conditions close to - if not - perfect for his big mile? 

3. The trip ... does he go faster with solid competition right next to him from, say, the 5/16 to the 1/8?

4. What do you think he goes in a Time Trial?  Some others:
-1965(?) Bret Hanover 153.3
-1971(?) Steady Star 152.0
-1980 Niatross 149.1

Going into Niatross Oct 1, 1980 TT, the any Age/Sex WR in a race was Niatross' 152.4 at Syracuse in 1980 (? I think)
 
Steady Star was very fast but certainly, by race record - not an all time great.

How fast would Confederate go TT? 

What do you believe Miki or Bulldog would have done in a TT under perfect conditions?

In any event, Confederate deserves our attention and if your time allows, please let us know more of your thoughts..

Questions 1, 2, 3 combined - I do not believe we have seen his bottom. To my definition "bottom" is not only about speed. It is about emptying everything out that God gave that horse, leaving nothing on the track. I don't think I have ever seen him extended. He paces himself off the gate, doesn't explode when tipped, he ranges and grinds and then hits that rarest of gears for about an 1/8. For those of you obsessed with speed, I do believe 1.45.2 is easily within his grasp.

Yes, yesterday was indeed a form of a TT and the conditions were idyllic. I agree with many of you that TTs are outdated and unnecessary ( good point about Steady Star ), a fast horse, not a racehorse, just like Its Fritz. There is sooooo much speed today and sooooo much daytime racing that TTs are unnecessary. Most horses are racing at extreme speed already.

I also believe that a Time Trial wouldn't do Confederate that much good anyway mostly because he is such a rare and unusual talent in the way he uses his speed. Consider, given the speed obsessed era in which we now race, the fastest 3 year old ever has no gate speed and rarely even brushes to the lead and doesn't dictate his own fractions. Absolutely bizarre, but that's what makes him so dynamic and commands our attention.

Side note - major hats off to a remarkable job by Brett Pelling. I always believed most horses run on 8 week cycles, good, bad, mediocre Confederate has looked fresh, ultra sound, attentive, happy and enthusiastic every time we see him for at least 3 months now. Brett might say this one is easy as apparently he takes very good care of himself as a horse.

Bulldog hanover - I must admit I found him mildly interesting but not compelling. Always B Miki - now this will sound weird. He reminded me of Wiggle It Jiggle It. Both very fast but at the same time looked like they were "under stress", like thay could come apart at any moment. Please don't ask me to explain, it's just a vibe they gave off and my intuition.

[White Rabbit]

Again, yesterday was a TT , in a full field 3rd over with numbers favoring the horse on the lead , he’s  not going to pace a last 1/4 in 24 n change or a last 3/8 in 37. He will go to the stud barn with that mark. Also I don’t think the Sweet Lou line is going to over take the SBSW stud lines in the breeding barn.

[Fuguzzi]

I agree it will be very hard to create a scenario where he or any horse in the near future will see the lower part of 1.45 in a full field if they race the way he does. But if he ever brushed off a wicked quarter, blasted to the lead hit that extreme gear and could carry it for a half, this horse could easily flirt with 1.45. Cmon , the fucking earplugs haven't been out and he is the fastest 3 year old ever and the 3rd fastest standardbred ever.

[Harness Stats]

I don’t think the Sweet Lou line is going to over take the SBSW stud lines in the breeding barn.

They don't have to.  They are perfect crosses and probably the golden cross of the future.