[dogdays]

It was unusual for him to finish so poorly,
any word on how he came out of the race?

[Mara]

I wondered the same, and I can't find anything. Last? He was never even really in it.

[Glimmerglass]

He's fine - it just didn't add up as his race. In fact his first ever off the board in his brief career of just 13 races. And so it goes for Quality Road:

“Johnny (jockey Velazquez) just said he never got on track, never got going,” Pletcher said, sitting in his office on the Churchill Downs backstretch Sunday morning. “He said he (Quality Road) was spinning his wheels on the track and was stuck down on the inside. He never got into a good rhythm.”

During the week, Velazquez had said he was concerned about having Quality Road break from the No. 1 post position. However, he did break well enough from there, but began backing up with about a quarter mile left in the 1 1/4 mile race.

“He has been so consistent through his career that it was a surprise,” Pletcher said. “It just wasn’t his day.”

QR was shipped without incident to Lane's End arriving on Monday for what will be stud duty. By comparison Life At Ten was pulled from auction

Multiple Grade 1 winner Quality Road will be available for inspection from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST at Lane’s End at the Versailles, Kentucky, farm’s stallion complex as part of its open house, which runs through November 14.

The four-year-old Elusive Quality colt, who arrived at Lane’s End on Monday, was retired following a start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on November 6 at Churchill Downs. He will enter stud at Lane’s End in 2011 following a three-year career in which he won eight of 13 starts, including four Grade 1 races, and earned $2,232,830.

[midnightride]

So does anyone find it ODD that Life at Ten, Malibu Prayer AND Quality Road ALL Pletcher trained ALL ran shitty races???? I mean MP and QR did the same thing..... LAT should have never even been in the gate.....

Not saying they should have won but really ALL shut down totally..... to odd for me!!!!!!!

Adding the fact that MP and QR are owned by the same person.....

[alter123456]

I thought Quality Road looked horrible. He looked thin, dull, tired, miserable. He just didn't look at all like the colt we saw in the beginning of the year. I was very sad to see him like that.

[Mara]

So does anyone find it ODD that Life at Ten, Malibu Prayer AND Quality Road ALL Pletcher trained ALL ran shitty races???? I mean MP and QR did the same thing..... LAT should have never even been in the gate.....

Not saying they should have won but really ALL shut down totally..... to odd for me!!!!!!!

Adding the fact that MP and QR are owned by the same person.....

Uh, Pletcher did have three winners.

[smilton]

That is the thinnest I have ever seen QR. He was very waspish. He did look like his normal self. Everyone is the box commented on him.

[haligator]

Adding the fact that MP and QR are owned by the same person.....

Hi,
I'm sorry, but this just really hit me the wrong way. Mr. Edward Evans gives his horses the highest level of care from the day they are born and hires the best people he can.

A regular poster on this board, Diana, is the wife of Chris Baker, the stable manager in Virginia for Mr. Evans (plus she is constantly rescuing/retiring horses in bad situations - she is a fabulous person who cares deeply for the horses and the sport). Chris, her husband, is a horseman through and through, and had a lot to do with Quality Road's career. I'm sure Chris would speak up if he felt something was wrong at any stage with any of their horses. Chris is a stand up guy and is an amazing talent in this sport.

So because two horses were owned by the same person and had less then stellar performances we have some sort of conspiracy? WTF? Plus, Pletcher had some nice victories during the Breeders Cup - it isn't like he was a failure.

Midnightride - I usually agree or am neutral on your postings but you had a big 'miss' on this one. Think about it....sometimes horses don't fire no matter how talented they are.

Hallie
Hallie I. McEvoy
Racing Dreams, LLC

[rcloisonne]

Hi,
I'm sorry, but this just really hit me the wrong way. Mr. Edward Evans gives his horses the highest level of care from the day they are born and hires the best people he can.

Fact is, the horse looked poorly and ran badly, your testimonial regarding the Evans' not withstanding.

[haligator]

Fact is, the horse looked poorly and ran badly, your testimonial regarding the Evans' not withstanding.

Hi,
As you know, most racehorses go through ups and downs, along with problems keeping weight on for some of them. Sometimes they train well and run poorly, sometimes they train crummy and run great. You just never know....

I just think that people judging horses and their training from a distance without knowing how the horse is doing day to day is unfair.

If you do see QR everyday I certainly bow to your personal observations. I really hate disagreeing with people on this board whom I like (like you!) - but I have to be true to what I feel. Please forgive me.

Hallie

"Fasten your seatbelts - it's going to be a bumpy evening"
Bette Davis in 'All About Eve'

[kcmel]

To me it seemed like a lot of horses weren't handling the track well, including Zenyatta, who took a loooooong time to get into gear. Her action looked terrible the first part of the race.

[midnightride]

I feel horrible for all of the Spring Hill connections... truly horrible....

I am NOT!!! insulting Pletcher or the connections of Malibu Prayer or Quality Road I just found it very, very odd reading both races results (and watching them) that both top class horses (that have I think run at Churchill- I think) both ran their races and STOPPED at 6 Furlongs....these were horses at the top of their game... not horses like Mine That Bird.... Top horses in Top shape....

I know all about horses not firing....

I just found it a bit odd.....that these 2 and Life at Ten all of which always show up to run all didnt show up to run on the same weekend...

I didn't think they would win but I thought they would do their farms proud and instead everyone was walking away shaking their heads...

Sorry if Hallie took it wrong....

[Lady Counselor]

So does anyone find it ODD that Life at Ten, Malibu Prayer AND Quality Road ALL Pletcher trained ALL ran shitty races???? I mean MP and QR did the same thing..... LAT should have never even been in the gate.....

Not saying they should have won but really ALL shut down totally..... to odd for me!!!!!!!

Adding the fact that MP and QR are owned by the same person.....

I'm sure they are going to drop oodles of $$$$$$ to deliberately have them run up the track.

There is ENORMOUS pressure to make it into the entry box for the big races. Horses that otherwise would have been withdrawn are often left in. It ain't easy getting them into the gate on raceday, much less getting them in at top form.

Chances are the only owner coincidence invovled here was a reluctance to scratch and not at least take a shot.

I doubt there are any black helicopters circling around.

[midnightride]

Never said there were black helicopters.....

I was simply attempting to state a fact. I just find it to be a horribly odd coincidence.... not implying a darn thing... just odd....

[keepthelegend]

I saw Quality Road today at Lane's End. He is fine although he seems very tired and quiet, borderline dull. His weight is just fine and you cannot see a rib whatsoever. He is a big horse, probably 16.2, and very scopey. It was a fun day at Lane's End and all the horses were pulled out for anyone who wanted them. Curlin looks like a conformation horse at the moment, very smooth and round and super sweet to all his fans who were feeding him carrots and mints! A.P. Indy has a lot of corrective shoeing but looks sounder and healthier than he did 10 yrs ago. Kingmambo is not doing great and quite light. I could go on about every stallion, but getting way off topic! Anyway to answer the original questions, QR is sound and just fine, but worn out.