Whitney Preview | Barry Spears

It's a beautiful. Morning.

I think I'll move outside the world.

And just smile. You are listening to.

Rebo and Co here on ESPN 680-1057.

Now here's Louis Rebo. All right, get back in at Lou

City tomorrow. You just heard the ad.

They play North Carolina 745 pregame 8:00 kick right here on

your home for Lou City 680-1057 and the ESPN Louisville app.

Make sure you get in on all of that this weekend.

We welcome in our Fred. Barry Spears, it is time to talk

Saratoga. Barry, I have a hot take about

the day. I think Whitney Day is better

than Traverse Day. What say you?

Good morning. Put you in a terrible spot.

Oh, that's, that's, that's ouchy on on a Friday morning.

But I'm going to agree with you, Attaboy.

I agree, yeah. I love the four-star Dave.

I'm just I'm such a fan of that race.

It always, it always delivers. There's always great horses in

it. I I adore that race, the

Whitney. I think we took Whitney Day and

we degraded it more because we had less good older horses

running rather than what the day is itself.

You understand what I mean? So like the Whitney field

itself, getting an Arthur's ride and these kinds of, you know,

these sorts of horses. I know that was, but yeah,

winning the Whitney, I think it degraded how we felt about the

whole day in instead of just, hey, we're just waiting for

another good field to Whitney, which we have this year.

Yeah, absolutely. You know, the older horse

division, like you said, was kind of lacking for the last few

years. But this year it's back and and

we're getting a lot of good action from horses like mind

frame scarceness. You know, those horses are

hanging around and and getting to see them run against the

younger horses like the three-year old this year, which

is a pretty good crop, it seems, you know, should make for some

fireworks on Breeders' Cup Day. Yeah.

Should make some good times there.

Barry Spears, by the way, at Urban Handicapper.

You want to find him on Twitter. And of course, he'll be on later

this afternoon with me. He keeps doing these double

headers for no reason. I apologize.

SoCal Saturday's Grade 1 Clement Hirsch on Saturday out there at

Del Mar will preview that card as well.

The four-star Dave, though, we'll look.

We're going to look at races 8 through 11 on the card tomorrow

at Saratoga here. The four-star Dave is the first

of those races. It's a mile on the turf for four

year olds and up 3/4 of $1,000,000 in this one.

The Kentucky connection here, of course, is that Laganos is in

here at 20 to one on the outside.

A bit of an ask here, but we do see the return of Johannes, who

I voted for as my Eclipse Turf Horse of the year last year.

Barry, do you think he's got much of a shot here?

Is this a little bit too much of an ask on first run in 2025?

No, I think this is a pretty good spot for a horse like

Johannes. You know, the field isn't the

greatest field, but it's not the worst field either.

He's definitely going to get tested.

You know, I guess the question marks would be him coming off

the layoff. I don't see any problem with it,

especially the way the race kind of shapes up.

It really looks like it's going to be in Johannes favor.

There's enough speed in here. This horse can stay close and

and kind of out finish the rest of them.

But a horse like Think Big is really interesting.

I want to think that this horse is probably better at a mile

than he is at 5 1/2. His last race where he ran past

intellect and went for money was very impressive and and I can

only think that this horse is still improving and might be

able to to give a horse like Johannes a run for for his

money. But you know, it's still a

stretch because of Johannes. Like if they wrote, if they ran

this race Midsummer last year, Johannes would be 3 to 5.

Yeah, for sure. So it's a tough situation to be

in for the rest of the horses, but Johanna seems to stand out

here. Yeah, class wise for sure.

Think Big is an interesting 1 though, too, because you know, a

route that you and I see a lot more on that show we do on

Friday afternoons in California going Sprint, Sprint and then

stretching out to a mile on the turf seemed to be something that

he really liked. The son of Twirling Candy.

We've seen their kid, his kids do whatever they can be great at

essentially everything. And so when's that turf Sprint

at Churchill here over Derby weekend?

And, and, you know, surprising to see him stretch it out last

time, but seemed to really like it in the Kelso.

Yeah, You know, go back to your point on the Laganos, I think

that horse has a little bit of a shot to kind of get in the

picture. Doesn't like the win races all

that much. But I think the the the pace

scenario and where this horse would be positioned with hot

riding, Joel Rosario could get in the picture here at a big

price. Yeah, Laganos will be 20 to one

on the morning line. I think you'll get every bit of

that price by the time we get to the window.

Just no wins this year, but 3 thirds and a second, all of them

within a single length of the last three out.

Saratoga Derby Invitational is race 9 on the card.

I'm talking with Barry Spears here on Rabon Co on ESPN 680 and

one O 5 seven previewing the stakes races, four of them at

least at Saratoga tomorrow. 1 mile and three sixteenths on the

turf there. It is for three-year olds here,

3/4 of $1,000,000 in the Kitty here, and we see a couple of

returning these who tried the Derby, including Final Gambit,

who ran a very good fourth in the Derby.

They ran them again in the mat win to no avail.

Flavian Pratt picked up the mount then and kept it in the

Belmont Derby, where I thought he looked really good.

Comes back here at 6:00 to 1:00. But where did you end up landing

in the Saratoga? Saratoga.

Excuse me. Derby invitation.

Yeah, this one is another one that looks like there's a

standout in Hot to Hell. That horse is just class wise

towers over this field. The last three grade ones that

this horse was in. Any one of those horses will

probably win this race like anybody in that field and seems

to stand out. It's time for ratings are off

the charts and I think most of the Euros in this race should

have an edge over everybody else, even the ones that are

kind of higher on the morning line like Dwyler.

The two it was 20 to 1. Those two races at that force

had one both in France. The 2 French races were were

pretty good and then the German race the Derby trial was OK

should fit in a in a race like this comparatively.

Same thing with the 8 Tiberius Thunder, who I think might have

the best edge because there's not much speed in this race.

Frankie Dettori has proven himself to be a really good

speed rider and this horse probably will will end up on the

lead I think and might be able to control the pace 15 to one on

the morning line. You know, if that actually comes

to fruition, we might be going to Sizzler later A.

Little Sizzler talk I this is an interesting one too with, you

know, you mentioned Dweller, who's going to Dweller, Excuse

me, who's going to break from the 2 here?

Comes out of Bodden. And what's interesting is a

couple of years ago, remember all the questions around Rebels

romance. Oh, but winning, Does it matter

if you win turf races in Germany?

And it was like, yeah, that we're fine, it's going to be OK

here. G Wheeler seems to be in that

group as well coming out of Bodden.

Bodden in the Derby trial there. I interesting field for sure.

Are you surprised to see Umberto Rispoli back at Saratoga?

A little bit, yeah. Yeah, just with that's a big car

to Del Mar on Saturday, so it's interesting to see.

Right. Yeah, that's why it was.

It was a little strange in general.

And I think that morning line's a little bit high on that horse

in particular because it might get bet just for those reasons

you just mentioned, just because Raspoli is out here to ride,

which is really bizarre. So they must think highly of

him. He must think highly of this for

some reason, but we'll find out on Saturday.

Text her on the text line. Hey Barry, happy anniversary

yesterday. Hey, somebody's paying

attention. Thank you so much, whoever that

was. There you go.

All right, the test is race 10. Another 3 year old race.

This is on the Philly side. They're running 7 furlongs on

the dirt. Half million bucks in this one,

Barry. Another grade one in here.

Kentucky connections all over the place, of course, including

Barry. You know, I'm sure guys like you

who grew up at Saratoga, a little tired of hearing about

the Ellis Park 2 year old program, but graduate out of

that. Of course in Kilwin, the two

horse here, but also Echo Sound. Who will be the favorite broker

maiden this weekend a year ago at Ellis Park?

Ah man, Barry, this seems to happen at Saratoga.

We either get, you know, the graveyard of favorites or we

get, you know, just a bunch of Chocatoga kind of talk.

Is there a chance that Echo sounds just better than

everybody here? I don't think so in this race.

I hate to be the Debbie Downer for the Bluegrass crowd, but.

I see what you're doing. Both Kill Win and Echo Sound

seemed a little bit over inflated here.

I think they were coming off Perfect Trip wins both of them.

Kill Win at Churchill and the Leslie's Lady and then Echo

Sound in the victory ride, which only had four horses in it.

The Echo Sound dominated that race and ran really well, but I

just think that was a perfect trip.

When you see the speed figure, the buyer speed figure was kind

of high and it just a little bit of an outlier.

So I'm looking elsewhere. Namely the 8 Beauty reigns is

very, very interesting. Even though they were also in

that Echo Sound race, I think this horse just didn't get the

best of the runs and kind of got out quick by Echo Sound in a

short field. Beauty Reigns has the the chops

to win a race like this and and has proven consistently, at

least in the last three starts, to be a little bit faster than

these. It's just about positioning.

Bill Mott all cylinders firing gets Irad Ortiz.

I I think that's where we're going with it.

Flip to Irad on him. Ragtime will break from the

inside post Junior staying on that horse.

Do you read into that at all? Yeah, it it is a little bit

telling because right time, those two races were really,

really good. Both at Saratoga.

That is a rare horse, by the way, Barry, that is going to run

for the third time in the same calendar year at Saratoga the

first weekend of August. Different month.

Right, because Belmont Festival, then 4th of July festival and

now gets to run in the normal Saratoga season.

This is a very unusual Philly here.

Yeah. And and she can run, yeah.

She can. I I just don't, you know, I just

think that the rail draw is a little bit up against this

horse, meaning that she'll probably have to get involved a

lot earlier than she wants to. But with the pace scenario

situation, you have me and Molly McGee and the seven Artismo that

probably will be firing out of there and Ragtime could

essentially get a really, really good trip.

So I think that was a real player in this race.

It's just a matter of the price. Hopefully won't get that down to

favoritism, but I think we'll probably be around there for a

second choice. Barry Spears with me here on

Friday. This is Rabo and Co on ESPN 681

O 5. So we're talking about

Saratoga's card tomorrow. The Whitney will be race

11,000,000 bucks on the line in the one mile and 1 eighth race

there on the dirt. This is for four year olds and

up and a lot of names people will know.

Skippy, Long Stocking, Highland Falls, Sierra Leone, Disarm

White, a Barrio and of course Fierceness and on the outside a

little horse named Post Time at 12 to one.

Fierceness does seem to be the class here and certainly in a

race at Saratoga where he seems to run well.

Every single time we try to beat fierceness here, we lean in into

him. I want to try to beat them, but

yeah, it's going to be tough. It just depends.

I guess the gamble is where you think the pace scenario is going

to be. Are they going to be flying up

front enough for a horse like Sierra Leone to kind of finish

this off? And it could be because they

actually employed a rabbit here in Contrary thinking.

And there's another horse in Mama's Gold that's probably

going to be winging it. And then you add in Highland

Falls and it could get a little hot up front.

And that really favors Sierra Leone.

And it's tough because those which is like Sierra Leone are

hard to take because dead closers really have a hard time,

you know, between the traffic and everything else, they have a

hard time getting up unless it's under optimal circumstances.

Sierra Leone got those circumstances in the Breeders

Cup Classic last year. I don't know if this race can

produce that kind of speed for this horse to run them down, but

I think Sierra Leone will probably be the nod only because

he out finishes horses like post time the.

Interesting part of fierceness is he sets the track record at

Churchill over a mile and a 16th where they run a billion races.

Barry and the splits in that were 24 and 1 and 48 and one.

It's how he finished that set the track record, right?

It wasn't that he was doing what he did in the Breeders Cup

Classic, which you just talked about.

They were at 44 and four in that race, man.

I mean, he would, he did unbelievable work in that race

at a mile and a quarter. If that race at a mile and an

eighth, he wins. And that's why I'm wondering if

even with a speed battle up front, if it's just going to be

too much overnight for longs, for Sierra Leone.

I just, I don't know. That's certainly something to

keep in mind because, you know, fierceness has shown he can sit

off a little bit. He can be on the engine, you

know, he he just may get a great trip regardless.

So I I think those two are going to be tough.

The other horse that's really interesting to me would be White

Barrio, who might be the third choice but has the same kind of

running style as Fierceness. And if things go his way, he

could probably sit a little bit behind that crew up front and

even behind Fierceness a little bit and kind of swoop and get in

front of, you know, get the jump on Sierra Leone and I'll finish

that one. That would be, you know, seems

to be the plan. But whether he's good enough,

I'm not sure. I know he it seems like he

doesn't want to go this far. I would take him more as a

Miller type than a horse that wants to go a mile and an eighth

or longer. I'll be interested to see if

because they ran him, of course, he won the Breeders Cup Classic

at 2023. By the way, this is the the

spoils of riches that we have right now in the division.

Is that the Oh yeah, the last two winners of the Breeders Cup

Classic are just showing up at the Whitney, right?

I mean, this is this is the this is what we all want as guys who,

you know, as people that, you know, follow sport and and, you

know, watch it every day or whatever.

I mean, this is this is the race we want, Barry that that white

Abario is, I mean, the alleged 4th favorite in this race.

Obviously my frame's not going, but you know, third favorite in

this race. And he won the Breeders Cup

Classic and he won the Pegasus this year.

Right. And nobody even talks about it.

No one talks about that Pegasus dude.

Yeah. Oh, man, It's the good stuff.

It really is. But as we go through the card,

who's you? Have you.

You're going to land on Sierra Leone here.

Is that what you said? Yeah, I think, I think I am

because the I think the pace is going to be just hot enough and

and the last race in the Foster Sierra Leone kind of was into

the race a lot sooner. If he gets that kind of trip, I

think he might be tough here, especially with the speed up

front. Let me give you a couple of

horses. You just give me kind of a yes

or no on on winning Skippy. Negative.

OK, I agree he he is the best grade two, grade 3 horse I can

remember. He really is.

And and look, kudos to the group.

They that to their connections. They run them, right?

I mean, they run them and he's he's available.

This is fifth race already this year.

He ran 8 times last year. He's six years old.

God bless him because I, I love, I love that he shows up

everywhere. Three time winner of the

challenger at Tampa. Yeah, you, you, You know what?

When you talk about Grade 3A, Grade 3 champs, you talk about

skipping, you talk about the Challenger.

That's exactly right. Highland follows.

Yes or no? Negatory.

OK. I do think there's a scenario

where that horse gets a lead and keeps it.

I do think there is one. I don't, but I think it's like 5

out of every hundred races or something.

Mama's Gold yes or no? Definitely not.

OK, Sierra Leone, yes, for you disarm is an interesting one.

If it was disarm in 2023, yes, disarm in 2025, no.

Oh man, I'll tell you, if it rained, I might.

I might lean into disarm. Why?

Debarrio is a yes for you. Get up on a rainy track, Yeah.

Saratoga contrary thinking I'm guessing is a no.

Fierceness a yes. Interesting one on the outside.

Post time. What do you think of his

chances? He's the question mark because

he's run good races in the past, he's gave them.

He's definitely capable. He can run fast enough to win

this race. I think he just needs a break

here or there. He gets bet a lot too, which is

which is crazy. I think the entire state of

Maryland bets this guy every time he's out there.

I just think that's what happens.

I think he's he's just a cut below and needs a real good

setup which he might get, but I'm going to bet against it so

I'm going to say negative. Is there a world in which for

the biggest spots, especially Brittany Russell, should ask her

husband Sheldon Russell, not to ride this horse?

Negatory. What was it your your wedding

anniversary yesterday? Weird.

It's weird that you would have that answer, my friend.

Well, they. Pro marriage over here pro.

Marriage. Well, he's running for

president. He's Mary Spears at Urban.

Andy Kapper. Fight upon the socials that way.

He is pro marriage. So there you go.

All right. Your wife's not listening.

Don't worry, mine never listens. You're good.

You're good. I'll see you. 2:00 Buddy.

All right, my man. Thanks.

Thank you, Barry. There you go, Barry Spears down

there in Florida joining us here on remote code ESPN 681057

Texture handicap beings fascinating to me.

I see a horse and I think, Yep, that's a horse.

All right. All I wrote back was nay.

By the way, Barry presented by our friends over at AM Wager AM

wager.com, AM wager.com bet all the races in New York, all the

races in California, certainly in the Kentucky Downs meet

coming up, they're as well. They've got a 100% deposit match

up to $150.00 right now with our friends over at AM Wager am

wager.com.