should i nom?

[Danny Derby]

Danny's Rule #1 for TCT Hopefuls - If I've got a horse that I want to run in the TCT, I'll always do everything I can to set them up with a maiden win as quickly as possible. This means I'm actively looking through Week 10/11 races for a debuting 2YO and trying to find the weakest competition possible. There's zero incentive to run against other freaky horses in a debut race.

Danny's Rule #2 for TCT Hopefuls - You need points to run in the Derby, so winning stakes races is important. As such, there's no incentive to run against other super freaky top tier horses after your horse has broken it's maiden. Look for the most winnable stakes races possible, and not the one that has a 100 SF and 99 SF debuters in the same race. The exceptions to this rule are if you want to run in the Steward's Cup (which is risky), or if you've already secured enough points to qualify.

Danny's Rule #3 for TCT Hopefuls - Don't force it. If you're horse consistently isn't hitting the board and winning in stakes races, they don't belong. The best way to ruin 3-year-old campaign is to persist with an overmatched horse in the TCT races when there's so many other stakes opportunities over that period.

[Durzo Blint]

I'm with "His Lordship" above. He may have turned freak, but he hasn't matured. Putting him in stakes after stakes as a maiden is not helping him, either. He needs to break his maiden, get some confidence, get a win or two under his belt then take on bigger races.

I know its exciting when you get a freak, but not all freaks are freaky freaks - especially in the DR division.

When I campaigned him it wasn't as though I was just throwing him in stakes hoping for something to happen; I ran him very purposefully. I decided to debut in a stakes because the field was unfilled and he had decent works. Running a stakes in a four field listed stakes race wasn't all that ambitious. While his next start was a step up without a win, I don't think he ran all that poorly there; he held second before falling behind and all with a poor start. That inspired me to give him one more shot in a stakes for the end of the season where again, he really didn't run terribly. He ran in first all the way up until the last call when he was overtaken. If he hadn't bloomed, I'd likely give him a much easier season starting w a 3yo maiden or maybe an allowance or something like that. His campaigning could have been more careful, but I don't think it was completely tactless

Hopefully I get to see a prosperous career from him yet

One thing to keep in mind is that a non-maiden winning horse will have a very difficult time in stakes races against horses that have broke their maiden - this is per the Steward many times during broadcasts (Steward can correct me if I've misheard this numerous times)

[Carole Hanson]

"should I nom?"

You should always nom Ren, don't ever let yourself starve if you can help it!

As for the actual topic, I would also say nominate and I would have said the same thing as The Steward. He doesn't have to be rushed into the Derby, one of the later TC races could also work and he could also end up picking up nice money in a race like the Captain Hook stakes.

[Carole Hanson]

Someone's just informed the preps don't need to be nominated for. Oopsie lol

10 real life years here and I'm still a dummy!

In that case though, I don't know that he'd stand much of a chance even in a race like the LI Classic against the proven, battle tested ones. Perhaps the South American triple would be a better one to target?

[Nicole Marie]

Danny's Rule #3 for TCT Hopefuls - Don't force it. If you're horse consistently isn't hitting the board and winning in stakes races, they don't belong. The best way to ruin 3-year-old campaign is to persist with an overmatched horse in the TCT races when there's so many other stakes opportunities over that period.

This. I've got a stakes winning newly turned 3yo who has a current (2yo season) record of 3: 2-1-0. His BSF is nine points higher than Bohannan's best - I am not nominating him. I'm with Stormy to an extent where I will throw horses into ambitious spots just to see - and sometimes they've surprised me - but I'm consciously making a very big attempt to be realistic when it comes to DR Triple Crown races. I'll have a horse that belongs eventually, but I'd rather wait for that horse and hopefully just have a nice 3yo who is competitive in other stakes races this year.

[Ren Marston]

he won his maiden so thats neat https://www.simhorseracing.com/race.php?RaceID=1986823

[Ren Marston]

this guy just won a stakes, lets see if he gets to go to a leg of the TCT https://www.simhorseracing.com/race.php?RaceID=1994441

[Anthony Zappulla]

Nice speed figure!!