Just like my buddy the honey badger, he’s pretty bad ass. Of course I just watched the video. I can’t help it. Rob, this guy I work with, all we do is quote the honey badger video. You can tell we have as superficial a relationship as possible. But, really, who needs friends when you have the honey badger? Exactly.
Back to Hansen, because, after all, this is a horse racing web site. Hansen’s Holy Bull was damned from the start as he stumbled was too keen to still press for the lead. He tired and suffered his first loss. People, myself included, wrote him off. How can this horse win the Derby?! He can’t even get the one-turn mile in sunny F.L.A. His Breeders’ Cup Juvenile win was chalked up to one great trip versus one bad one. He’s washed up. Then he did what any rational horse would do: he went out and ran gangbusters.
“He really took the step forward as far as maturing,” said jockey Ramon Dominguez. “He actually did it better than I expected – he was so relaxed. Coming to the three-eighths pole when he switched to his left lead and I got after him, he went on beautiful. He really did it as nice as I could expect. I was hoping that he could take the step forward, mind-wise, but he really took it further than I expected. Awesome. Galloped out like a freight train, too.”
The return of Union Rags to the winner’s circle in the Fountain of Youth energized the week of racing talk. The re-return of Hansen will further vault this class of sophomores forward. They were one-two back in November. Some won’t be so hasty as to launch Hansen to No. 2 on the their lists, but I will, at least for a week. Because that’s how things happen in this game—fates and seasons hang as delicately a dried rose petal.
Hansen, a racecaller’s dream with that white coat, learned a thing or two Saturday.
“Obviously, I didn’t like losing all that ground,” said trainer Mike Maker, “but of more concern to me was he didn’t leave the gate as quick as he normally has. But Ramon said it was no big deal, he settled nice and that’s what we were looking for. More impressive, he lost all that ground and wasn’t rank behind horses and settled.”
And isn’t that always the fear for the speedball? Should he not get his precious lead that he become rank with the dirt and the dust and the tugging at the bit for more rein. And those Gotham fractions were Derby-esque: 23.68, 47.51, and 1:11.79, and he just coasted off that like he’d done it all his life. Even more impressive, better than that, he didn’t lose his confidence after his first loss.
I don’t trust any prize fighter who hasn’t taken one in the teeth and failed to rebound, and Hansen did just that.
Brendan O'Meara can be found on Twitter and you can read his Mountain Home Magazine cover story about a real-life war horse.
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06 Mar 2012 at 07:43 am | #
It seems the Honey Badger “doesn’t give a *^&%.”
With respect to Hansen, Confucious say: “Many who form opinion about racehorse based on 1 performances, is girlie man.”
TTT
06 Mar 2012 at 11:53 am | #
B,
Even the honey badger knows that The “CREAM” always rises to the top.
Is Hansen the great WHITE hope for the Derby? Who’s the most famous WHITE horse ever? Silver(Lone Ranger) and Topper(Hopalong Cassidy) were stars on TV. I know the honey badger does not give two $%#@!
The greatest White/grey/roan racehorse of alltime might have been Native Dancer. He won 21 of 22 races, the lone loss though was the KY. Derby. His son Dancers Image a grey himself won the Derby but got disqualified after post race urinalysis(I bet even the honey badger cared about this injustice).
I was at the Big A last Saturday for the Gotham, took a newbie with me, the newbie said Hansen was the most beautiful horse ever seen. The newbie bet on Hansen, I didn’t, the newbie won, I lost. The newbie now says Hansen is a lock for the Ky. Derby. The honey badger should take notice.
In the WHITE room with black curtains near the station.
Blackroof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings.
SILVER HORSES ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes.
Dawnlight smiles on you leaving, my contentment.
Ill wait in this place where the sun never shines;
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves.
You said no strings could secure you at the station.
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows.
I walked into such a sad time at the station.
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning.
Ill wait in the queue when the trains come back;
Lie with you where the shadows run from themselves.
At the party she was kindness in the hard crowd.
Consolation for the old wound now forgotten.
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes.
Shes just dressing, goodbye windows, tired starlings.
Ill sleep in this place with the lonely crowd;
Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves.
06 Mar 2012 at 01:02 pm | #
Can’t really bet the farm after one race, but I think the Gotham allowed Hansen to show some maturity. It’s not as if he came undone in the Holy Bull Stakes. He led much of the way, despite the stumble and probably using up way too much adrenaline and energy going to the front like he did. Cautiously optimistic that he is the 2nd best Derby hopeful, behind Union Rags. derbydeals.com