You remember THE GREEN MONKEY don’t you?

Mr. Prospector does!

TGM ran a 1 furlong time trial prior to a Fasig-Tipton sale of 2YOs at Calder, Florida in 2006 that impressed a couple of egotists long on finances and short on common sense.

THE GREEN MONKEY, named after a golf course on Barbados, where his Irish owners liked to hang out, had zipped the 1 furlong in an astonishing time of 9 4/5ths seconds and impressed enough to cause a bidding war that made monkeys out of bidders to the tune of $16,00,000. (yep, you read that correctly; that is Sixteen Million Dollars!)

[ed.  For any unbelievers in the crowd, a recording of the auction is available on YouTube.com.  Here is the $16,000,000.oo Green Monkey standing at auction ...]

A gorgeous looking creature he proved beyond a reasonable doubt looks are only good in beauty contests. Running, a term I use loosely, 3 times at age 3 and mustering a 3rd placed finish before retiring to a Florida farm for stud duty, where no one is knocking down the barn door to breed to him.

So what is this old shoveler getting too?

On March 22 the Barrett Sale of two-year-olds in training was conducted and the stopwatch gang were at it again 3 days prior, working the sale horses in an attempt to impress buyers.

Oh Lordie! They would be impressed. Just waiting check books in hand.

A son of More Than Ready whistled 3 furlongs in 33. 1/5th seconds. Sold for $300,000.

Consider the acknowledged world record on dirt is 54.1 seconds by some nag called Preflorada (ARG) that 33 1/5th seconds equates to 55 plus for the More Than Ready baby. You wanna bet this youngster enjoys a long and fruitful race career?

Three other youngsters rattled off 2 furlongs in 20.4. Ties listed world recognized marks.

And here it comes! THE GREEN MONKEY syndrome!

Three colts and a filly posted workout times of……..(see above)…….9. 4/5th seconds.

A son of Stormin Fever found a new home.

Where? Of course, in the barn of THE GREEN MONKEY buyer. This time those money splashers just coughed up the sale topping price of $450,000, piddling by their usual expenditures. Mere pocket money. Loose change!

A son of A. P. Warrior stopped the hammer at $335,000.

D’Wildcat’s colt brought $200,000.

A measly $67,000 was tossed into the coffers to purchase a Holy Bull filly.

Gotta follow this group into their racing careers.

The chances of any of them surviving long and healthy racing careers?

This old weathered old geezer says “remote.”

Work that fast, that early in life and beware, THE GREEN MONKEY is just around the corner.

With the Kentucky Derby just around another corner Mr. P is amazed at what goes through trainer’s minds.

Dreams galore.

Sugar plums, mint juleps, dancing in their heads.

But many that probably will start in the race have little chance of wearing the garland of roses.

One such horse is RULE, trained by the immortal Todd Pletcher.

The trainer says his horse will run in the derby with no more racing after his meaddering 3rd place showing in the recent Florida Derby.

I’m okay with that except this horse will prove beyond a doubt regardless what his owner and trainer says or thinks:

The horses with pedigree to go 10 furlongs will be the contenders. That’s the general rule, pun intended.

RULE will be gasping for air with 2 furlongs to run and so will a host of other pretenders.

Too few of today’s classic race entrants are not being bred for such a distance and all the blather in the world will not get them 10 furlongs.

Plus U.S. training methods more often than not never seems to build the necessary stoutness, grit and stamina in a horse to run the hardest 10 furlongs in any race in the U.S.

You don’t win it with a two-year old immature baby working 33.1/5.

I still contend NO young horse should run until September of his two year old year.

And then compete in 2 or 3 races at most until year’s end.

Oh yes, I’ve heard the songs sung that owners need to get a chance to get back some of their investment.

If that is the case their investment surely should be in another field.

I am kinda’ reminded of these “Horse Racing Geniuses” …

On another favorite topic the cogs turning wheels in the minds of the bigwigs of the National Hockey League turn awfully slow.

They want to outlaw blindside shots to the head, usually delivered by a member of the goon squad, and have intended to do this for some time but…..

An Associated Press release said, “The NHL is one step closer to a new rule on blindside hits to the head.”

Whoopie!

They are taking the babiest of steps.

The HUGE and AWESOME task of making a final decision is in the “timing and details of implementation,” according to a statement released by NHL officials.

For crying out loud greese the wheel and make a decision you NHL bigshots!

It is so easy even Mr. Prospector can make it…….in 5 seconds.

~MRPROSPECTOR

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