#samraat

[thelookofeagles]

Sammy, you were a complete and utter disaster from start to finish today, but I love you forever big guy. Maybe next time don’t bust out of the gate before everyone else, rear, and then completely not run in the race, you goof <3

[footballscoreslive]

Samraat ‘All Systems Go’ For Woodward Off Eight-Week Break Trainer Rick Violette plays with Woodward entrant Samraat Monday morning at Saratoga Grade 2 Suburban Handicap runner-up Samraat remains on track for the Grade 1, $ 600,000 Woodward Saturday, having emerged from his five-furlong breeze this weekend in good order, trainer Rick Violette said Monday morning.

[thelookofeagles]

Proud of Mr. Sammy and a gutsy second in the mud in the Westchester. Good boy!

[itisallbarbaro-blog]

Upstart and Samraat are both nominated to the Razorback. I didn't realize they were even still active.

[thelookofeagles]

He’s back!

Just would love to announce that my best boy Samraat, aka Sammy, had his first recorded work down at the Gulfstream Training Center. He's been out for half a year after having a second surgery to repair a stress fracture in one of his front legs. As a resident soccer mom, I am incredibly relieved that he's doing well enough to be back in work. Go Sammy! You got this bud!

[ladyoftheturf-blog]

Belmont Contender: Samraat

Samraat edges Uncle Sigh for the win in the GIII Withers Stakes.

Pros: Already proven over Big Sandy, Samraat enters the 1 1/2 mile challenge of the Belmont Stakes as a graded stakes winner returning to the old stomping grounds of his debut victory. It was at Belmont that Samraat kicked off his career last fall with the 3 length victory that initiated the 5 race win streak that put him on Derby radar. While things never panned out for Samraat following his 2nd in the Wood Memorial and his eventual 5th in Kentucky, he has the full confidence of his connections going into the jewel of the Triple Crown most famous for its heart-breaking upsets.

A horse who likes to do his work on or just a couple beats behind the lead, Samraat has the perfect running style to be a spoiler to the Triple Crown. It's hard not to like the consistent effort he puts in with each start, and his evident desire to gun for the win. He is a hard knocking horse, and no matter what shapes up come Saturday, I imagine he will find continued success through the rest of his career.

Cons: A few beats before the quarter pole in the Kentucky Derby, there is a point where California Chrome and Samraat match strides, and are head-to-head as they charge toward the final turn. At that point in the race, Samraat - who received a similarly ideal trip to California Chrome - had no excuses for not taking charge of the race. The track was open in front of him, and there had been no major pushing earlier in the race to blame for delayed recovery -- the opportunity to win was there, but he couldn't take it. California Chrome was clearly the superior horse -- and while for a moment it appeared Samraat might hang around for second, he was eventually overwhelmed by the rest of the field. The gritty, dominant Samraat we saw at Aqueduct earlier in the year seems to have mellowed out as distance has added up. Not unlike Vyjack, Samraat seems to have lost the snappiness in his final turn of foot with the extra route of ground to cover. Can he return to his old self? Absolutely. But I find it most likely that transformation will occur right about when he steps down to dirt mile races, where I truly believe he is in his best element.

Pedigree: Samraat is sired by Noble Causeway, a 9 furlong enthusiast who nabbed second in the Florida Derby but ultimately failed to hit the money in the Triple Crown series. His grandsire is Giant's Causeway, famous for his narrow second to Tiznow in the Breeders' Cup Classic, and sire to successful routers such as Shamardal, Mike Fox, and Red Giant.

Samraat's dam, Little Indian Girl, is a daugher of Indian Charlie who is herself a victor at 1 1/16 miles. Indian Charlie, the damsire in question, was a Santa Anita Derby winner who subsequently nabbed 3rd in the Kentucky Derby. His notable offspring include names such as Uncle Mo, Indian Blessing, and Fleet Blessing -- the bulk of his offspring's success typically found in shorter, mile-centric races rather than true routes.

Conclusion: While without a doubt a solid, gritty competitor, Samraat's success beyond 8 to 9 furlongs seems to have a ceiling on it. True to the closest names of his pedigree, he runs like a horse who is snappiest going one turn rather than the 1 1/2 mile voyage of the Belmont Stakes. Though not without his strengths - running style being chief among them - I don't envision him putting in the kick necessary for victory at a distance even further than that which he has already backed out at. This said, I admire the horse's tenacity, and expect him to go on to a successful career at more limited distances once the carnival of the Triple Crown is packaged away. Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile? That's where he has my money.