The difference is you can measure objectively consistency and competitiveness. You can look at beaten lengths, or PPs, or whatever. You can see horses that are finishing together.

But how do you measure greatness? Using final times is elusive at best. Even the best horses are not going to run good times if they are facing similar horses w/ similar styles. The pace pressure wherever it comes, will erode a good final time.

Maybe that is happening here? Maybe Street Sense only runs a 102 Beyer because he was under pressure the whole stretch or maybe he was forced run a little earlier than usual. They set a stakes record in this race adn only ran a 102 Beyer. Maybe it is the Beyers that are messed up???

Again: BY what objective measure do you measure greatest or how good is a given crop? I wait with baited breath.

I think that if u are going to believe that there is greatness in this crop, u have to assume that there is a lot of it because none of them are stepping up and really separating themselves from the pack. I feel like it's more likely that there is no greatness in this group and they are all good and evenly matched than that there are a bunch of great ones. Last year, horses like Bernardini and Barbaro really separated themselves. Of course, that started with the Derby so there is still the chance that could happen this year. But as of this point, I haven't seen any of them stamp themselves as a great one.

We'll know more when they line up for the Travers.

it's only april..plenty of time for some to separate themselves and then get retired after having shown all they will need to show.