Regarding any Coaltown-Citation comparisons:

Coaltown almost certainly got to levels as a 4-year-old that Citation never reached in his career....and even though Citation was defeated in 11 of his first 13 attempts as an older horse - he was coming back off of an injury.

Here's Coaltown as a 4-year-old. The horse he beat by 7 lengths last out was coming east after winning the Santa Anita Handicap. He won the Suburban Handicap after that thumping.



Coaltown opened up 15 lengths and went on to win that race by 12 lengths to go 8-for-8 - he carried two bowling balls more in weight than the 2nd and 3rd place finishers of that race. He slaughtered some excellent competition in his prime.

With Citation - you've got one of the two or three greatest 3yo seasons ever. Coaltown is more of a Gun Bow type. Both are in the Hall of Fame ... both truly belong in the Hall of Fame ... but their greatness has more to do with a string of incredible indivdual performances than any long sustained peroid of greatness.

Jon White blogs about Kelso:

http://hrtv.com/hrtvblogs/index.php/author/White

:tro:

My attempted conquest of ancient China with Kong Rong failed.

Cao Cao - you slanty-eyed bitch.

Not only did Kelso won 5 HOY's from ages 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 ... but he captured the last of them by a wide margin over freaking Gun Bow and Northern Dancer in their only huge years.

Man O' War beat one serious horse his entire career - in a match-race - and that horse was battling injury and never won again. He wasn't exactly as fast against the clock as some might assume.

Citation was the most accomplished 3-year-old ever and totally great on ability as well - had they not brought him back off of a major injury - more people would consider him the greatest ever.

Secretariat's 3-year-old form had many great peaks - but also four pretty sub-par races for a horse of his caliber. Best triple crown campaign ever ... only Whirlaway's is even somewhat close.

What is at a peak is certain to decline. He who shows his hand will surely be defeated. He who can prevail in battle by taking advantage of his enemy's doubts is invincible.

Affirmed #1