I don't agree that the crop is awful.. I would say its an average crop

Champion like string of winning maor G1's after major grade 1's ala....INVASOR?

LOL all three of them.

Hmmmm. the fields in the classics this year were awful.

Invasor's Career


02/03/07 $500K Donn H. Gulfstream Park 1 1
11/04/06 $5M Breeders' Cup Classic Powered by Dodge Churchill Downs 1 1
08/05/06 $750K Whitney H. Saratoga 1 1
07/01/06 $400K Suburban H. Belmont Park 1 1
05/19/06 $500K Pimlico Special H. Pimlico 1 1
03/25/06 $2M UAE Derby 4
11/13/05 $76.3K GP Nacional Uruguayan Derby Maronas 1
10/09/05 $56.7K GP Jockey Club Maronas 1
09/10/05 $37.3K GP Polla Potrls Uru 2000 Gns Maronas 1
08/07/05 $14.8K Cl Ensayo Maronas 1
02/27/05 $5K Lapsang Maronas 1


and that list does not include his Dubai Classic Win which was right before his '07 Donn making it 6 straight Grade I's (yes I know Dubai is isn't graded but it is one of the Biggest races in the world)

If that is not impressive than you are a tough person to impress.

Ask her about Mineshaft! :D

Invasor was a nice horse who had a nice career. You said "string of consecutive grade 1's" and he won THREE in a row. Nice, but nothing in the context of history and some of the great horses that put together multi year runs. Invasor lasted at the top less than ONE YEAR. Heck it was like 9 months.

I'm not suggesting that she's not a special filly, but isn't everyone getting a bit carried away? Putting today's race in context, she had exactly two horses to beat. The first was Munnings, a legitimate sprinter with whom Pletcher was taking a shot by running in a stallion-making race on a typically speed-favoring oval. When the rains came, Pletcher didn't get the track he was looking for, and over which Munnings was not likely to carry his speed 9F (and it will now be back to the original plan and the King's Bishop).

The second horse to beat was Summer Bird, who received a highly questionable ride from Desormeaux. Not only did Desormeaux take this horse out of his normal style of running, but he rushed up on the worst part of the race track. Off that trip, he'll be tough in the Travers, but he had no shot today.

Rachel got a perfect stalking trip on the best part of the race track. Since most media types declared that, if she won the Haskell (a premise that I don't agree with), she'd lock up HOY, I'm now sure that her connections will take the path of least resistance. I'd bet that she has two more races this year: the Personal Ensign and Beldame.

Do you really think KD's ride affected the placings of the top two? Summer Bird was running second either way regardless of tactics.

He won six in a row.

This crop is far from awful, especially in light of the class of 2008.

Probably not, but that was one bad ride. The final margin would have likely been different. As it was, Summer Bird had to win a stetch-long duel with Munnings to get second.

grade 1's?

his Pim, Sub, Whit, BCC, Dubai, Donn were all in a row, he went from Spring of 06 all the way to late Winter of 07 without a loss and raced in the biggest races. Those are 6 straight wins. no losses in between etc. 6 straight wins

Im talking about what was in the gate in the preakness and the derby.

You said grade 1's. Those races arent all grade 1.

Late winter 2007? LOL. He lasted about 9 months.

5 of them were and the Dubai Classic isn't graded but it's THE richest race in the world and attracts the best. So yeah 6

Yes they are

yeah they are

So you think he should have taken way off the pace and closed into what would have been pretty soft fractions on that track?

Paralysis by analysis... she ran a mile in 1:34 1/5 without urging when the other stakes mile splits were 1:37 1/5, 1:37 1/5, 1:37 4/5, 1:36 3/5, and 1:36 3/5. It was another incredible performance from the best horse in the world.

Those were wicked fractions. Check the other races on the card. Summer Bird was running second either way, he's probably the #2 or #3 horse in this crop anyways...