Who do you think is 3yr old the year now?
 

is there even still a doubt? does Barbaro still have a chance at it? Does winning the Classic matter at all for 3 yr old honors concerning Bernardini?


thoughts

Lawyer Ron

err wait I changed my mind.

Steppenwolfer

When you put the vote into the hands of journalists there is no telling what can happen...I know a few poeple who have votes who couldn't tell you who Seattle Slew was and they vote based on horses popular to their region....damn shame...

If there are any cuddly, warm-hearted journalists who want to vote for the story that has become Barbaro's - then yes, theoretically he could still get a lot of the sympathy vote. Reality (which is not a rational word with journalists) is that Barbaro should no longer be in consideration for 3YO of the year....Bernardini's credentials are just too good at this point and it would be grand theft if he doesn't win the Eclipse....

he's beaten older horses now!
guess it doesn't matter much
if they're any good

Bernardini should get the award. I'm also banking on Bernardini being horse of the year.

a vote for barbaro would be a sympathy vote? or would it be based on his performances up to the preakness? all wins. of course a tad of the vote might be based on him showing his true amount of guts by not throwing in the towel since his injury. yeah, pure sympathy there. i'm sure it wouldn't at all be based on the thought that had he continued running that bernardini might not have run the table since barbaros exit.

I don't understand this debate. How can anyone suggest Barbaro deserves 3YO of the year over Bernardini? That's absurd and the poster who basically said anyone voting for Barbaro right now is doing it out of sympathy is 100% right. Hey, I actually was a bigger fan of Barbaro, and I'm not so sure he wouldn't have been at least a worthy opponent for Bernardini, but based on their resumes for the year it simply isn't close.

Who really cares about the eclipse awards anyway. Anyone that really follows the sport knows who the best horses are regardless of how the voting turns out. Didn't Pico Central not win sprinter of the year a couple years ago? That was ridiculous.

I also will never understand why so much debate occurs over which horse is more deserving of an Eclipse award. Who cares? Unless you're connected in some way to the horse that is.

I'm not sure I agree; there is a cachet to being crowned a champion and I personally do love it when a favorite of mine wins an Eclipse. This particular debate is rather silly, though. There should be no debate - the 3 year old title has already been decided in Bernardini's favor. Only HOY is up for grabs.

Next time, please spell Bernie's name right.:D

I couldn't agree more, it means nothing to me... I have my favorite horses, sometimes they won, sometimes they didn't, but I could have cared less if they were HOY.

I second that emotion.

sure i agree that there should not be any debate about the 3yo title. its already in the bag.

but this is the kind of award where silly things that don't make sense can happen, thats why i don't get all the hubbub.

They should have an Eclipse Award for the bettors most valuable horse of the year...That would be great...

Here's mine for the last 2 years:

I was taking a beating in the Spring of 2005 at Keeneland, then I keyed Afleet Alex in a tri in the Ark Derby, got me some of my money back....

I was taking a beating in the Spring of 2006 at Keeneland, then I keyed Lawyer Ron in a Super in the Ark Derby, couldn't believe how much it payed and got me back to even...

a little part of me still believes Bernardini has to win BCC to win 3yr old of the year, Barbaro was the undefeated one who won the KY Derby and beat the best for the first half of the year.

If you are that big a fan, get the spelling right!:rolleyes:

Just watching Bernardini's Preakness performance- I don't think a healthy Barbaro beats Bernardini on that day. Combo that with what he's done since. Bernardini should win it. A win in the BC Classic will cement that. If not it's gonna be close.

Another route, just like last year... I know this would never happen, but for convaersations sake: What if Bernardini somehow finished up the track in the BC Classic, and Henny Hughes wins the Sprint? I mean if LITF woulda won the sprint last year????

Lawyer Ron

LOL! Thats a good one.

yeah, based on all those rotten wins by barbaro, i can see why bernardini would have crushed him had he finished the race. next time you look into your crystal ball, howsabout giving me the winning powerball numbers!

I guess I'm part of the sympathy vote:
1) Barbaro
2) Bernardini
Switch the two if Bernardini wins the BCC!

Sorry Danzig... my crystal ball won't give me my own Powerball winners unfortunately. I wasn't ragging on the way Barbaro won, and much respect to what he did earlier in the year. Don't put words in my mouth calling them "rotten wins". I'm just sayin I think what Bernardini has done since (and what he'll prove on BC day) will slam the door shut on this debate.

BTW Danzig, I'll give you the option- 1 middle finger or 2?

Prosperous Queen would have been HOY if she had won the 1st today. That would have given her 3 in a row and that would have put her over the top. She lost by a freaking head bob.

oh i'm sure the 3 yo of the year debate is over. sorry you can't get me those #'s!! and uh, sorry...what about one finger or two? don't get your meaning there...

oh wait...now i get it. one bird or two. flipping me off? thanks so much. your rapier wit has met it's mark.
puh-leeze.

lol the wit is as fast as your understand it is slow... and you still didn't answer the question...

Barbaro looked absolutely incredible in the derby post parade. I was sold and made my wager accordingly. It's sickening what happened to him and I often think of what could have been. How magnificent the big races would have been if he were in them.

But that's all I can do is dream of outcomes that will never happen. In reality the horse who has accomplished more is Bernardini and he is worthy of the honor of top 3yr old.

Barbaro is the Kentucky Derby champion. One of the most impressive Derby champions ever.

well, you see how quick you are after getting up at 3 am with about four hours sleep. and now it' 12 hours later and this is the most i've sat down so far today.


by all means, if you're going to do it, do it right! no half-stepping, so gimme both.

I could SO go somewhere with all of this finger talk... but I think I'll keep my mouth shut for once. :D

I agree Somer. Barbaro impressed me a great deal while he was racing. Turf/dirt, etc...

But if Bernardini can beat the others in the Classic, I would say him.

Look... I'll back off a little bit. It's stupid that if someone disagrees with you, that they have to be so rude about it. I think there's a way to disagree without ****ting on the person you're disagreeing with. A lot of people have serious issues with that. But if you're gonna bite... I'll bite back. I'll "jaw" all day long if that's the way you guys wanna go.

not sure who you mean, pmay. i've laughed off your flipping off post, and was smiling while saying gimme both. since this message board is somewhat limited in only showing actual words, sometimes it's hard to get the right attitude across.

I only replied to you... I don't start it... but I'll keep it goin...

Well no doubt that Bernadini will win the award. Hes beaten elders(two of em, but whose counting) and won multiple prestigious races.
Its a shame that Barbaro couldnt have stayed sound and we'd have had a banner year with those two.

This is no longer a debate topic. Barbaro will never again be seen on the track and he won the one race where everyone pays attention. That should not be held against Bernardini. Bernardini will likely win the BCC and 3 YO Eclipse and HOY...end of debate.

Personally, I would vote for the three horses that actually finished ahead of Bernardini in a race, in his debut.