Chrome!
 

That was probably one of the best rides, and best races I have seen in a long time!!! Congrats Chromie!!:tro::tro::tro:

And Beholder ran her heart out! That was a great performance by California Chrome! Excellent race and Dortmund ran his race .

Dortmund ran his race? I think its fair to say he bounced/regressed off his career top last time.

Dortmund needs to go BC Dirt Mile.

If Victor rode that way in the Belmont Stakes, HE would have been the 12th Triple Crown Champion ;) :) he's a MONSTER now! :D

No, I think it fair to say that Chrome is just in a different league. That is no knock on Dortmund who is a very nice horse. But, he is just not as good Chrome, who is the best horse in training right now.

Paul

Yup

He grabbed a quarter. I'm not sure you can blame it on Victor.

I reluctantly have to concede that it's hard to argue against California Chrome at this point but I'm still going with Songbird. Just opinion though. No facts to back it.

I don't see Songbird even remotely in the same class as Chrome, he would dust her.

I'm of the popular belief around here that Songbird, while very good, is a tad over rated.

Hell, I think Enola Gray is better.

I am a huge Songbird fan. But, to put her in the same breath as the top older horse is silly. She has only run in restricted races and has yet to face older fillies or mares let along males. Chrome horrified two of the top older horses in training. Big difference.

Paul

Judging buy some of the pros on twitter u get the feeling that Songbird for her record is not that highly thought of. She is somewhere between very very good and great.

I think that's a pretty accurate way of evaluating her, with the added comment that the rest of the crop is mostly poor.

I actually think the 3 year old fillys are a nice group. MUCH better then the colts. Comparing anything filly to Rachel is ridiculous.

Huh?

Two years ago, or for that matter, last year, who could have predicted that California Chrome would be The Horse as a five year old? And would have $13M in earnings? Every time we see him this year he looks impressive as can be, on the muscle and sharp. He's a great one, and a wonderful tribute to Art Sherman.

It makes you appreciate Shared Belief even more.

I thought the same thing. (especially the horse) He eased at the end and ran 2:00.13 Could have broke Candy Rides record of 1:59.11 if he kept going.

I'm giving him the Horse of the Year award now cause I don't think there is another horse in this country who can beat him.

As I said, there are no facts to back my feelings so I won't even try. I wouldn't use the fact that she has only faced her own sex or hasn't run outside of restricted races as the argument against her. Sometimes, the toughest competition comes from your own group. Easy Goer was destroying older horses but couldn't handle Sunday Silence. Before her last couple, many felt that Beholder was the best in the country so beating her might have been a tougher challenge than beating the boys.

Again, I'm conceding that I probably am overrating Songbird because her sorry competition has made her look better than she is and if my life depended on it, I'd take Chrome over her. But I just have a feeling that we are seeing a truly special horse and the best is yet to come from her and she's gonna surprise some people.

I think she's going to surprise people too. With how poorly she stacks up to horses outside of her age group.

I hope they don't run Chrome in Dubai next year. Rather see him stateside racing.

I'm not going to knock Songbird's potential but at this point it's going to take a very significant improvement for her to give Chrome any trouble.

Do you think they run him at all next year?

Why wouldn't they? He will never command big dollars in the breeding shed and could earn ten million or more in a brief campaign.

Paul

Yes. I think they run him until he decides he doesn't want to compete.

Taylor Made would be silly to put him in the shed as his mere presence on the race course helps promote their business on a multitude of levels.

There is that $12 million race in Florida.

I think he could stand for 20- 25k for the first 3 years with 100+ good mares. The biggest issue races his thru DWC17 is he will miss the 17 season. I would IF he stays as good because the pots for Peg and DWC are huge windfalls. But what do I know

If Chrome wins...

Awesome Again
Classic
The Pegasus Cup

then that is roughly $12,000,000 in purse and bonus earnings.

Perry Martin is sitting in the catbird's seat. He's smart enough to know extending the racing career of a proven champion will only add to the value of the horse at stud. And being honest about it he knows that the odds of the horse being successful in the barn are miniscule at best.

You're talking maybe 15-20 million in the barn...if they're lucky.

Chrome stays healthy in training you're looking at that $12 million within 6 months and who knows how much afterwards.

Truly a once in a generation type horse. Thank the gods he has shoddy breeding.

Art Sherman
 

The man has done an outstanding job with the big hoss. He stopped and gave him time when he needed it. Has kept him sound and racing for a good long time He has a healthy and happy hoss, and managed to get that nitwit away from him . Just a tremendous job all around.

They've already bought their share in it, so yeah, I think that's the plan.

Huge run from Arrogate today. Would have taken a lot to beat him but after watching two of the classic winners run up the track, I can't believe that you guys really don't think Songbird could even hang with the ones that going into today were supposed to be the top of the division.

You changed your tune now to say that Songbird is just the best 3yo? Not the best horse?

He's not even saying the best 3YO. He's saying the best of "who was supposed to be at the top going into today." Because suggesting that Songbird would've been within a city block of Arrogate is too delusional even for KG.

No. I still think she is the best horse. But I also conceded that there isn't evidence on my side to support me. This performance by Arrogate was spectacular and it would have taken an even more incredible performance to beat him, the kind that we have rarely seen over the past 30 years. Does that make Arrogate the best 3yo ever? I'm not ready to proclaim that so I'll say that one race doesn't automatically make him the best of this year either. My only point was that minus him, she rates well with everyone else that was in that race yesterday so I don't think it was outlandish to suggest that she could.

She would have been nowhere close to him. My question for you would be.......who would have been? Don't limit it to just horses from this year.

King Glorious, are you a politician?