Hypothetical Derby 1995-1999
 

Same philosophy as Avance. Here we go.

Charismatic
Menifee
Real Quiet
Victory Gallop
Silver Charm
Captain Bodget
Free House
Grindstone
Cavonnier
Thunder Gulch
Tejano Run
Timber Country
Cat Thief
Louis Quatorze
Lemon Drop Kid
Touch Gold
Editor's Note
Indian Charlie
Pulpit
Unbridleds Song

For me it is SILVER CHARM SILVER CHARM SILVER CHARM.

Is it me, or does this field from 1995-1999 seem real real weak compared to the field from 2000-2006?

Quickly down to three:
Silver Charm
Thunder Gulch
Charismatic
I have always felt that while an excellent horse, Silver Charm was a tad overrated compared to others here....Thunder Gulch didn't seem to take to the Pimlico surface in the Preakness and Timber Country got the jump on him...I think if they ran the race 10 times, Thunder Gulch would win 8. I was there that day and really think it was nothing but bad racing luck coupled with a dislike for that surface. Charismatic was still learning to be a race horse, he had such upside...don't know why Antley chased the filly that day...?? Guess I'll go:
Thunder Gulch
Charismatic
Silver Charm
Real Quiet

Silver Charm and Thunder Gulch are my top two. I think Silver Charm had a little more guts to him than Tunder Gulch. I think Silver Charm wouldnt let Tunder Gulch pass.

But Thunder Gulch might be one of the biggest overlays in Derby History. Still cant believe we got 25-1 on that horse.

Shoot, what did we get on Charismatic? No much less than 25-1, right?

Real Quiet was very game.. maybe not as game as Free House.. on raw ability.. got to go with Thunder Gulch.

Superfecta Box:

Silver Charm/Touch Gold/Victory Gallop/Real Quiet

It is not just you Euro. I think with this group it would have to be Silver Charm and Thunder Gulch.
Your list is not bad, but it would probably be better to just do the entire decade. That way you get horses like AP Indy, Tabasco Cat, Prairie Bayou etc. in the mix.

We have to set the parameters though. Are we talking about the day of their Derbies, or their 3YO careers in general? I'm going with Charismatic - he was only getting better after the Belmont.

Yeah but Charismatic hadnt done much prior to the Lexington Stakes. Thunder Gulch at age 2 won the Remsen, 2nd in the Hollywood Futurity and 2 in the Cowdin Stakes. At 3 he won the Florida Derby, and Fountain of Youth. After all that one bad race and he goes off at 25-1. If it wasnt for the one bad race--at Keeneland I believe--he doesnt go off anywhere above 8-1.

Just like the last one--May through June of their 3 year old season.

I dont know. 10 years is a little too much for me. I think 5 years is good. That way you can compare horses who finished 3rd and 4th that might of had trouble trips. If you go 10 years, you only get the 1st and and place horse at most.

I'll go with Silver Charm just because he was so competitive-- McCarron's ride on Touch Gold in the Belmont was soooo smart (darn him!).

Though I love Thunder Gulch, too. He was my pick for the Derby that year- -I remember watching the race by myself at my boss's apartment (I was cat sitting). I picked Touch Gold in SC's year-- I was on tour and watched SC's Derby at Golden Gate Fields-- drove two hours to get to spend Derby Day with other racing fans. :)

Buffy's tri box:

Thunder Gulch
Victory Gallop
Silver Charm

It's you.

Charismatic, Real Quiet, Victory Gallop, Silver Charm, Free House, Thunder Gulch, Cat Thief, Louis Quatorze, Lemon Drop Kid, Touch Gold, and even Unbridled's Song ... had as much talent ... and in several cases more talent ... than anyone on that other list.

Do you really think that Lemon Drop Kid had as much talent as Barbaro, or Louis Quatorze had as much talent as Afleet Alex?
I would STRONGLY disagree.