Watchmaker: Big Brown a long way from Big Red
 

http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=95125

Time may prove him wrong, but I think Watchmaker nailed it with his current column

It is like writing that Eli Manning isn't as good as Joe montana....no kidding.

If he wins on Saturday and then never races again, the point is moot. He'll be a Triple Crown winner that never raced vs. older or again....thus, a very, very good horse.....but great???????????

Take Secretariat's first 6 races and compare them to Big Brown's first six and then do comparsions. I am no lover of Big Brown but the jury is still out. Time will tell if permitted?

I think we are still running against 2 yo's...

Just for argument's sake, as far as the field goes at the time of the Marlboro Cup:

Key To The Mint was probably toast well before the race. He hadn't started in a couple of months and failed to establish his customary stalking position winding up last by many. He started 12 days later on turf and got trounced and was never heard from again. To say he was in good form at the time would have been dubious.

Kennedy Road and Riva Ridge dueled through ridiculous fractions and probably burned each other up. Cougar, a 7yo making his 48th career start off a brief layoff, was arguably a better grass horse than he was on the main track.

In addition, flanking this race was Secretariat's two monumental defeats in the Whitney and Woodward. To present it as though his Marlboro Cup was the definitive moment in Secretariat's career that somehow validated his greatness above all other Thoroughbred's is as ridiculous as having After Market at the top of your Turf Division leader board for 2008, even though he was retired in 2007...

My point is its unfair to compare the two and only an idiot or Frank Lyons could suggest that Big Brown is better. I do think it's possible Big Brown could be better but it would take a 4 year old campaign not to mention the Travers, JGCC,and Breeders cup to determine. Will never know but the possiblity exists however remote.

Really?

I'm sick of people comparing every "now horse" to Secretariat.

It's like Liam Gallagher said when asked if Be Here Now was better than Definitely Maybe: "F**k Definitely Maybe. It's over."

Personally, I think Be Here Now is Oasis' best album. And the readers of Rolling Stone named it Album of the Year in 1997. Although Noel Gallagher thinks it's garbage.

Isn't Frank Lyons employed somehow by IEAH ?

Possible but completely unlikely.. Seriously the horse has been pretty darn impressive. Granted he has beat swill. It is possible like it or not it's possible. I really hope the horse runs in the Travers Gold Cup and Classic and gets challenged by Curlin. I am know huge Curlin guy but apparently he is the only current threat

Yes imagine that

Yes...instead, let's talk about Oasis...

Actually, isn't that more like comparing Big Brown's Derby to Big Brown's Preakness? Or Secretariat's Belmont to his Canadian International?

Wouldn't it be more like comparing Oasis's "Definitely Maybe" to the Beatles's "White Album"?

On a more relevant note, who would survive being double-barreled by either Big Brown or Secretariat, Noel Gallagher or Ian Brown?

I say Ian Brown. He knows karate and can speak Spanish (which given the nationality of most backstretch grooms, might be soothing to an angry horse)...

Wow, Oasis. We need a throw-up smilie.

You really shouldve brainstormed just a little longer for a comparision.:confused:

Or, maybe the nature of my comparison is perfect considering the ridiculousness of this entire discussion.

if Secretariat ran his belmont in today's game he wouldn't have set the record. He would be well held until the turn and win by 10 or 15.

Hard to do. Music was so different then. But did you know that Definitely Maybe is still the fastest selling debut album in the history of Britain?

I believe it. Not only is the situation figuratively similar to flies on dogsh!t, but there might actually be a literal connection there, too.