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Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS
I think if you asked people which Derby winner had the lowest lifetime top Beyer - few people would get the answer right.
It's Charismatic - who had a 108 career top - one point less than Giacomo and Sea Hero.
I guess something of a rational case could be made for Charismatic as the worst Derby winner over that time.
In the first ten starts of his career - he never ran a Beyer higher than 85 - was twice offered up for claiming tags - and never even exceeded the 95 level until April 18th.
He got FIRECRACKER HOT with one of the most improbable wins I've ever seen on the Derby Trail with an authetic 108 Beyer and eye-brow raising move rarely made over Keeneland's dirt when he won the Lexington at 12/1. Followed that mysterious big race up with a Derby win at 31/1, a Preakness win at 8/1, and than came apart in the Belmont.
The case for him being the worst would be 'he was a terrible horse all the way up till Mid-April of his 3yo season, and though he punched out four strong races in seven weeks including a 3rd in the Belmont Stakes - he wasn't sound enough to make it through the triple crown.
I think you'd have to hold his injury against him to make him the worst ever though.
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He ran pretty well when he "came apart."
Beyer figures being what they are, I can't agree with any argument stating Charismatic was the worst Derby winner ever. I also can't hold the injury against him.
If you're talking about horses who just got good at the right time and benefited from either weak crops or perfect setups, wouldn't War Emblem come up? I know he got a 112 in a bias-aided win at Sportsman's, but before that he was nothing special. All he did after winning two legs of the Triple Crown was go gate to wire in the Haskell in a paceless race where the track took him home.
Maybe I just never liked War Emblem.
NT