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Old 11-03-2006, 05:54 PM
Charismatic1 Charismatic1 is offline
Suffolk Downs
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 103
Default My thoughts heading into tomorrow

The pundits are right. Tomorrow, we will watch the one of the true MODERN greats in the game. Unfortunately, that horse is being overshadowed by the hype of one who MIGHT be a modern great. This is a shame and I hope people see and appreciate the accomplishments of this great horse. If everyone spends a moment to think, the name needs no mention.

Now before I get into what will certainly be perceived as a tirade, I want to apologize to all the Dini Weenies out there. About two hours ago, Jon White of HRTV said that "he" is probably the best since, not Seattle Slew, but Secretariat. Why not? Because when I think of this equine god, I immediately forget about Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, Ruffian, and more recently, Cigar. This is assinine. How many horses have we seen win big and handridden in modest times? According to the Dini Weenie brigade, we haven't seen any - this guy is the only one. Sure, he has looked really pretty and impressive in his wins. At the same time, his best opponents in the Preakness, Dandy, and Travers were all injured during the running of the race. But no, that can't be relevant because he looked really good doing it. Those three opponents in the Gold Cup were world beaters. People have accused me of denegrating the horse. This couldn't be further from the truth. I believe he is an extremely talented animal, who COULD go down in "memory." Despite a winning performance tomorrow, I will not believe he is an all-time great. He still would not have done anything to separate himself in the history books the way Cigar, The Bid, and Secretariat have. I'm not even sure it would even meet the level of accomplishment of Tiznow or Alysheba. However, we have seen many horses like him (and yes I used the phrase "like him") pass by the wayside. It's ridiculous to think that two years ago, people supporting Ghostzapper tried to essentially destroy Smarty Jones' name, and now, I see the people crowding the Dini wagon trying to diminish Ghostzapper's name. The fact is this horse has not done anything remotely out of the ordinary to deserve this much hype, respect, whatever you want to call it. Nobody can argue this fact. Yes, he has looked hilariously dominant, but so did Officer. This unabashed hype machine (now backing Bernardini) kills our sport's popularity because we look foolish when it flops - which it usually does. All talk, no walk. So, before we start suggesting "he's the best horse since __________", let's keep in mind that, despite what we may fervently believe, he may not even be the best horse in this race!

Lastly, racing needs a great day with longshots (mine), favorites (mine), and great stories (Matz, Prado, Round Pond for example). Most of all, on this day where Barbaro's name will most certainly be uttered, I pray that each and every horse and jockey and, in some cases, the fans come home safe and sound. This year needs to be capped on a high note.

So, as I say every year, "don't lose too much, and don't drink too much when you do." Good luck all, and have FUN on this cherished Holiday.

-Ryan
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