2015: American Pharoah becomes 12th Triple Crown winner

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

In what sort of vampire fantasy reality do you live in?

This made me laugh.

Some really fine work the past few days...

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

This made me laugh.

Some really fine work the past few days...

Thank you.

I seem to be suffering lately from a resurgence of intolerance for idiots.

That persons stupidity is supernova like in it's radiance.

[Indian Charlie]

By the way, I keep seeing excuses for the lack of performance of AP's competition.

Rain, breaks, etc.

Has it occurred to anyone else that an exceptionally fast pace by an exceptionally fast horse with staying power simply just ran his opponents off their feet??

He probably deserves a pretty fast figure, but I'm sure they'll come back with something around 101-103ish.

[Duvalier]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

By the way, I keep seeing excuses for the lack of performance of AP's competition.

Rain, breaks, etc.

Has it occurred to anyone else that an exceptionally fast pace by an exceptionally fast horse with staying power simply just ran his opponents off their feet??

He probably deserves a pretty fast figure, but I'm sure they'll come back with something around 101-103ish.

Martin Garcia should get a good bit of credit for his questionable tactics on Dortmund.

[RHT2004]

Originally Posted by Duvalier

Martin Garcia should get a good bit of credit for his questionable tactics on Dortmund.

Wasn't he already in the GOATs doghouse after his ride in the Black Eyed Susan??

[NavalOrange]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

By the way, I keep seeing excuses for the lack of performance of AP's competition.

Rain, breaks, etc.

Has it occurred to anyone else that an exceptionally fast pace by an exceptionally fast horse with staying power simply just ran his opponents off their feet??

He probably deserves a pretty fast figure, but I'm sure they'll come back with something around 101-103ish.

No need to defend or debate AP. He has been impressive. Let him put the nayyyyyyysayers to rest in three weeks.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by NavalOrange

No need to defend or debate AP. He has been impressive. Let him put the nayyyyyyysayers to rest in three weeks.

No, it won't. People will call this the worst crop ever and that, of course, the Belmont fit his style perfectly and he had the perfect setup and trip.

I guarantee that if he loses, i shall get a mountain of grief from a certain couple of people, who, ironically, accuse me of things like chest thumping.

[Kasept]

6/6/15 (BEL): Belmont Stakes

American Pharoah (Baffert/V. Espinoza)
Keen Ice (Romans)
Mubtaahij (de Kock)
Tale of Verve (Stewart)
Madefromlucky (Pletcher)
Carpe Diem (Pletcher)
Materiality (Pletcher)
Frosted (McLaughlin)
Frammento (Zito)

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

No, it won't. People will call this the worst crop ever and that, of course, the Belmont fit his style perfectly and he had the perfect setup and trip.

I guarantee that if he loses, i shall get a mountain of grief from a certain couple of people, who, ironically, accuse me of things like chest thumping.

Well, you're half right, at least as far as my post-Belmont response. I can't remember ever going back to dig up ridiculous posts and quoting them when they've been proven wrong (or at least highly dubious), but I may make an exception in this case. That's how over-the-top I think the accolades have been for a horse that to me has shown no more quality than Funny Cide, Smarty Jones, Big Brown and California Chrome had at the same stages of their careers. (I won't put Silver Charm in that list because SC won his KD and Preakness against 2-3 other horses with BSF's in the 115 range, and was more impressive, IMO.)

But if AP wins the Belmont, I can't think of a scenario that would keep me from joining the worshippers, short of some truly calamitous event that wipes out most of the competition. I won't care if AP has the most perfect of perfect trips/setups--if he can get 1.5 miles on top of everything else he's done and beat these more-rested horsess, then he's truly worthy in my book.

In fact, it seems to me that the ones making excuses in advance are the very people who think AP is so spectacular. I keep reading about all the things that can go wrong in the Belmont from the AP-Is-The-2nd-Coming camp. It's almost like they don't believe the hype themselves.

--Dunbar

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

In fact, it seems to me that the ones making excuses in advance are the very people who think AP is so spectacular. I keep reading about all the things that can go wrong in the Belmont from the AP-Is-The-2nd-Coming camp. It's almost like they don't believe the hype themselves.

--Dunbar

I don't think they're making excuses; I think the TC is harder to win now because there are so many more horses in each of the races. I'm not saying Secretariat wasn't one of the greatest to look through a bridle (and certainly not comparing AP to him in any way), but he only had 3 challengers in the Belmont. It's much easier for a great horse to run a great race when there's only 3 you have to beat. If Smarty or Chrome had only faced 3 other horses, would they have won? If the KD was capped at 14, would Afleet Alex be a TC winner? Obviously no one can know, but certainly their chances would have been much higher. But, as has been pointed out, Smarty Jones defeated more horses in losing the TC than any actual TC winner ever did, and I think that can't be discounted as a factor in why it's been impossible to win the past few decades.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

Well, you're half right, at least as far as my post-Belmont response. I can't remember ever going back to dig up ridiculous posts and quoting them when they've been proven wrong (or at least highly dubious), but I may make an exception in this case. That's how over-the-top I think the accolades have been for a horse that to me has shown no more quality than Funny Cide, Smarty Jones, Big Brown and California Chrome had at the same stages of their careers. (I won't put Silver Charm in that list because SC won his KD and Preakness against 2-3 other horses with BSF's in the 115 range, and was more impressive, IMO.)

But if AP wins the Belmont, I can't think of a scenario that would keep me from joining the worshippers, short of some truly calamitous event that wipes out most of the competition. I won't care if AP has the most perfect of perfect trips/setups--if he can get 1.5 miles on top of everything else he's done and beat these more-rested horsess, then he's truly worthy in my book.

In fact, it seems to me that the ones making excuses in advance are the very people who think AP is so spectacular. I keep reading about all the things that can go wrong in the Belmont from the AP-Is-The-2nd-Coming camp. It's almost like they don't believe the hype themselves.

--Dunbar

This is really good.

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

Well, you're half right, at least as far as my post-Belmont response. I can't remember ever going back to dig up ridiculous posts and quoting them when they've been proven wrong (or at least highly dubious), but I may make an exception in this case. That's how over-the-top I think the accolades have been for a horse that to me has shown no more quality than Funny Cide, Smarty Jones, Big Brown and California Chrome had at the same stages of their careers. (I won't put Silver Charm in that list because SC won his KD and Preakness against 2-3 other horses with BSF's in the 115 range, and was more impressive, IMO.)

But if AP wins the Belmont, I can't think of a scenario that would keep me from joining the worshippers, short of some truly calamitous event that wipes out most of the competition. I won't care if AP has the most perfect of perfect trips/setups--if he can get 1.5 miles on top of everything else he's done and beat these more-rested horsess, then he's truly worthy in my book.

In fact, it seems to me that the ones making excuses in advance are the very people who think AP is so spectacular. I keep reading about all the things that can go wrong in the Belmont from the AP-Is-The-2nd-Coming camp. It's almost like they don't believe the hype themselves.

--Dunbar

I agree totally ....... he wins, he is truly the best of our generation, if not..........

[rgustafson]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

Well, you're half right, at least as far as my post-Belmont response. I can't remember ever going back to dig up ridiculous posts and quoting them when they've been proven wrong (or at least highly dubious), but I may make an exception in this case. That's how over-the-top I think the accolades have been for a horse that to me has shown no more quality than Funny Cide, Smarty Jones, Big Brown and California Chrome had at the same stages of their careers. (I won't put Silver Charm in that list because SC won his KD and Preakness against 2-3 other horses with BSF's in the 115 range, and was more impressive, IMO.)

But if AP wins the Belmont, I can't think of a scenario that would keep me from joining the worshippers, short of some truly calamitous event that wipes out most of the competition. I won't care if AP has the most perfect of perfect trips/setups--if he can get 1.5 miles on top of everything else he's done and beat these more-rested horsess, then he's truly worthy in my book.

In fact, it seems to me that the ones making excuses in advance are the very people who think AP is so spectacular. I keep reading about all the things that can go wrong in the Belmont from the AP-Is-The-2nd-Coming camp. It's almost like they don't believe the hype themselves.

--Dunbar

I can see it already, all over the blogs and various media. If he loses, it will be Victor's fault: got left at the gate, he went too fast early, moved too soon, moved too late, got boxed in, lost ground because he raced too wide......

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Thank you.

I seem to be suffering lately from a resurgence of intolerance for idiots.

That persons stupidity is supernova like in it's radiance.

This may be so BUT as blinding as the light may be (and as, I believe, Pointman can attest to), there is another who makes Buffy look like a member of MENSA.

If you missed the Belmont thread you missed a real treat.