2021 Hall of Fame Eligible Nominees

[blackthroatedwind]

Nominating Rags to Riches is particularly unfortunate. It's like giving a participation trophy to someone who barely ever participated. It's the Hall of Fame not the Hall of Horses I Really Liked.

Blind Luck is FAR more deserving, as is Kona Gold.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Nominating Rags to Riches is particularly unfortunate. It's like giving a participation trophy to someone who barely ever participated. It's the Hall of Fame not the Hall of Horses I Really Liked.

Blind Luck is FAR more deserving, as is Kona Gold.

Knew it would happen at some point. I agree with you although I'd not put Blind Luck or Kona Gold in either.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

I'd not put Kona Gold in.

I presume you were in a coma between November 1999 and July 2001?

Did you ever get better?

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

I presume you were in a coma between November 1999 and July 2001?

Did you ever get better?

Yeah that’s a head scratcher.

30 starts, 14 wins and 7 seconds. Was 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the BC Sprint, multiple graded stakes wins including two grade 1’s. He travelled and from January of 1999 to November of 2001, he finished either 1st or 2nd in all his races.

If he ran today people would be calling him the best sprinter ever.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

I presume you were in a coma between November 1999 and July 2001?

Did you ever get better?

I was a huge fan of his. Obviously, being as big a fan as I am of Java Gold, I always partial to Kona Gold. Loved him as a runner. I'm not saying that he's not deserving based on the standards of what's already in there. He and Blind Luck both are. For me, the standards would be higher and many that are in there wouldn't be. He was really good for several seasons but to me, only great in one. I wish he could have beaten Artax in that 1999 Sprint. But an under .500 record and only three grade one wins puts you in the hall of very good, not the hall of fame for me.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

But an under .500 record and only three grade one wins puts you in the hall of very good, not the hall of fame for me.

If you gauge top sprinters by the number of Grade 1s they win then you are already on faulty ground.

Even in this age of a billion available stakes races in service of the all might BC, what is there, like 4 or 5 open Grade 1 sprints on the calendar nationwide?

Want to hazard a guess how many Grade 1s Safely Kept, Housebuster, and Groovy won in their careers?

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

If you gauge top sprinters by the number of Grade 1s they win then you are already on faulty ground.

Even in this age of a billion available stakes races in service of the all might BC, what is there, like 4 or 5 open Grade 1 sprints on the calendar nationwide?

Want to hazard a guess how many Grade 1s Safely Kept, Housebuster, and Groovy won in their careers?

I knew Housebuster was 3 because I looked this morning. Shocked to see Groovy only won one. Plus he had a sub .500 record.

Imagine that

[Betsy]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

If you gauge top sprinters by the number of Grade 1s they win then you are already on faulty ground.

Even in this age of a billion available stakes races in service of the all might BC, what is there, like 4 or 5 open Grade 1 sprints on the calendar nationwide?

Want to hazard a guess how many Grade 1s Safely Kept, Housebuster, and Groovy won in their careers?

Do you think Gulch should be in ? What a career he had - toughest horse I’ve ever seen.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Betsy

Do you think Gulch should be in ? What a career he had - toughest horse I’ve ever seen.

...and he sired a Kentucky Derby winner and was the grandsire of a dual classic winning HOY.

Top class at 2, 3, and 4 from one of the best crops ever. Probably the most versatile of that group.

I need to find a replay of the 1987 Whitney; judging by the running line, Jose Santos must have botched that ride.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

If you gauge top sprinters by the number of Grade 1s they win then you are already on faulty ground.

Even in this age of a billion available stakes races in service of the all might BC, what is there, like 4 or 5 open Grade 1 sprints on the calendar nationwide?

Want to hazard a guess how many Grade 1s Safely Kept, Housebuster, and Groovy won in their careers?

Good point. But didn't he race into his 7yo season?
Safely Kept won 24 of 31. That's deceiving somewhat because most of that wasn't in open competition. If she was facing open competition the majority of the time, he record wouldn't be as sparkling.

Housebuster won 15 of 22 and was voted champion in two seasons, not one.

Groovy, as brilliant as he was, was also under .500 and lost his two biggest tests.

When I think of these horses, I think that Kona Gold fits in with them so if they are in, I can see him in too. My position would be more likely that none of them go in. Maybe Housebuster cause he was a champion in two seasons, not one.

[blackthroatedwind]

Simply saying Groovy didn't win half of his starts, and not knowing why, is ( frankly ) embarrassing, and disqualifies you from even discussing his merits.