|
|
 |
|
|
|
#1
06-11-2007, 11:43 AM
|
|||
|
|||
You can't beat the past. This sport is doomed in that regard. It's like baseball.
|
|
#2
06-11-2007, 11:58 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
I think Rags has the potential to be a really top one. But, in my opinion, this is one of the weakest 3yo filly groups I've seen and the colts are not that much better. Street Sense and Curlin have seperated themselves from the pack but what's making them stand out as extra special is because the crop is extremely mediocre. It's always been my opinion that in order for me to say a horse is truly great, he/she's got to do something really special. I don't mean just win the top races because every year, someone is going to win those races. For me, u've either got to beat some really good horses or u've got to run some amazing times/figures. To me, Street Sense has beaten one good horse (Curlin) and Curlin has beaten one good horse (Street Sense) and Rags has beaten one good horse (Curlin). Neither one ran an extremely fast time, ie a 115+ figure.
Getting back to Rags, I don't think she's in the class with some of the best of the past 20 years like Go for Wand, Bayakoa, Personal Ensign, Inside Information, Lady's Secret, Paseana, Azeri, Winning Colors, or Serena's Song.
__________________
The real horses of the year (1986-2020) Manila, Java Gold, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Go for Wand, In Excess, Paseana, Kotashaan, Holy Bull, Cigar, Alphabet Soup, Formal Gold, Skip Away, Artax, Tiznow, Point Given, Azeri, Candy Ride, Smarty Jones, Ghostzapper, Invasor, Curlin, Zenyatta, Zenyatta, Goldikova, Havre de Grace, Wise Dan, Wise Dan, California Chrome, American Pharoah, Arrogate, Gun Runner, Accelerate, Maximum Security, Gamine
|
|
#3
06-11-2007, 12:07 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
|
|
#4
06-11-2007, 12:17 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
__________________
The real horses of the year (1986-2020) Manila, Java Gold, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Go for Wand, In Excess, Paseana, Kotashaan, Holy Bull, Cigar, Alphabet Soup, Formal Gold, Skip Away, Artax, Tiznow, Point Given, Azeri, Candy Ride, Smarty Jones, Ghostzapper, Invasor, Curlin, Zenyatta, Zenyatta, Goldikova, Havre de Grace, Wise Dan, Wise Dan, California Chrome, American Pharoah, Arrogate, Gun Runner, Accelerate, Maximum Security, Gamine
|
|
#5
06-11-2007, 01:18 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
This current group might be slower, but I remember everyone saying that heading into last years Derby too, and the hearing the same thing the year before that as well. It all has to do with the lack of seasoning for these young horses. Horses develop over time and with experience, just like any athlete. Look at most of the great distance horses in history, they continued to develop at the end of their 3yo season and beyond. Today, horses are retired at 3. Those faster times you want to see would come if these horses were running more frequently early in their career. Will you have more physical issues, yes, and that is where the problem lies. Owners are focusing solely on a few select races in a horses career that if they do win them, its like winning the lottery. It has made the owners scared to death to hurt a prospective stallion before he gets to the triple crown races. The opportunity for profit is so huge that it just not worth the risk to them to run their horses as frequently as they did in years past. I think the only solution is to significantly increase purses in graded stakes races. Making it very difficult for owners to walk away from a huge purse, or a share of it. I think graded purses are too low when compared to top level other sports, and the industry has failed to show a fair increase over the years. The perfect example is the Arlington Million, which is still the Arlington Million 26 years later, what sense does that make? in todays market, it should be the Arlington $10 Million... The stakes increase could funded by a number of areas, but mostly it should by the people who are going to reap the benefits, the owners and breeders. Putting a take out %, just like we have to pay at the mutual windows, on the live foal fees as well as the auction rings. For as much money is exchanged hands, the % would not have to be much. There are record numbers being spent each year, yet we are seeing less and less Graded quality horses... its only going to get worse until the industry realizes they are sacrificing quality racing for their own greed.
|
|
#6
06-11-2007, 12:19 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
She could be....but there's a long way ahead. For sure she made fans, and I think T-bred racing needed this. Just don't "fall in love". Sometimes they break your heart.
|
|
#7
06-11-2007, 12:53 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
I agree, I love racing history and as a hobby, maintain a list of the horses I feel are the 100 "best ever"...it's highly subjective, one person's opinion as I rank horses as far back as Flying Childers and Eclipse and that leaves me open to the question of how on earth I can compare horses which ran a series of two mile heats with today's animals...my answer is a combination of research and a fair degree of "gut instinct"...as I said, highly subjective (but lots of fun). My point being, I NEVER consider a horse until they retire...simply isn't fair. Rags seems to have almost unlimited potential and the Belmont win secures her a place in history (I mean really...first filly to ever win a 12f Belmont) but Roman only assigned a PF of -47 to her, the slowest number he's ever given the Belmont winner (next would be Sarava at -55) and so questions about quality of competition will be raised. Still, she stumbled at the gate, raced wide and was facing colts for the first time so...who knows. If she retired today, I'd have a tough time ranking her above the likes of Inside Information and Winning Colors, certainly not with the likes of Personal Ensign or Lady's Secret.
__________________
"Always be yourself...unless you suck!"
|
|
#8
06-11-2007, 01:43 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Your enthusiasm is quite evident. Rags could be just what we need after the past couple of years. She has accomplished something very grand, but she's not there yet. Now, since you're into the history of it, I'll just mention a couple that you might remember. 1) #2 in the 5th on June 5, 2004 (The White Carnation). Her name- Board Elligible. Sire: Goldminer's Gold, dam Double Boarded by Cormorant. Trained by James W. Ferraro Jockey- Javier Castellano I mention her because seeing her win caused me to decide to buy her half brother, Makeitright. 2) Bourbon Slush (1980). For sure Pedigree Anne will look her up. You'll see names like Crozier, Swaps, Hasty Road, and My Babu. She's the dam of one of my mares, Bourbon Streettune, the mom of Shot o' Bourbon (2yo) and Ciel Bonne (yearling). Somer, as I said before, the good that comes from a nice filly winning a big one invigorates our sport, drives our passions, and realizes our dreams. Race on!!!!! Stumbles and all.  DTS
|
|
#9
06-11-2007, 01:20 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
|
|
#10
06-11-2007, 05:13 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
|
|
#11
06-11-2007, 05:20 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Can you name one filly who accomplished more than she has through this point in their respective 3 yo years?
|
|
#12
06-11-2007, 05:21 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
personal ensign oh, wait, that's two. plenty more tho.
__________________
Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all. Abraham Lincoln
|
|
#13
06-11-2007, 05:25 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
|
|
#14
06-11-2007, 05:26 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
That's my point.
|
|
#15
06-11-2007, 05:38 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Personal Ensign probably hadn't started yet as a 3YO at this time. And, she didn't accomplish nearly as much until she was 4. And I say that as a huge fan.
|
|
#16
06-11-2007, 05:25 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
|
|
#18
06-11-2007, 05:33 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
|
|
#19
06-11-2007, 05:28 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
I know its hard to believe but a 3 time Grade 1 winning filly is not that rare.
|
|
#20
06-11-2007, 05:36 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
|
Hybrid Mode
