What Smarty Jones faced in 2004 & what Big Brown faces on Saturday....the difference?

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by hockey2315

Big Brown isn't facing similar company.

Other than Casino Drive, it looks like the same cast of characters.

[hockey2315]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

Other than Casino Drive, it looks like the same cast of characters.

This year's "cast of characters" isn't in the same league as that year's was.

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by hockey2315

This year's "cast of characters" isn't in the same league as that year's was.

Other than Rock Hard Ten & Purge....looks the same here.

[hockey2315]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

Other than Rock Hard Ten & Purge....looks the same here.

and Birdstone and Eddington. So other than those four - I guess it's the same.

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by hockey2315

and Birdstone and Eddington. So other than those four - I guess it's the same.

Judging by those two odds in the Belmont, at that time....they weren't much. I still think it looks pretty equal on paper what Smarty faced and what Big Brown faces on Saturday.

[eajinabi]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

Other than Rock Hard Ten & Purge....looks the same here.

You also forgot about Eddington and Birdstone

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by eajinabi

You also forgot about Eddington and Birdstone

Eddington was just getting real good when he got hurt and was retired. Who knows, maybe someone out of this Belmont Stakes group will be just as good as the mentioned horses.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

Eddington was just getting real good when he got hurt and was retired. Who knows, maybe someone out of this Belmont Stakes group will be just as good as the mentioned horses.

There is a better shot Big Brown is better then Big Red then any of these other rodents are close to Eddington and Rock Hard Ten.. Save Casinos Drive who could be something very special as well.

[eajinabi]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

Eddington was just getting real good when he got hurt and was retired. Who knows, maybe someone out of this Belmont Stakes group will be just as good as the mentioned horses.

Well before the Preakness and Belmont, Eddington was touted as being a monster race horse even before his MSW, ALW1 but lost 3 straight thereafter.

I dont see others being a good horse from this yrs crop other than some fine sprinters like PYRO and Colonel John.

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by eajinabi

Well before the Preakness and Belmont, Eddington was touted as being a monster race horse even before his MSW, ALW1 but lost 3 straight thereafter.

I dont see others being a good horse from this yrs crop other than some fine sprinters like PYRO and Colonel John.

Exactly, he was touted....never really lived up to the hype though.

[Scurlogue Champ]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

Other than Rock Hard Ten & Purge....looks the same here.

Eddington, Rock Hard Ten, and Purge all turned out to be pretty decent horses.

[eajinabi]

We would already had a TC winner in Smarty Jones if not for Stewart Elliot bonehead of a ride. Ya Ya people blame Jerry Bailey for rushing eddington fast
early to duel with SJ but Elliot took the bait. And for people who think it was Baileys idea to rush early you are wrong the following articlae says it was Henning's idea.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

Other than Casino Drive, it looks like the same cast of characters.

Didn't also-rans Rock Hard Ten and Eddington go on to greater things post TC? I think RHT lost just one more race in his career and accounted for the Swaps, Malibu, Strub, Big Cap and Goodwood. Eddington took the Pimlico Special, Gulfstream Park Handicap, and Calder Derby. Not sure if anyone lining up this Saturday look to have that sort of potential.

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

Didn't also-rans Rock Hard Ten and Eddington go on to greater things post TC? I think RHT lost just one more race in his career and accounted for the Swaps, Malibu, Strub, Big Cap and Goodwood. Eddington took the Pimlico Special, Gulfstream Park Handicap, and Calder Derby. Not sure if anyone lining up this Saturday look to have that sort of potential.

But, we didn't know that going into the race. Denis of Cork, Tale of Ekati and even Ready's Echo could prove more later on this year.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

But, we didn't know that going into the race. Denis of Cork, Tale of Ekati and even Ready's Echo could prove more later on this year.

Good point. Denis of Cork could make a lot of noise if managed properly. Tale of Ekati, being by Tale of the Cat, no matter what his talent level, to me doesn't seem a classic type horse (I expect a Grand Slam or Scan type effort from him--which is to say he will drop out of a forward position at the top of the stretch). I'd look for him, if he were in any other barn than Barclay Tagg's, to point for mile races and extended sprints subsequently.

I have no idea who Ready's Echo is. Everytime I see his name I think of the horse that was a bad 2nd to Majestic Warrior in the Hopeful who then ran last in the Champagne. The only thing I know about him is that he's not that horse. Which is probably a good thing...

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

Good point. Denis of Cork could make a lot of noise if managed properly. Tale of Ekati, being by Tale of the Cat, no matter what his talent level, to me doesn't seem a classic type horse (I expect a Grand Slam or Scan type effort from him--which is to say he will drop out of a forward position at the top of the stretch). I'd look for him, if he were in any other barn than Barclay Tagg's, to point for mile races and extended sprints subsequently.

I have no idea who Ready's Echo is. Everytime I see his name I think of the horse that was a bad 2nd to Majestic Warrior in the Hopeful who then ran last in the Champagne. The only thing I know about him is that he's not that horse. Which is probably a good thing...

Take a look at his races.....he may not win, but he could be a price underneath in the exotics.

[lemoncrush]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

I have no idea who Ready's Echo is. Everytime I see his name I think of the horse that was a bad 2nd to Majestic Warrior in the Hopeful who then ran last in the Champagne. The only thing I know about him is that he's not that horse. Which is probably a good thing...

you're thinking of ready's image, who I believe is also running Saturday in the Woody Stephens.
Ready's Echo is also a pletcher horse, and seems to actually want more ground. despite being by More than Ready.
He's a deep closer, who showed an explosive turn of foot in his maiden race last summer, and then again in his maiden win this past March.
He just missed in an ill-timed ride by JV in an allowance race at Keenland, and then didn't run until the very end in the Peter Pan.
He's over his head here, and with his running style, 3rd is probably his ceiling, unless Denis or Cork and/or Casino drive both exert too much energy early, then I could see him running up for a non-threatening 2nd.

[slotdirt]

I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that a More than Ready with Kingmambo as a damsire could travel a route of ground. More than Ready has actually had some pretty significant winners on the grass going long in both Australia and Europe in his short career.

[Thunder Gulch]

Agree with a lot of you that the field in general was tougher, and the fact that Birdstone won a G1 on this track was huge.

I don't remember that 2004 crop being great, but I guarantee there were more than one or two that had posted 100 Beyers in routes, unlike this year's group.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Hickory Hill Hoff

Other than Casino Drive, it looks like the same cast of characters.

It's arguable that Birdstone, Rock Hard Ten and Eddington were all better than any horse Big Brown has ever faced.