Which top 4 is a bigger laughingstock?

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

If you're trying to argue that a 5th place finish in the Classic did more for Azeri's legacy than winning a 2nd Distaff would have, I couldn't possibly disagree more. She finished 5th, it's not like she contended, even if it was one of the toughest Classic fields ever. I agree with you in general when it comes to trying bold things with exceptionally talented female horses, but this was not a case where Azeri had nothing left to prove. A 2nd Distaff would have been another feather in her cap, or at least more of one than a 5th in the Classic.

I also wasn't certain that she was the best female in the country at that time. She traded decisions with Sightseek (who was a Belmont horse for course) but neither had proven they were decidedly better than the other.

Ok, let me ask you this question. Going into the BC, pretty much everyone had Azeri and Sightseek as the 1/2 older females in the country, in either order right? If you thought Azeri was #1 going in and she would have won the Distaff, how would that have changed your opinion of her? If you thought she was #2 going in, how would a win in a Distaff lacking Sightseek have changed your opinion? I don't think a win would have changed opinions either way. However, as close as the race between them was, a loss in the Distaff would have likely cost her the championship. I thought the Distaff was a no-win situation while the Classic was a no-lose situation.