Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

william {latee} braud — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:09:10 GMT

the gratest triple races was in 1978 affirmed and alydar,the first and only time the same 2 horses finished first and second ia all three races. the belmont was the most thrilling of all time.i was there, read my story in blood horse magazine april 25- 2009 pg 1500

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Alex PB — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:57:43 GMT

Householder: REAL QUIET was a beaten horse in the Belmont. The outcome should have never been close. Kent Desormeaux knew VICTORY GALLOP was about to overtake him, so he did the only thing he could to stop him: strides from the wire he moved RQ into VG's path, causing Gary Stevens to take up. The stewards later agreed, that RQ's number would have been taken down.

In perhaps the greatest finish in Triple Crown history, the best horse won. Gary Stevens called it his greatest ride.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

ThoroGreats — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:24:39 GMT

LOL!! Easy Goer ran his Belmont in 2:26.01 and AP Indy ran his Belmont in 2:26.15, so Easy Goer still ran the 2nd Fastest Belmont of all time. Record three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2, a tick off Dr Fagers world record mile. Ran on or near track record performances in the most prestigious, historic races in the Whitney at 9f, Travers at 10F, Belmont at 12F, Gotham at 8F, Champagne at 8F, Suburban at 10F, and even at 6.5F as a 2yo! Ran 7 or 8 120+ or higher Beyers in His Career, Double the amount that Ghostzapper, Skip Away, Cigar,Holy Bull had. A.P. Indy an Bernardini had ZERO. Not to mention, Easy Goer had a historic Hall of Fame campaign, after running in ALL 3 legs of the Triple Crown, Belmont, Whitney, Travers, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup. EG and SS would have devoured any crop of 3 yos since Bid in 1980.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Carlos in Cali — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:43:11 GMT

downhomesunset

Correction: AP Indy/Easy Goer share the 2nd fastest Belmont victory.

BTW-- AP Indy and Bernardini would've smoked Easy Goer or any other 3yo since the Bid,IMO.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

downhomesunset — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:39:20 GMT

Mr. Paul Moran of espn stated it so correctly and true: "Easy Goer was the better and more spectacularly talented horse, but was defeated by a nose and neck because Pat Day rode him like the exposed end of a live wire."

that is a great way of putting it.....Easy Goer won the Belmont in 2:26, second fastest only to Secretariat....He had to make up several lengths twice in BCC because for some reason Pat Day didn't move with SS @ 3/4 pole. Heturned on another gear and lost by a diminishing neck. How could anyone say that EG didnt have turn of foot!

LAL will never carry as much as he did or race as far as he did. He missed his chance to prove himself @ 1 1/2 miles in a grade 1 because the Belmont Stakes is the only dirt race of that distance-so we will never know if he can carry his speed over that distance, period.

I believe Drosselmeyer will prove to be the most consistent in this crop of 3 year olds, unless someone else comes out of the woodwork and beats them all-no one is a major stand out at this point.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

ThoroGreats — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:16:15 GMT

Easy Goer would inhale anybody in this crop, including LAL! Easy Goer ran the fastest three year old mile of all time, second fastest Belmont Stakes of all time. Ran many of the most prestigious races in near track record times in the Whitney at 9F, Travers at 10F, Suburban at 10F giving 12-18 pounds away, Belmont, Gotham, Champagne at a mile as a two year old, even at 6.5F as a two year old as well. Ran 7 or 8 120+ or higher beyers in his career,more than any other horse since Bid, 4 more than Ghostzapper,Skip Away,etc or anybody else. Went on to a historic campaign, and even Pat Day has admitted his riding was terrible. Is in the Hall of Fame as well. Easy Goer or Sunday Silence would have inhaled any crop, including this one, since Bid. Any crop.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Vic S — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:04:09 GMT

@klc, I said UP TO THIS POINT IMO that LaL is superior to Easy Goer. LaL should be undefeated given his horrendous trips. Just as many fans of Easy Goer always point the finger at Pat Day who in turn didn't really ride a bad race on the horse. He wasn't winning the Derby, he lost fair and square and pulling his nose to Sunday Silence wasn't going to change the outcome in the Preakness, Pat Day himself would consistently say SS was as game as they come, and in the BCC Sunday Silence out kicked him in the turn which in turn is horseracing because EG was being asked but simply couldn't stay with his quicker rival. As for comparisons with LaL, I don't think LaL with a fair TRIP would let another horse beat him as we have seen time and again. Easy Goer wasn't running into horses heels and being put into the rail in all but 1 race at 3 was he??? Didn't think so, and if so given Easy Goer's lackasdasical turn of foot he couldn't have won the Rebel given LaL's trip because LaL does have sprinter's speed if need be. I also believe LaL to be as game as any horse of recent years (70's) and wouldn't bet against him even if Easy Goer was in the field of 2/spring 3 year olds. This all being said, I recently talked to someone about Winstar farm - and their connections, and it was delightful conversation so I will be pulling for them this year and years to come - goodluck to Winstar and goodluck to all.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Nancy — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 02:36:59 GMT

My wish list for best three year old would be: Lookin at Lucky if he maintains his form the rest of the year, Super Saver if he can pull himself together, Ice Box who recently posted a couple of good Beyers and Winslow Homer, because I liked him early on before his injury.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

LH1216 — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:49:14 GMT

Winslow Homer or Fly Down. These are 2 very talented colts that haven't had the chance to show their best yet, especially Winslow. He was my Derby pick before the injury (and before Esky hit the gas). Lezcano had Fly Down down to a 'T', but was committed to Ice Box in the Belmont. 1 1/2 miles and he was just starting to kick good at the end. He needed an earlier move like Lezcano had done in previous races.

Seriously though Jason. Winslow is the bomb. Any word on how he's doing after the injury? Does it look like 100% recovery? If he's fully recovered, without Eskendereya in the picture, he could take it all in the 3 year old division.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

downhomesunset — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 21:45:37 GMT

What's with the Easy Goer bashing? The horse simply had a presence-a mile under 33 in March? How is that not great? I recall that another horse with that presence-Secretariat-lost races ( and don't start harping on me I am not comparing Big Red to anyone)

Thank you-Thorogreats, klc1975 and anna for coming to his defence before I did!

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

anna — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:38:04 GMT

so klc your saying that discreet cat who equalled easy goer's mile record at aqueduct doesn't compare to him? or bernardini? the first horse to win the preakness, travers and jockey club gold cup since damacus in 1967?

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

klc1975 — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 17:16:20 GMT

Lookin At Lucky is better than Easy Goer? Wth were you drinking? Easy Goer is the second best 3 year old since 1979 and the best was Sunday Silence! I feel that if Easy Goer was given a better, more favorable racing schedule, he would have gone down as a top 10 great. But he lost 3 of 4 to SS and that is a fact.

Look at Easy Goer's impact on racing. His losses to SS and the scheduling and/or distances of the Gotham, Wood, JCGC, Woodward, and Whitney

were all changed because the NYRA realized that their horses would always be at a disadvantage to colts of similiar ability in Triple Crown as well as BC races after Easy Goer's 1989 campaign.

So please do not EVER compare Lookin At Lucky or any of these modern slow/soft horses to Easy Goer! That is blasphemy. Easy Goer's record, times, and competition are unmatched! You can even argue his 3 year old campaign was more impressive than Sunday Silence, given his more taxing schedule. The only 3 year old I have seen of favorable ability to Easy Goer/Sunday Silence was Point Given. No one else was even close.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Jason Shandler — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:39:53 GMT

Sure can Rock. Email me and we can go from there. jshandler@bloodhorse.com

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

anna — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:59:29 GMT

slew well baffert said that he was going to gear him towards a summer campian. and with his pedigree since azeri wasn't great till 4 so i don't think he'd really run in graded stakes till next yr. but i could be wrong but i don't think his owner wants to push him after he had lost clutch player earlier this yr from the colt getting sick and dying shortly after breaking his maiden a couple weeks after take control broke his maiden.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Slew — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:31:58 GMT

Anna..sorry-you are correct. I worry that now it has been 5 months, and I still hear no word of Take Control being back in training.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Rando — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:53:11 GMT

My favorite horse is First Dude...as soon as his trainers/owners figure out how to run him...I believe that he willwin most of his races..he is just learning to run, like Curlin, a slow starter, long strider..yes, some of the horses are have quicker turnover afoot than First Dude, but none have shown more Heart...If First Dude had been let go from the gate at Belmont, he would have desimated the field..

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Terri — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:59:19 GMT

My choice would be Lookin at Lucky, who I liked well before the Breeders' Cup last year. But I have to think that this year's crop of 3-year-olds is somewhat below those in other years. Their Beyers have been really low, and there just doesn't seem to be a dominant horse. It seems like any of the horses could win on any day.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

ThoroGreats — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:22:44 GMT

Indeed, we will ALL be waiting for any horse in this crop, including LAL, to run the fastest three year old mile of all time in 1:32.2, second fastest Belmont Stakes of all time, then go on to a historic campaign, Belmont, Whitney, Travers, Woodward, Jockey Club Gold Cup, run near track record performances in historic, prestigious races such as the Whitney, Travers, Belmont, Suburban, Champagne, Gotham, 6.5f as a two year old. Run 7 or 8 120+ or higher beyers, and be a great Hall of Fame champion. I think we may all be waiting for that from this crop, or any crop.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

anna — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:33:28 GMT

slew take control debuted on 12/30/09 ten went on the shelf after 1/17/10 due to bucked shins and he's the stablemate to lookin at lucky. baffert gave him 90 days off after take control bucked his shins

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Householder — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:21:35 GMT

Lookin at Lucky has wins over 4 of the 5 tracks that he has been over. Any horse that can break his maiden and come back to win a graded stakes the next time out can not be ignored. He also has wins from 6 furlongs all they way to the Preakness. Take a look at that Belmont group. 1/3 only had 1 win and 3 of the 4 just a maiden score. Make Music for Me scored on the 5-6 try in the Pasadena Stakes on grass. He also has the same connections as Real Quiet which would have won the Triple Crown if the Belmont were 1 1/2 and eleven inches. He bobbed right back on Victory Gallop. If he stays sound he will be good for some time.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Vic S — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:31:25 GMT

I am in strong opinion that Sunday Silence and Easy Goer would not devour any colt in this crop. Lookin at Lucky stands in their way up to this point - lets see how the rest of the year pans out.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

OLD TIMER — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:07:41 GMT

Gun Bow, very good summation. That post of 6:55 last night is spot on IMO.

The Belmont was pretty soft this year and the time was horrible.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

ThoroGreats — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:08:43 GMT

BOTH Easy Goer and Sunday Silence would have devoured this crop of three year olds, or any crop of three year old since Spectacular Bid. Easy Goer, SS, Cigar, Ghostzapper are the best horses since Bid in 1979-80.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Fran Loszynski — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:30:03 GMT

Lookin At Lucky won the most in racing. He did that because he's good. Needless to say even with bad trips he hung in their and didn't lose his confidence.

re: Who Will Be the 3-Year-Old Champion?

Slew — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:29:34 GMT

Anna: Take Control broke his maiden in his debut race this year. He is 3, not 2. That is the only race he has been in.