Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

late poster :) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:30:08 GMT

It has to be Sham

Sham finished 2 1/2 lengths behind Secretariat in the derby, In fact, he likely ran the second fastest Kentucky Derby ever, crossing the wire in an estimated 159 4/5.

How many horses can say they have run the second fastest Kentucky Derby in history and not won the race?

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

luke — Sun, 03 May 2009 21:05:54 GMT

Well i have to go with sham. No horse will even come close to Secretariat. Also Empire maker was very good.

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

big ricky — Sun, 03 May 2009 00:29:15 GMT

not even close its sham

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

margies — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:03:11 GMT

point given for th;is decade and alydar from the past his only bad luck was running the same yr affirmed ran

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Boldfrisky — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:08:43 GMT

Curlin #3! You gotta be kidding me!!!! Over Easy Goer, Nashua, Holy Bull and Point Given!!! nah!!!

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Monica V — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:47:13 GMT

Lmaris,

One more thing everyone seems to forget when stating that Curlin was beaten by a filly is that every other horse in the race, including Hardspun was beaten by the filly too. She won the race so every other colt was beaten by a filly but you all seem to think only Curlin was.

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Monica V — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:14:24 GMT

Okay. It was interesting reading everyone's thoughts and their picks for the horses who should have won the derby. What really surprised me is that several people used this blog to beat up on Curlin. I don't get it. The horse accomplished quite a bit. He lost the Derby but did you see the Preakness? Did you see that run? Do you know what that cost him for the Belmont? Yes, he was beaten by a Filly who was bred for the distance and was rested. She was a great filly and hadn't had to run her guts out 3 weeks before.

What was the winning margin???? A head. Had Curlin not run the Preakness or even the derby, he probably would have won the Belmont. He had run two races back to back in two weeks that were tough, He was tired!!!!! He still ran his heart out. Beaten by a filly!!!! So What!!!! It seems that that is the defining moment in his career for you haters. I just don't get it. Just what did that horse ever do to you? Did he kick you at the track one day? Unbelievable.

Another thing that I would like to make comment on is that Sunday Silence still gets no respect for the great horse he was. Easy Goer was a great horse, no question. He was just about perfect and the hell of it is, he ran on bad ankles. He had ankle problems that nobody knew about and he still ran like a monster. I loved Easy Goer but he could only beat the black horse from the west 1 time out of 4 meetings. Everyone still says Easy Goer was the better horse but the proof is in the pudding. 3 out of 4 times is the test and Sunday Silence did it. Oh sure, the slop, the ride and all the other excuses the fact still remains that Sunday Silence was the only horse to beat Easy Goer more than once. I'm not taking away from Easy Goer but Sunday Silence deserves the respect he never got in life.

As far as Secretariat is concerned, we will never see another. His Belmont will never be equaled or beaten. Yes, Easy Goer has the second fastest Belmont but he would have been 10 lengths behind Secretariat had he raced that day.

Other than that, everyone makes a great case for their to 10 horses who didn't run the Derby.

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Monica V — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:46:05 GMT

LDP,

Curlin carried 134 pounds.

Assmussen was upset with the weight assignment. He was giving away 10 to 15 pounds to every single horse in the race. He was a great weight carrier. Didn't phase him. He was a throwback to the old days of Round Table and Forego.

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Monica V — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:40:03 GMT

LMaris,

Curlin carried 132 pounds in the Jaguar cup and 134 pounds in the Stephen Foster. Can you name any horse who has carried that much in the last 10 years?

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Leo-Run — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:10:59 GMT

Native Dancer has to be #1 but I fail to understand how Gallant Man, Damascus, Round Table, Discovery, Arts & Letters, Challedon, Alsab, Devil Diver & Forego do not even appear on the list. Curlin & Afleet Alex may not even belong in the top 100

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Rrodzos — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:34:20 GMT

Native Dancer & Alydar to me are relatively a tie.

Native Dancer, however, belongs above Alydar. He was quite a horse and should've definitely gotten that win.

And I will probably be gasped at for saying but I feel Curlin is to far up on the list.

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

AudraMaire — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:21:26 GMT

Curlin.

i dont cae what you say.

and if your old. i dont care either if you seen them run im person omg your sooooo cool.

i dont care :)

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

New Orleans Lady — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:52:49 GMT

My vote(s) are ranked by the 'the best horse that should have won' not based on against the horse that did win. For example, poor Sham was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I don't think he should've won the Derby in that year, so he ranks pretty low on my list. Conversly, Native Dancer was the best horse and should have won, so he ranks first on my list; and his impact on the thoroughbred racing horse is, to me, second to none. Every horse in last year's KY Derby was descended from Native Dancer...awesome! And it continues this year thru' Unbridled's Song...think how many derby candidates he has had this year as a sire and broodmare sire! I think this is the year of the grey and I was hoping Larry Jones' Old Fashioned was going to be 'it' but...also, don't forget Stardom Bound (even Rachel Alexandra is related thru' the broodmare sire line).

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Pakistan Post — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:16:44 GMT

I would say Native Dancer ranks the top of all great but Kentucky Derby losers.

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Julie L. — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:42:36 GMT

Denise - it's true what you say about Little Current he should have been on this list and it is due to the traffic he encountered that they began to limit the number of horses in the Derby and many expects back then in the 70's said that if not for the traffic issues Little Current would have won the Triple Crown I remember those races very well.

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

charles2u — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:09:09 GMT

Sham ran into a monster.

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Denise — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:12:58 GMT

What about Little Current?? He is the reason why the field is limited to 20 starters!

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

jamnstv — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:16:33 GMT

Thanks for the memories of Ten Broeck and Molly. Must be my favorite race/song of all time. Sometimes even makes me get tears. Training of today is nothing like the past. I know owners/trainers think about the money, but Thoroughbreds will BORN to run!

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Pilgrim — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:03:34 GMT

I am old enough. I saw the Native Dancer/Dark Star Derby on TV. I've watched every Derby since and never have seen a more heartbreaking loss. It wasn't Guerin's fault. It was the knocking about and fall back around the first turn. The Dancer's race record, ability at varying distances, weight carrying ability, all make him #1 on this list. You haven't seen a horse like him in many years and probably never will.

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Cher — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:02:28 GMT

Let me just say that the way Afleet Alex stuck the Preakness and Belmont is proof that, given a better chance, he could have been the twelfth TC winner. That's why he's in front of Native Dancer - whom I didn't see race in the Derby, so can't say which was a better race. And you gotta believer Risen Star could've kicked hindquarter! Where's he?

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Wild Again — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:48:30 GMT

RISEN STAR... one of the most forgotten .... landslide wins in the Preakness & Belmont...

and I loved Wild Again... just wanted his name here! LOL!!!

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Sarava — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:09:35 GMT

Curlin. By a long shot.

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

MAK70 — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:15:52 GMT

Interesting...some were facing challenging competition (Alydar, Easy Goer), some had to face "modern" Kentucky Derby with 19 rivals that exponentially makes a different race, some became great sires so now we try to retroactively classify them as the best that never won, and some GREW into great racehorses. I'm soooo glad Curlin raced a bit longer, it's too easy to retire early (although he might have if not for his ownership situtation- then he would be breeding subpar mares in an obscure state or country).

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

Dennis — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:03:58 GMT

Forgo (sp) was clearly the best not to win

re: Best Horse Not to Win the Kentucky Derby

derbydreamer — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:23:25 GMT

Forego-- not his year.

Ruffian- she could have taken all of them.