In your opinion Charlie what was the second best crop year from 1979-2009?

I can't think of a deeper crop either. Everyone remembers the obvious ones like Java Gold and Alysheba, and the fringe players like Gone West, Lost Code, Polish Navy, and Cryptoclearance, but then you also had quality horses like On The Line.

The fillies from that crop weren't too shabby either, with Personal Ensign and Very Subtle leading the way.

79 was slightly before my time.

My contenders for next best crop would probably, off the top of my head, have to be between 1985, 1989 and 1998 (not many would agree with 98).

85 had Spend a Buck, Chiefs Crown, Proud Truth, Skywalker and many other top flight horses.

89 had SS, EG, KG and Houston.

98 had IC, RQ, VG, EOTY, LL, HH, Artax, Old Trieste, Coronados Quest, Cape Town. Overall, a very underappreciated group.

I don't know. 85 was crazy deep though.

On the Line was, and still is, one of the top three or four sprinters I believe I've ever seen. Great horse.

Gulch and Mining were ok sorts from that crop too. Capote was cut out to be a freak too.

1989 -- the Sunday Silence/Easy Goer rivalry. That preakness was one of the best races I've ever seen.

My favorite from the 1985 3yos was Turkoman. His stretch rally in the 1986 Tallahasee Hcp was one of the best I've ever seen. It was a sprint and the fractions were crazy, but it was still remarkable how he ran down the leaders.

My favorite from the 1985 3yos was Turkoman. His stretch rally in the 1986 Tallahasee Hcp was one of the best I've ever seen. It was a sprint and the fractions were crazy, but it was still remarkable how he ran down the leaders.

I think that's the race in which he galloped out the mile in about 133. That Turkoman had one of the most electrifying turns of foot you'll ever see.

Oh, and perhaps the most gifted horse from that entire crop never even ran as a 3yo (or beyond).

Saratoga Six.

Agreed. He's one of my all-time favorites as well.

Disagree. 1997 was a very good crop led by Silver Charm. You lost two genuine stars in the triple crown series when Pulpit was sidelined after the Derby and Captain Bodgit was injured in the Preakness, so that hurt the long term rankings. Those guys were all good and running really fast coming in. The stretch drive in all 3 races was memorable.

no love for 2001?

other than the unusually fast churchill track, you might have had a deserving triple crown winner against a reasonably talented crop.

I am a huge point given fan! I got into racing in 2004 with smarty jones and when he lost I kind of felt so angry I decided I will only get into triple crown races and wait for the next big horse to come along.

In 2008 I got back into racing when big brown went for the crown. When he failed I got turned off to racing again. But than in 2009 I was finally bit by the racing bug for good and have been obsessed. I've studied racing constantly - whenever I get a free moment I'm reading about racing or watching it on t.v. I'm heading to the track or driving in my car listing to Steve Byck or TVG.

Sadly, I never got to see the entire broadcasts of the 2001 races - I was not into racing yet - or study the 2001 crop. But from my knowledge of the game, and from what I've seen, I know that Point Given was an awesome horse!!! I also know that Monarchos ran an awesome Derby. Point Given he was really a highlight of the last decade. I would love to have seen that Triple crown series and I too am surprised that it is not on everyones list as a great series.

That was it. The 1/2 was run in under 44, at which point Turkoman was some 15 lengths off the lead. Turkoman came flying down the stretch at Hialeah like he had been fired from a slingshot. He got the final 1/4 in 21 and change.

The DWL curse.

Yeah, he was on a roll at the time.

Landaluce, Saratoga Six, Ketoh, a bunch of others and then Grand Canyon.

I wonder how many hall of famers were potentially ruined/killed.

Perhaps.

Though conceivably, with a better trip in the Preakness, the Lukas filly goes 2 for 3 in the TC that year.

If Winning Colors had been caught by Risen Star in the Derby, Stephens probably would not have instructed Day to send Forty Niner to the lead in the Preakness and float her wide. Then we would have been spared the Klein/Stevens vs Stephens feud after the Preakness.

Risen Star definitely got a perfect setup in the Preakness; it made up for the overland trip in the Derby.