Randy's Rankings - Classic Division
 

Mucho Macho Man over Game On Dude and Palace Malice??? Granted he seems to be leaning on consistency in the Classic itself, but then has Shared Belief as #5.

http://challenge.breederscup.com/randys-rankings

Will that was a little strange!

Hey speaking of Lea... where is he?

Posted his second work at Saratoga today.

Oh good! Thank you.

no reason to have anyone ahead of palice malice right now.

One can make a case for MMM #1, over PM, due to him crushing PM last year in the same race at the same track. I don't agree with that, but there is sense to it.

No way I'd have Game on Dude anywhere near that high.

Shared Belief could easily be #1, or #10.

Game on Dude would blow Shared Belief off any race track.

That is certifiably ridiculous.

No, he absolutely cannot.

You guys are all overrating this flashy 2yr old. Never run on dirt, but he can be competitive with a horse who poped a 118 beyer 2 starts back.

Maybe in a year if he continues improving and handles dirt and he's healthy he could then possibly be competitive with the Dude.

It's a certifiably ridiculous statement that says horse "A" would destroy horse "B" knowing that horse "A" needs a very specific pace scenario and ride to run his best race, and not even taking into consideration what that would entail.

When GoD doesn't get things his way, he gets trounced by horses like Blingo.

So it's a certifiably ridiculous statement.

I am going to come out of retirement if and when they face off.

You can't see a plausible scenario in which SB wins the Classic?

How about this one?

He isn't rushed through a grinding Triple Crown series and is able to maintain his sheer brilliance as a three year old. Being by a sire that does just fine with dirt progeny, out of a Storm Cat dam that has some really good dirt runners in her family, he somehow is able to overcome the theory that he's a synthetic only runner and manages to beat what is a quite mediocre group of older horses on dirt.

I have strong doubts he'll even be in training when the Classic is run, but is it really that hard to believe he's better than the older horses?

Yes, but I don't exactly see the older horses as being mediocre either. Historically brilliant? No.

There are still some decent 3 year olds out there as well that either were injured prior to the Derby or are late developing (like Bay of Plenty, Rock Fall etc.).

Game On Dude never seems to get the respect that other multiple G1 winners do... why is that?

What makes you think that? I can't think of another US runner who has been more "respected" on the tote board in the last 4 years.

At this point, I can't see a horse with one ridiculous 6f race as a 3YO on the Tapeta winning the BC Classic. You obviously hold him in much higher regard than I do.

Your scenario is not ridiculous, but it is a tad far fetched. We don't really know how far he wants to go, we don't know how he's going to handle dirt, and we don't know if he's going to stay healthy. I wouldn't exactly be queuing up to get a BC Classic future on him. The fact that he's currently 12-1 at Wynn is laughable.

Just seems that way to me at times... maybe it's me.

No, I agree with you and will admit that I've been guilty of it too. Compare him with a horse like Lava Man, who was absolutely beloved, perhaps in part because his career arc was highlighted by a bellowing announcer when he downed the true superstar AP Xcellent in 2007.

Between 2005 and 2007, Lava Man won the Californian, Hollywood Gold Cup (2x), Goodwood, Big Cap, and Whittingham. He lost the BC Classic in 2006, the JCGC in 2005, and ended his career on a 7-race losing streak.

Since 2011, Game on Dude has won the Santa Anita Handicap (3x), Hollywood Gold Cup (2x), Pacific Classic, Goodwood (2x), and San Antonio. Yes, he's lost 3 BC Classics in a row, but ran a winning race in 2011. His four failures in "big" spots have to be the reason, because he has had a damn fine career.

Thank you for this...I think (!). :)

One of my favorite race calls of all time is the one you mentioned. It was, like the day, unforgettable.

12:1? AYFKM? That is insane.

Right now it's all about palace malice as the most likely winner at this point. I don't like his showing at the race last year, so it would not be a shock to see someone else win. The older males are pretty ordinary, and the three year old there really isn't anyone that is extraordinary. Except maybe Shared Belief. Someone mentioned the sidelines three year olds, but they won't be back in time.

I agree with you...I think this is one special horse...Now he just has to go out and prove it.