Since I'm having BC withdrawl. . .
 

Was the top of the '06 or '07 crop more talented?

2006- Barbaro, Bernardini, Bluegrass Cat (not putting Lawyer Ron in because his success was this year at four)

2007- Curlin, Street Sense, Hard Spun

It's obviously impossible to ever know for sure, but just something I was thinking about. . .

I'd have to say this year. Barbaro not racing after the Derby really hurt the 06 crop but Curlin did nothing wrong in my book he went 6 for 9 for the year and I got to see him win in Arkansas.

That is a very hard call...before the BCC I would have said the 2006 crop but I dont remember anyone running as fast as Curlin did yesterday. Also the 2006 crop never really did battle. Bluegrass Cat faced off with Bernardini and Barbaro each one time while Barbaro and Bernardini never really faced each other. The 2007 crop beat up on each other all year which was great to see. In my opinion I would say the 2007 crop.

close call
 

but nobody even mentioned the 2006 horse of the year

wasn't really sure where to put him. . .

2006.5

I don't know why you wouldn't put Lawyer Ron in...he did win the Risen Star, Southwest, Rebel, Ark Derby, 2nd in the Super Derby. I mean it's not like he didn't win well over a million at 3 and was an unknown heading into this year.

Invasor campaigned as an "older" last year, so he was not part of the 3yo picture.

As of now, it looks like this year's group has done more. Realistically, once Barbaro was hurt, no one stepped up but Bernardini. Bluegrass Cat was not even in his league. Look at it like this: Assume that the top 4 3yo's are SS, HS, Curlin and AGS (as shown by the BCC odds.) Had SS been injured in the Derby and unable to compete for the rest of the year (a la Barbaro) we would still be looking at a BCC dominated by 3yo's. C, HS, Tiago, AGS are the best horses in training and maybe they are really good or maybe the older horse division truly stunk this year. Maybe a little of both.

Did he run better than Barbaro, Bluegrass Cat, or Bernardini in the triple crown preps/races, travers, and classic?

Yeah, I'd say he ran better than Bluegrass Cat and Bernardini in the triple crown preps (remember Bernardini didn't even take part in those)...arguably even better than Barbaro...he did win 4 straight heading into the triple crown to start off 2006...3 of them graded stakes. Bluegrass Cat lost the TB Derby to Deputy Glitters and got pummeled in the Blue Grass. Obviously his TC performance rated massively below the 3 mentioned. And he then missed time with a minor injury after the Ky Derby. But he was a serious player heading in to the TC. He had the highest Beyer of the 3 in a TC prep race. And he was only one of two around for the classic, so he did run better than at least 2 of them in the Classic.

how could any1 forget that monster that won the belmont last year? rumor has it theyre scheduling a match race between him and sarava