RAGS or RACHEL
 

Rags to Riches even though I think Rachel is perhaps the better of the two.

Rags by far. Horrible break. And beat one of the greatest horses in a number of years in a battle down the stretch. She showed extraordinary courage and toughness. We aren't even sure yet who Rachael has beaten. But I don't think there is a curlin lurking in there.

Dont think there is a Curlin lurking in that field? How about a field better off curling?

Dead Heat....even to me. Both showed they could handle the assignment at the time.

rachel, party of one for me. why? she faced heat from start to finish in the race on saturday, and still prevailed. she didn't steal the race. she broke from post 13-go look up the last time they had a winner from the 13-and had big drama throughout much of the race pressing her. every horse that ran with her early, or tried to, finished-where?
besides, she also won the oaks by a record margin. then there's her martha washington....her average margin of victory this year has been pretty awesome. rags on the other hand, didn't control every part of the race in her belmont win. i enjoyed it very much, but i would give the nod to rachel. as for beating curlin vs beating mine that bird....i was never a big curlin fan. to me he proved the adage that it was better to be lucky than good. he benefitted by having every other good member of his crop retire while he went on to beat a big pile of nothing at four.

I am taking the opposite stance from Cowgirlintexass.

I was far more impressed with RA's Preakness than I was with Rags Belmont, but I think Rags was the better filly.

Interesting you mentioned the Martha Washington, Eight Belles won that by quite a margin also and if I can humbly say I would rank her 2nd in the derby though not a win was quite an accomplishment also, especially when you are referencing R2R and RA performances against the opposite sex.

but rachel shaved two seconds off the record in that win. that's why i mentioned it.
as for eight belles, that derby had her and big brown, and nothing else.

Why does the competition that Eight Belles and Rags To Riches (and by curious extension HOY Curlin) ran against come into play against them, and yet the same standard is not extended to Rachel Alexandra?

i think the field saturday is the best one rachel has faced, i haven't said otherwise. i also think eight belles gets more credit than she deserves because of her death. and i'll probably get crap for saying that, but it's true and is my opinion. yes, she got second in the derby-i'd have been shocked if she hadn't, considering who else ran...
i don't think curlin is that good, so why would i give points for rags beating him by a head bob? i think there were better horses in that crop that year than curlin, and that he benefitted by them all clearing the field and leaving him to it all at age four.


edit~ the question was which race i thought was better, i gave my answer and why i thought that way-that's all.

Did you see the '07 JCGC and BC Classic? Who of consequence was missing from those races?

I suppose Curlin loses points for being both versatile and durable?

As for the edit, you've clearly gone beyond the initial question. Else, why are we talking about multiple renewals of the Martha Washington?

yes, i saw them.
also, i went beyond the topic because i saw mention from others of not just who they thought had the better race, but who was the better horse-so i chose to expound on my answer and how i arrived at my thinking.

as for curlin, i am mostly thinking of his four year old season when i say he had the field to himself. i thought he had a very good season at three, as did a few others. i think it's a shame they all retired, and left him to play all alone.

Some people forget that Any Given Saturday was a shorter price than Curlin in the Breeders Cup Classic in which he won...and the Belmont Stakes the year R2R won it was such an insanely slow paced race and Curlin was down inside at Belmont.

I realize R2R beat a far more legit horse ... but it's tempting to pick RA's Preakness because R2R's Belmont was run at a snail's pace at an uncommonly long distance.

I voted dead heat.

Another less tricky poll would be RA's Oaks win vs RA's Preakness win.

i don't know...some would pick the oaks because of the margin, but i would definitely vote for saturdays effort.

It would be a close call.

The Oaks obviously visually ... but I'm of the opinion that her Preakness win was much more dominant than it appears.

Seeing Rags' Belmont was far and away the most exciting race I've seen live, but I'd give the edge to Rachel for most impressive.

I would rate Zarkava's win in the Arc higher than Rags or Rachel if their was a button to push in the poll, but that's just me. :rolleyes:

start another poll!

I would say Rags to Riches but she did lose in her next start with her own sex.