Most Underrated of 2006
 

Horse -
1. Invasor, it seemed most people held Sun King against him (and possibly the layoff) going into the Breeder's Cup.
2. Gorella, pity this late flying mare will likely be passed up for the Eclipse. Ouijia Board put together an exceptional global year, but only one of those races was in the U.S. beating the same fillies Gorella had.

Trainer -
While Pletcher was breaking every record out there McLaughlin had an outstanding year.

Jockey -
Prado, just the all around great sportsman.

Race -
The Whitney

Horse - Thor's Echo

Trainer - Helen Pitts

Jockey - Jon Court

Race - Whitney

I agree with all of this.

I have gone the past 2 years and it has been 2 tremendous renditions of the race.

I don't really understand how a horse that is about to recieve Horse of the Year honors can also be considered "the most underrated" horse in training.

Discreet Cat just toyed with Invasor in late March (I know, it was on foreign soil)---and he has pretty much toyed with everything else he's run against. The lowest figure he's ever run in his entire career, a 106, came in August when he debuted as a 2-year-old.

He ran a faster adjusted final time, in that race, his 2-year-old debut....than did a 9-for-9 (at the time) King's Bishop winner named Lost in the Fog on that same card. Discreet Cat's maiden was also run in faster adjusted final time than the Hopeful Stakes, also run on the same card, a race which featured First Samurai, Henny Hughes, and Too Much Bling as it's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers. That's the kind of stuff you never see from a debuter.

They took DC to Dubai for the winter---and several very sharp people came right out and said it spelled the end of him. "He would be ruined", etc. He survived silly mismanagement...just as he will survive another winter of silly mismanagement while stabled in Dubai.

Discreet will win no year-end honor...but, he would be bet to favortisim over any horse in the country, at any distance, ranging from 6.5 furlongs on dirt-to-1 1/4 miles on dirt. I wouldn't call DC "underrated" though---as his ability and talent is obvious...and he's had A LOT of hype.

DC is coming back, If Barbaro doesn't win an Eclipse award...an outstanding case could be made that he is one of the all-time most talented horses to never win a championship. Barbaro is the one American 3-year-old turf horse I've seen during my lifetime, who had the ability to be considered an almost certain winner of the Epsom Derby. He was jaw-dropping on turf....and, perfect stalking trip or not, his performance in the Kentucky Derby was totally outstanding.

Barbaro obviously couldn't be labeled "underrated" though.

In my opinion, the most underrated horse in the country might be Any Given Saturday. He's never won a stake race, his accomplishments are modest, and his talent is pretty big.

Not to be disagreeable but since when are Invasor, McLaughin,Gorella, Prado, and the Whitney underrated?

I mean you have to dig a little deeper......

Premium Tap was short coming into that race.

Invasor ran a Herculean race to win....overcoming a wildly pre-mature move, and turning back a 2nd place finisher who fell into a dream tactical trip.

Any race that features Sun King 2nd, West Virgina 3rd, and We Can Seek 4th will be quickly dismissed by me when we talk "most underrated race of the year." That is for sure.

100% agreed.

However, I still say Sightseek is our most underrated poster on this board.

Speaking of Premium Tap...

I think he was quite underrated this year.

i remember a race where he was "underridden"

That's exactly why I think Invasor is underrated. Going into the BC all you would hear about is Bernardini and Lava Man. Then Invasor beats them and is grudgingly given Horse of the Year by the Bernimaniacs and now all we hear about is how wonderful Discreet Cat is. Once the first paper champion was defeated a new one sprung up in his place. I'm looking forward to this one being exposed as well.

Discreet Cat has been my very own paper champ for a long, long time....

Hopefully Invasor makes a much better account of himself against him the 2nd time around.....I'm sure he'll at least offer him a test of some sort this time.

I've been a huge Discreet Cat fan since the maiden win at Saratoga but the way so many people jumped from Bernardini to him cause they couldn't respect Invasor was pretty annoying to me.

If you think that was anything remotely close to the real Invasor that ran in Dubai then you think a lot more highly of Testimony and Flamme De Passion then I do.

My vote goes to D Money's 2nd win of the Saratoga meet, in the very last race on closing day. He was a zip code behind on the far turn but managed to pass the entire field in the stretch.

What a way to end the meet!

i don't think gorella is underrated, but too many expected her to overcome a top field of guys, with a racing style that doesn't quite suit to that distance, that level of competition, and having to have a clear run when she's ready to jump on the gas.

horses have won based on one top effort in the u.s. after top efforts elsewhere in the world. high chaparral immediately leaps to mind, after defeating the american-based turf horse who won every other big race that year. certainly ouija board deserves the eclipse. also, one-time turfers have won the award, so one run definitely qualifies a horse.

i think premium tap was underrated, while sauve imo was THE most overrated graded winner this year.

I think if anything Gorella was overrated. Her last win before the BC was totally unimpressive and her BC was an utter mess.

Premium Tap is probably the most underrated horse of the year. Remember when he beat Sun King in that allowance sprint race (when Sun King was 3/5) and everybody thought he was just a fluke?

I would consider Gorella overrated.

Invasor was underrated, but not anymore.

I can't believe DrugS didn't nominate the Sham as the most underrated race. Surely he gives it the lifetime achievement award.

Before my debut here---I went way out of my way, writing serveral tedious and boring posts about how Bernardini had won all of his races with one cupcake trip after another---and, that he was certain to face real adversity, from a trip standpoint, in the Classic for the first time. Which I believe he did.

I haven't noticed "Bernardini fans jumping to DC" ---if anything, the people who crowned Bernardini all seem to have shifted to Invasor...and, to a lesser extent, Barbaro. Which is why Invasor is a shoe-in for Horse of the Year.

I agree that Invasor wasn't at his best in Dubai--there were three genuine South American superstars in that race...the mighty Simpatico Bribon, who was undefeated in 8 career starts on dirt, and brought massive repute into the UAE Derby. Gold For Sale, who was an undefeated Group 1 winner on turf, and a very impressive Group Stakes winner in his only dirt start. And, of course, Invasor...the undefeated Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year of lowly Urugauy.

The poor showing by all three of them in the raise was quite eye-catching...and makes you think a little...however, anyone with even modest race watching skills, could see that Discreet Cat ran a gigantic race that day.

The Sham Stakes really ought to be renamed the DrugS Stakes. I would surely fly out to So. Cal and award the trophey each year.