Quote:
Originally Posted by Merlinsky
Utterly ridiculous to compare Gun Runner's older horse form against 3yo Justify. The two of them at 3, Justify crushes GR. If you look at what Gun Runner should've been doing given his form and maturity vs. Justify and what a 3yo should've been doing, it's more impressive for Justify to pull it all together like that (same applies to Accelerate v. Justify). When horses don't face each other we gotta get creative and not just give the older horse credit for their mature form, basically like when they judge dog shows and it's not 'Is the Collie better than the German Shorthaired Pointer?' It's 'How does the Collie compare to the standard of the Collie?' etc. Against what we've had from top 5yo form to compare it to, GR was certainly exceptional. To the standard of a 3yo, Justify's physical self is always gonna be up there, and then he goes and accomplishes something that shouldn't have been possible.
We're really lucky to have had both of them. I'd say the best this year on US ground would actually be Enable. The thing is, Justify wasn't even at his best and developed at 3 and then the tracks and weather didn't help. What I believe him capable of towers over everyone, though, so he's arguably it. Enable's Arc and then 114 Beyer in the BCT kind combines GR's older horse quality advantage with Justify's 'shouldn't have been able to do that on so little prep.' Then she traveled here to do it. I gotta bow to the honor of having her race here when everybody would've given them a pass on not even coming.
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I find this post utterly ridiculous. I also find it highly unlikely you would have responded that way to anyone else. Who's Bob's biggest fan? Me. So im unbiased on this. On the track Justify beat up on shitty horses running, mediocre speed figures. He has a huge following which a triple crown winner deserves, but on the track Gun Runner was faster. His 2nd in Dubai to all timer Arrogate and his BC victory over Bobs big 3 are both much better then Justifys very best.