I've always felt that the one that got really "jobbed" was Perrault in 1982. Even though he did win the Eclipse for turf for that year, there's no way in my mind that he shouldn't have been Horse Of The Year.

That beast finished first in 3 GI's at 10 furlongs, 2 on dirt and 1 on turf, in sub-2minute time, and annexed another GI at 12 furlongs on turf in 2:23 flat........beating John Henry in the process! Granted, John pulled a hip muscle in that race (The San Luis Rey) and was out for a considerable time afterward, but I was there that day, and trust me, no horse in the world would have beaten Perrault in that race, not even a 100% John Henry.

His 1-1/4 races, for the record, were the Santa Anita Hcp (nose in first but controversially DQ'd), the Hollywood Gold Cup (back when it really meant something), and the Arlington Million (in stakes record time that still stands).

Conquistador Cielo was a brilliant colt...........for 5 days! His enormous feat of beating elders in the Met Mile in track record time, and then romping in the 12f Belmont Stakes over a sloppy track by 14 (beating that great Derby winner Gato Del Sol) just 5 days later is nothing that can ever be taken away from him. But let's face it. He was a GII winner at two, won a GII and a GIII at 3 in addition to his Met and Belmont victories, could only manage a third in the Travers against Runaway Groom, and never raced again.

How can anybody look at that, Met Mile/Belmont double in 5 days or not, and say that he accomplished more than Perraut over the course of the year?

That's all 25 years ago now, and it still rankles me!