[smuthg]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Of those five - only Afleet Alex has so far managed to hit the double digit mark in career starts.

While Curlin isn't yet retired - not a single one of those five have so much as started in a race a year from the day of their debut.

Of those five - none have managed to win a Horse of the Year title - though Curlin will in a few weeks - and he will do so in one of the sadest years of recent memory for the older male division.

Candy Ride obviously never won a Triple Crown race - but his career would fit very well with those five otherwise.

Obviously a spectacular talent - but one with a very sexy resume if you get past the fact he never won a Championship and was very lightly raced.

Retiring undefeated and as a two surface sensation.

* Turf: winning two Group 1 turf races in South America by tremendous margins in big fields - setting a world record in one of those wins. In his only American turf start - he won a Grade 2 stake - the 2nd place finisher won a Grade 1 by 5 lengths in course record time next out.

* Dirt: Setting a track record in a 123 Beyer Pacific Classic win with Krone up - where Bailey was allowed to get Medeglia D' Oro a cozy lead and the favorable trip - but he just got drowned by a much better horse that day. A future Japan Cup Dirt winner and a two-time Big Cap winner a distant 3rd and 4th.

Barbaro also won six times in his life, 3 on grass, 3 on dirt, without ever really losing. However, I believe Barbaro compares very unfavorably with Candy Ride.

In Barbaro's case -

Dirt: he only has one big race on dirt. the Kentucky Derby. He got a dream trip in that Derby, while his two main rivals in the betting (the subsequntly awful Sweetnorthernsaint & Brother Derek) had awful trips in very poor showings. Bluegrass Cat and Steppenwolfer made the Tri in that race. Inspite of the perfect stalking trip - Barbaro's Beyer was 111 - only two points above par for the avg winning Derby figure - and 3 points below Funny Cide's similar trip Preakness figure! His other two dirt wins - he had future bad claimer Great Point close to him...and he won a stretch duel with Sharp Humor.

Turf: While he had the look of a future can't miss superstar as a turf horse, only one of his three turf wins was a Graded Stake - a 3 3/4 length Grade 3 Stakes win over Wise River.

Out of the five horses you mentioned - I'd probably say the best performance ever turned in was Smarty Jones' in his Preakness win. Very slightly over Curlin's Breeders Cup Classic win and Bernardini's Classic 2nd place.

DrugS, how would you rank them?