[blackthroatedwind]

I like the analogy and what you say makes a lot of sense. Personally I prefer a horse that is truly exceptional in a certain way but obviously a horse with real ability that is tractable has advantages.

The problem in this specific comparison, and I know you weren't specifically espousing this belief, is that First Defence has never really done anything of merit and has, in fact, disappointed more often than not when faced with any real test. Maybe the argument works better between Commentator and Divine Park, in that Divine Park will probably never equal the electrifying performance that Commentator delivered in the Whitney but because of his talent and tractability he is more reliable to accomplish more in a broad spectrum.

War Pass is a horse that also comes to mind. There is no real question that he is a superior talent but there was always the question of whether or not he could rate effectively. As of now it appears he can't and in many ways that may have proven his undoing. War Emblem had those same questions going into the Preakness, but he managed to rate, and ended up winning the race.