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Originally Posted by Merlinsky
As much as Midnight Lute's 1 win this year bothers me (and normally I love me some ML) it would bother me more if Benny the Bull got it. Without his Dubai win he wouldn't be in this position with 2 G2s in the US and if we're considering outside the US wins for Eclipse awards, heck give Zarkava her due or at least Goldikova if you insist on a US win to bridge the relevancy. ML's BC Sprint win did face all comers that were still in one piece and he's the returning champ. He was too darn big for the gate in the Pat O'Brien and would've won the race if he hadn't stepped all over himself. He quite simply was the most magnificent US sprinter in terms of pure talent so the main argument against him is the number of wins, a perfectly valid concern. The only horse to actually beat Midnight Lute this year was Midnight Lute. He screwed himself up.
If ML doesn't get it, and Benny can't either (the Golden Shaheen doesn't count in the US sprint championships and since when is that the world championship of sprinting?) who do we go to... well off the top of my head--Street Boss had 2 G1s in the US so he's got Benny beat. Problem is, ML beat Street Boss in the Sprint. So now what? I'll try to think of another alternative. (ETA ok so having trouble finding anyone other than Street Boss as a viable alternative to ML and SB did finish 3rd in the BC Sprint so there ya go for now)
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Well, I don't have a problem considering the Golden Shaheen for Eclipse awards since he is an American-based horse, so I have to reject your premise out of hand.
Though to play devil's advocate according to your logic, if you're going to excuse Midnight Lute's loss because he did it to himself, you also have to excuse Benny the Bull's failure to win the BC Sprint, because he did that to himself with that ankle injury. That logic then renders Midnight Lute's BC Sprint win as worthless as Benny's Golden Shaheen win and now we're arguing whether Street Boss should be champion sprinter, and that conversation's a non-starter as far as I'm concerned. Of course I'm taking your logic to the extreme and borderline irrational, but I think it doesn't hold up.
On the other hand, Zarkava doesn't count because she never started here, but knock yourself out if you want to make a case for Goldikova in any of the relevant categories, I certainly think it's possible and wouldn't even go out of my way to try to disagree with someone who wanted to make the case for her winning the 3yo filly award.