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Originally Posted by Linny
The reply that horse X beat the winners of... is pointless. Everyone likes to say, Big Brown beat the winners of the Travers and more etc. Well yeah, someone has to win in the absence of the "big horse." Someone had to win the big races after Ruffian was gone. Who knows or cares who won the Alabama run 66 weeks after Ruffian's death?
I see the same re: RA. The horses she beat by 20-40 lengths have gone on to win graded races, when no one anywhere as good as Rachel were not there. The only 3yo filly I'd like t see RA face is Careless Jewel.
I think RA is a very nice filly, in fact I think she's better than Ruffian, in part because she's had the chance to prove herself in ways Ruffian never did. (Ruffian broke down in her only try against a colt, never faced elders etc.) That said, I think that beating a weak group of older males doesn't really mean much. The RA that won the Haskell or Mother Goose would have won by more. (Though I tip my cap to her inane fractions. They probably sent to avoid being ganged up on.) The Woodward was (IMO) the equal of Curlin's JCGC last year. He won, but it was a tough effort and showed he was over the top. They both won on class.
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I personally think the way she won the Woodward proved how very great she is. People will say "oh she only beat Macho Again by a head, or, another couple yards she would have been beat, blah blah blah"... same stuff people said about the Preakness.
Her Woodward and Preakness were two of the best races you will ever see from a race horse.