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Originally Posted by slotdirt
Fifth or sixth best 3yo - not disagreeing or agreeing, just curious who would be in that top five or six?
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Secretariat, Spectacular Bid, Affirmed, Alydar would be my top 4.
Slew wasn't a fast horse on anyone's numbers and he ran against what really looked like very weak competition in the triple crown series.
Slew's Ragozin figs going into his final 3 Derby preps were 7.25, 7.25, and 10. He won the KY Derby with a 7 - only one horse has since won the KY Derby with a Rag sheet number as slow or slower - that was Sea Hero - who also ran a 7.
It wasn't just Ragozin - Beyer talked how weak Slew was on his figures as a 3yo in his book 'My $50,000 Year At The Races' - and how overrated he thought he was.
Obviously - Slew's Derby win was easily one of the most impressive visually I've ever seen. It was awesome considering the big early trouble he had - but when you learn it was as slow as Sea Hero's .. that sure takes the sparkle off of it.
Run Dusty Run was 2nd to him in the Derby and Belmont and 3rd in the Preakness - Iron Constitution was 2nd to him in the Preakness. These two aren't beasts.
* Derby and Belmont 2nd place finishers 3yo season:
* Preakness 2nd place finisher
After the Belmont - Slew went out to Hollywood Park for his next start and tanked against 3yo's in a non-effort. He didn't run again that season.
I realize he won the triple crown - Real Quiet came within a nose and arguably a smarter ride of doing so - Charismatic came close - and obviously no one considers them a better 3yo than a horse like Holy Bull. I thought Alydar was clearly better at 3.