[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Ok, I guess we are quibbling on semantics. He was the best in the race is what I mostly was saying, though I do believe he is a much better horse than the winner.

"Much the best" is an overused phrase.

His pedigree, while interesting, isn't that exciting in my eyes.

I HATE his running style, and almost never like horses that run like he does. I do, however, think he's got a terrific turn of foot.

His trainer? I think he's overrated and does receive hype.



Where to start?

You may interpret me as being sloppy, when it's really more just being lazy about explaining my views on Shared Belief and Top Billing.

I've said all along that Shared Belief is most likely unsound and I am not even the slightest bit surprised he's already having issues.

Whopdee doo about him not running on dirt yet. Here's a list for you, see if you can identify what these following horses have in common. By the way, I'm fairly confident this horse will like dirt anyways, but here goes...

2006 Barbaro
2007 Street Sense
2008 Big Brown
2009 Mine That Bird
2011 Animal Kingdom
2012 I'll Have Another

Now to Top Billing.

What makes him more overhyped than Honor Code?? For starters, how about otherwise sharp people thinking that he deserved the Eclipse more than Shared Belief? All he did was win his MSW, come in second with a really nice showing to a pretty decent horse in the Champagne, and then he won ugly in the Remsen.

Granted, Top Billing hasn't beaten anything yet, but trust me when I say this, they have not cranked him up yet. I'm also almost certain that the barn considers him to be the better of the two horses.

Did you watch his race Saturday? I thought I saw, despite a slower time, a significantly more impressive performance than what Cairo Prince did later on in the card. This horse has so much upside it's scary.

By the way, has anyone ever seen those silks before that his jock had on for that race? I didn't recognize them. Did Farish change his silks?

Contrary to what you feel I believe about Honor Code, he was my earliest Derby pick (until the Hollywood Prevue), so I do like him.

I think it's a bad sign that he has only one workout (3F) this month/year, and see him as an unlikely threat for the Derby.

I like Top Billing I think he is going to be really good. I just think Honor Code is better, and even though they have both only raced three times, Honor Code is much more accomplised as of right now. As for the works regarding Honor Code, that does not bother me at all. Begining of December, Shug said on CapitalOTB the plan was the Fountain of Youth. He said he has to let the horse mature. I buy that 100% So if thats been the case and the Fountain of Youth is a month out, Im OK with the one work.