Kelso - #2 rated North American horse of all-time

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Obviously, winning five straight Horse of the Year titles is an amazing accomplishment - and one that will never be tested.

I've found the quality of competition that Kelso faced to be outstanding. Based on sheer body of work - I would rate him second to only Spectacular Bid in the history of North American racing.

A 7-time track record setter - he did win a Met Mile under 130lbs - he was never worse than 2nd in a combined five starts in the D. C. International and Man O' War on turf. However, his best game was going long on dirt.

He was a perfect 7-for-7 lifetime - with 5 Jockey Club Gold Cup wins at distances of 11 furlongs or further.

At 10fs or further - his record was 25-17-6-1 - and that record was compiled in the absolute toughest possible races to win of his day.... top handicaps for older males...and he was virtually always the significant top weight.



The only blemish was a 5th by 14 in the '64 Brooklyn - however that was the race Gun Bow took advantage of a loose lead and freaked in victory by 12 lengths with an excellent group in his wake.

In Kelso's entire career - he was only beaten one time beyond a mile on dirt in a Non-Handicap - level weight or weight for age situation. That was when Gun Bow beat him a nose in the '64 Woodward.

His victory over Gun Bow in the '64 Aqueduct at 9fs has to rate as his greatest performance ever...and perhaps the guttiest win I've ever seen.

In Gun Bow's last 3 starts, he won the Brooklyn by 12, won the Whitney by 10 over 16 time stakes winner & champion Mongo (a horse who had already captured three 100K+ dirt stakes that season and was in sharp form) and Gun Bow took Arlington's biggest race at the time by 2 lengths - giving a solid runner up 21 pounds.

Kelso, the reigning 4-time Horse of the Year with a perfect 7-for-7 lifetime record at 9f's coming in was a 2/1 underdog to the 1/2 favorite Gun Bow at level weight - with both asked to carry 128lbs.



Impossibly, Kelso wins the race despite being ridden like a quarter horse from the start to try and keep up with his rocketship loose on the lead rival.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW0ea_jwYCU


I think it's a great debate between Secretariat and Citation as to who the best 3-year-old of all time was. Citation was 19-for-20 at age 3 .. I projected a 118 for Derby, 116 for Preakness, 117 for Jersey Stakes, and 116 for his Belmont. But Secretariat was easily better during the triple crown than Citation was at any point of his 3yo season. I certainly don't think either can be rated as high as Spectacular Bid or Kelso.