Mineshaft - am I losing my mind?

[Danzig]

there will always be doubters, always people who enjoy nothing so much as being the devils advocate. or there are those who just aren't willing/able to see things. one convoluted bit of logic i always get a chuckle from, are the arguments that mineshaft beat 'nothing' and then you see praise heaped onto perfect drift (for example) who beat mineshaft from the same person who just criticized the HOY winner! i mean, if mineshaft was nothing, beat nothing, why would they think it's a big deal that PD beat mineshaft??? haven't quite figured that one out as yet.

mineshaft had a really good campaign that year--i have to say i would take a horse like mineshaft over some of the far more lightly raced champs we've had....
as for ducking, his schedule was out there for all to see--bobby frankel for one freely admitted ducking HIM.
as for the bcc, mineshaft didn't go due to a problem with one of his legs( a chip maybe? horses sometimes run with them til they become a real problem)--and why would you run a horse with a leg problem in cali of all places? everyone had a chance all year to run against him--they didn't. and then critics pop up accusing the mineshaft team of ducking. um, yeah, ok.

i do think it's a shame that when a horse has a great year he still has his detractors. but it happens in all areas of society, not just in horse racing! just a fact of life.

[Betsy]

Great points Danzig, and thanks, too, Ateam - I was getting tired of banging my head against the wall. I'm not expecting or asking people to say he was the greatest horse in the world, either......just hoping for the horse to get credit.

LOL about Perfect Drift-that's so true. Oh, that's another point against Mineshaft - he lost a race (on dirt)! As for his injury, I have to assume Farish and Howard were telling the truth - I don't know why there is so much suspicion around Farish when the man has been a sportsman all his life. All I know is that if Mineshaft WAS injured and he ran in the BC.....and then it was discovered that Farish, etc..knew about the injury, what do you think the fans' reaction would have been? They would have been in an uproar on the boards, screaming about the cruelty to animals, etc.....It actually makes me want to laugh!

[disappearingdan_akaplaya]

yes the almighty mineshaft was ducked and ducked and ducked but funny how they ducked the BCC with the horse.........hmmmmmm maybe because hed actually have to run against a full field and the last time the horse did that he lost, not to mention the almighty mineshaft was defeated by balto star on the DIRT ....... as ive said numerous times a very nice horse but can you truly put the label"great" on him?