2012 Eclipse Awards finalists

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

How do you have Mucho Macho Man who won two grade 2 events over a horse who won 2 grade 1 events and 3 grade 2 events?

You mean Game On Dude? Every event is nothing more than the value of the race's grading? The performances and participants involved don't have any bearing? Mucho Macho Man was a head from winning the Classic and arguably was impeded from winning the Woodward. Game On Dude beat up on relatively little most of the year and then was shown up for being rather one dimensional when not getting his way in the Classic.. on his home track no less. I'd have put Game On Dude 4th if that was an option, but in my judgement he didn't distinguish himself to a greater degree than Mucho Macho Man in 2012.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by Kasept

You mean Game On Dude? Every event is nothing more than the value of the race's grading? The performances and participants involved don't have any bearing? Mucho Macho Man was a head from winning the Classic and arguably was impeded from winning the Woodward. Game On Dude beat up on relatively little most of the year and then was shown up for being rather one dimensional when not getting his way in the Classic.. on his home track no less. I'd have put Game On Dude 4th if that was an option, but in my judgement he didn't distinguish himself to a greater degree than Mucho Macho Man in 2012.

If we just went on who they beat in socal then Zenyatta should never have won very much, she never beat much of anything out there. You show up for grade 1 events and win them, often in dominating fast performances and its your fault no one else showed up. Why have a grading system at all?

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

If we just went on who they beat in socal then Zenyatta should never have won very much, she never beat much of anything out there. You show up for grade 1 events and win them, often in dominating fast performances and its your fault no one else showed up. Why have a grading system at all?

Game on Dude shouldn't win anything, but he got screwed on the basis of one bad performance.

The fact that Little Mike is actually an older male finalist over him pretty much shows you that the voting biased against the horse tailing off or the horse who bombs on BC day is still there. He is a main track horse, Little Mike is a turf horse.

I would be shocked if Questing wins...even though there is no one else to give it to in that category.

There has always been a strong bias against the horse who tails off late in the season or doesn't fire in the Breeders Cup.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

If we just went on who they beat in socal then Zenyatta should never have won very much, she never beat much of anything out there. You show up for grade 1 events and win them, often in dominating fast performances and its your fault no one else showed up. Why have a grading system at all?

I understand where you're coming from but it's one dimensional to strictly judge horses' seasons -- and careers -- on just the pure number power of the graded stakes. The grading system was created by/for the breeders as a generality. We can analyze the specific events more closely for a better handle on the quality of the races themselves and the performances within them.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by Kasept

My inclination is to reward everyone that was worthy

That is common in society today.

I once got an award for finishing 4th out of 5 in a track and field event in 8th grade.

Unbridled Command over Wise Dan for 3rd best turf horse is brutal Steve.

The Bertrando year, he won older male because they had a special category for turf horses.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

That is common in society today. I once got an award for finishing 4th out of 5 in a track and field event in 8th grade.

This is a slightly different. Wise Dan, Little Mike and Fort Larned all deserve recognition for the campaigns they had. They transcended awkward teenage guido long jumpers...

[rpncaine]

Originally Posted by Kasept

This is a slightly different. Wise Dan, Little Mike and Fort Larned all deserve recognition for the campaigns they had. They transcended awkward teenage guido long jumpers...

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by Kasept

This is a slightly different. Wise Dan, Little Mike and Fort Larned all deserve recognition for the campaigns they had. They transcended awkward teenage guido long jumpers...

Maybe so, but if they don't, that's life in the big city.

Sharp Cat deserved recognition more than Little Mike or Fort Larned.



She was a multiple Grade 1 winner at ages 2, 3, and 4.

She was the post time favorite in the Santa Anita Derby and cost Silver Charm the race.

She won her final start for Lukas in a walkover in a Grade 2 race. She was getting close to invincible after she left Lukas.

Look at the Spectacular Bid crop of 3-year-old males. That was the most strung out crop on fast figures at the high end ever. Horses like Private Account (sire of Hall of Famers Personal Ensign and Inside Information) and Relaunch (sire of 3 multi millionaires and dam sire of Ghostzapper) couldn't compete with the 3rd and 4th stringers. And the 3rd and 4th stringers were running numbers like strong champions most years compared with other stakes divisions, alw divisions, maiden divisions, claiming divisions, of both genders.