Most Impressive in Defeat?

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

I'd suggest there were plenty...

She's A Tiger - who deserves an Eclipse after a great campaign - she's maybe a full length away from an undefeated season and 3 G1s wins.

Agreed on Za Approval, Havana, Will Take Charge...

Alterite ran a huge race in the F&M Turf

But my overall winner for "most impressive loser" is absolutely, positively Declaration of War. The inside scoop over the course of the week was expecting he was going to break slow (as he has in the past) would force Joseph to keep him outside and lose ground, but he'd be out of the kickback. O'Brien was leery of his work at Southwell two weeks out where they thought he didn't get enough kickback in case he ended up inside. It was Joseph's first mount on dirt, EVER...he's 6'4" and when I saw him early in the week, he'd pass for a marathon-running banker.

The boys of Ballydoyle walked away from the Classic just about as fulfilled as any losing connection possibly could. His performance validated the pedigree, their planning, the belief he could compete in this race, and his potential universality as a sire. Tough to find a more "winning" loser than Declaration of War.

They kept saying he was 6' on television, they shorted him 4" inches I guess.