The hype on Top Billing has gone overboard

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

He may have run a better race, but was not much the best. His "tough" trip consisted of being behind a modest pace and being VERY briefly in tight in upper stretch. While the things that went against him may have explained the eventual margin of defeat, I try to reserve the phrase as "much the best" for situations where a horse is faced with hurdles far more severe than those that Top Billing faced that afternoon.

He's a really nice horse, but because of his pedigree, his catchy running style and his universally beloved trainer, he is frighteningly overrated at this point.

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.

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

You’re a bit sloppy. Its understandable, since you have just recently returned from a long layoff. And like I said in the recent PM, I’m glad you’re feeling better. Now back to business. What makes Honor Code more hyped? I don’t think he is at all. At the least why can’t they both be very good. I think that’s most likely the real case here. Shug has two really good 3yr olds. Honor Code is clearly more accomplished. He just missed in a Grade 1 by a neck in his second career start. The horse who beat him that day was, at worst second best in the BC Juvenile. Honor Code then returned to win a Grade 2, beating two horses who came back to really flatter him yesterday. One of those horse, Cairo Prince, is a very serious horse. As for Top Billing, he broke his maiden at Laurel vs nothing. He beat Commissioner who I think is pretty good, so lll give him some props for that. But then yesterday he beat nothing. If anything Top Billing is way more hyped after yesterday. IMO this is the best crop since the Hard Spun, Curlin, Street Sense crop. There are a bunch of really good 3yr olds this year, but I believe Top Billing is the most over hyped as of right now. If you want to talk about strictly hype, look at the two 3yr olds you have hyped up on this website. They have to be the most hyped. Shared Belief has never raced on dirt and is now hurt, and Top Billing has beat one decent horse in 3 races.

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.

[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.

[Indian Charlie]

He's had one work, a slow 3f work, this entire month, and you expect him to run in three weeks?

I guess it's possible.

[freddymo]

The thing not being mentioned is it seems to be a very nice crop of colts. Not sure why any of us feel we can determine who is better then who after 3 races. The good news is there will be some answers to lots of questions coming up.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by freddymo

The thing not being mentioned is it seems to be a very nice crop of colts. Not sure why any of us feel we can determine who is better then who after 3 races. The good news is there will be some answers to lots of questions coming up.

[Indian Charlie]

Freddy, part of the idea behind having a message board/forums about horse racing, is to speculate on the future.

It's called, 'having fun'.

If you are only into reading what other people think about things that already have happened, I suggest you stick to watching a bunch of hot winded talking head types on TV.

Me, I trust my opinion and don't usually need to hear what other people think about what I just saw.

I do enjoy trying to see what the future holds for upcoming horses.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Freddy, part of the idea behind having a message board/forums about horse racing, is to speculate on the future.

It's called, 'having fun'.

If you are only into reading what other people think about things that already have happened, I suggest you stick to watching a bunch of hot winded talking head types on TV.

Me, I trust my opinion and don't usually need to hear what other people think about what I just saw.

I do enjoy trying to see what the future holds for upcoming horses.

Agreed with all of the above..I have no clue which of the early colt division candidates look best. Guessing Honor Code has the most upside assuming Shug keeps him together.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by freddymo

The thing not being mentioned is it seems to be a very nice crop of colts. Not sure why any of us feel we can determine who is better then who after 3 races. The good news is there will be some answers to lots of questions coming up.

I said this. 2x. About how good I think this crop is and can be.

[Indian Charlie]

Yeah, well, I was saying that while people were complaining months ago about how this is another bad and boring crop.

So there.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Yeah, well, I was saying that while people were complaining months ago about how this is another bad and boring crop.

So there.

Good 3yr olds all over right now.
Exciting time of year.