Stonewall... wtf???

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Not so sure I agree with much of this. Couldn't one say that whatever horse was second in the mediocre Holy Bull also " extended Barbaro all out "? Couldn't one also say that the only truly special race Barbaro ever ran on the dirt was the Kentucky Derby? Couldn't one also say that Sharp Humor took advantage of a speed favoring track in the Florida Derby and a pretty questionable field save Barbaro?

Sharp Humor was certainly a well above average horse but he was also just as certainly another horse that, at least on the internet, earned some sort of reputation that was hard to justify when looking at his pps. In fact, it feels like his connections believed, or possessed, that same unjustifiable opinion when they foolishly ran him in the Cigar in just his second race back from an injury. This was far more ridiculous than them trying him in the Derby, where obviously he also had no shot, but there's only one Kentucky Derby and it is understandably hard to pass up after his deceptive performance in the Florida Derby. While it's possible that his unfortunate injuries would have happened regardless of where he had raced it is also quite possible that he is yet another horse who was injured because his ability was misinterpreted. Had he been less aggressively spotted perhaps he would have reestablished his form and then have been sound enough to have taken advantage of a situation akin to the mediocre bunch that assembled for last year's Grade 1 Carter Handicap.

Well stated