Is American Pharoah Baffert's best horse?

[Benny]

Originally Posted by Thunder Gulch

I love Silver Charm, and I thought PG was just an awesome animal, but this guy has to be the best. I suppose if he never wins again, you could argue those 2, but AP is winning big races by open lengths.

I always thought that Baffert undertrained PG for the derby sso he'd be fresherr for the other 2 legs, just athought as i saw him romp in the Belmont that year.I'dd like to ask him that.

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by Benny

I always thought that Baffert undertrained PG for the derby sso he'd be fresherr for the other 2 legs, just athought as i saw him romp in the Belmont that year.I'dd like to ask him that.

I can't remember how PG trained up to the Derby. Pretty sure those were the days before we had "The Works" show and everyone was focusing on that. I do remember the track that day as being extremely fast and Stevens had him chasing the suicide pace while wide throughout. They chose the wrong day to take him out of his preferred running style..

[Thunder Gulch]

Originally Posted by outofthebox

I can't remember how PG trained up to the Derby. Pretty sure those were the days before we had "The Works" show and everyone was focusing on that. I do remember the track that day as being extremely fast and Stevens had him chasing the suicide pace while wide throughout. They chose the wrong day to take him out of his preferred running style..

The pace was just way to hot to be anywhere close. That said, Congaree was ahead of PG early and finished better. Just wasn't his day.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Benny

I always thought that Baffert undertrained PG for the derby sso he'd be fresherr for the other 2 legs, just athought as i saw him romp in the Belmont that year.I'dd like to ask him that.

I remember reading an interview with Baffert where he said that was indeed his mistake- he trained PG for the Triple Crown, rather than for the Derby.

[pointman]

Originally Posted by Benny

I always thought that Baffert undertrained PG for the derby sso he'd be fresherr for the other 2 legs, just athought as i saw him romp in the Belmont that year.I'dd like to ask him that.

Just ask The Don to ask Baffert that, he has made it clear that he has the inside track on Baffert's ear.

[Seattleallstar]

Point Given is my favorite horse, and imo was visually the more impressive horse. His Belmont was the best we have seen in in this century, with the time and speed figure to back it up. In the Travers he won easily, but we knew that he had a extra gear or two left in him which we hadn't seen and regrettably we never got to see more

As for what happened in the Derby,with PG. Stevens and Baffert were already thinking TC before winning the Derby. Stevens admitted that the Derby in his mind would be a foregone conclusion, he was looking to break Secretariat's time. Like what was also posted Baffert was training for TC and looked past the Derby

AP is a good horse and also visually impressive, but times and figures assigned have been average times for the races won by horses in years past. Nothing really stands out other than he won the TC. I'm not as confident in AP that he has extra gears left we have not seen. But time will well, hopefully.

Right now for me it is

PG, SC, AP, RQ

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by Benny

I always thought that Baffert undertrained PG for the derby sso he'd be fresherr for the other 2 legs, just athought as i saw him romp in the Belmont that year.I'dd like to ask him that.

I've asked him on radio. Baffert said he didn't want to make excuses at the time, but Point Given was nursing a hoof and couldn't be leaned on pre-Derby... similar to how he came into Haskell very short, but won anyway. Frankel had the same kind of issue to deal with Empire Maker pre-Derby.