7/24 (MTH): Lady's Secret S. feat. Rachel Alexandra

[CSC]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

For a dirt race? The BC Classic has been the country's top DIRT race, and she beat a good, rock-solid field of mainly turf horses, synthetic horses, and dirt no-hopers (thanks to the synthetic surface) in the country's biggest DIRT race.

It's apples and oranges to try to compare the two.

To that end, do her connections not deserve credit for pointing her to the classic on her less proven surface this year? It's been mentioned in this thread that Euro's have basically kicked the American's butts on plastic the past 2 years on proride in the BC, here we have one American horse that more than held up her end by beating the best turf, dirt, synth specialists that wanted to run in the classic, but it is viewed by some as a feat via asterisk, not you specifically Brian, but by some. How can one make a statement of that belief by saying the Euro's are so superior to the Americans on plastic yet downgrade her performance is truly hard to understand.

[brianwspencer]

Originally Posted by CSC

To that end, do her connections not deserve credit for pointing her to the classic on her less proven surface this year? It's been mentioned in this thread that Euro's have basically kicked the American's butts on plastic the past 2 years on proride in the BC, here we have one American horse that more than held up her end by beating the best turf, dirt, synth specialists that wanted to run in the classic, but it is viewed by some as a feat via asterisk, not you specifically Brian, but by some. How can one make a statement of that belief by saying the Euro's are so superior to the Americans on plastic yet downgrade her performance is truly hard to understand.

Well, I disagree wholeheartedly that the Euros "kicked [our butts]" on Pro-Ride the last two years, they won a couple of races, including the Marathon twice (which long-distance Euros should win every time, so it's not really germane), the BC Juvy one year, and the Classic one year.

So, I'm not really of that mindset anyway, because I don't think they did. However, horses coming off dirt preps then running in the biggest "dirt" races of the year are 0-for-everything in the last two years, and that says more about the surface than two upset-minded Euros.

But I don't disagree with your other assertion -- good for Z's connections for protecting her and pointing her to the races on her home turf, but the point I'm making, is to use those fields to try to compare to Rachel's Woodward is positively ludicrous and just nothing more than opportunistic grabbing by those who want to validate the races as something more than they were. The Classic last year was sensational, for what it was and nothing more, but positing it as some sort of equivalent to a top dirt race is ridiculous and should be summarily rejected out of hand with no further discussion and no further consideration by anyone of rational mind.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by brianwspencer

Well, I disagree wholeheartedly that the Euros "kicked [our butts]" on Pro-Ride the last two years, they won a couple of races, including the Marathon twice (which long-distance Euros should win every time, so it's not really germane), the BC Juvy one year, and the Classic one year.

So, I'm not really of that mindset anyway, because I don't think they did. However, horses coming off dirt preps then running in the biggest "dirt" races of the year are 0-for-everything in the last two years, and that says more about the surface than two upset-minded Euros.

But I don't disagree with your other assertion -- good for Z's connections for protecting her and pointing her to the races on her home turf, but the point I'm making, is to use those fields to try to compare to Rachel's Woodward is positively ludicrous and just nothing more than opportunistic grabbing by those who want to validate the races as something more than they were. The Classic last year was sensational, for what it was and nothing more, but positing it as some sort of equivalent to a top dirt race is ridiculous and should be summarily rejected out of hand with no further discussion and no further consideration by anyone of rational mind.

Then they should be viewed as separate entities, both special and difficult in their own ways. This I can see eye to eye on.