Kelso - #2 rated North American horse of all-time

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

What I found interesting about Citation was that he might not have been favored in the Ky Derby if he wasn't coupled with stablemate Coaltown.

They asked about 40 or so trainers at Churchill who they liked - and for every trainer who liked Citation - there was about three who said Coaltown would win. Though, of the 5 DRF handicappers, 3 picked Citation on top and 2 picked Coaltown on top.

It's pretty remarkable to think that so many horse trainers would pick against the horse with a 16-14-2-0 lifetime record ... in favor of a late to the races 5th time starter - who only had a single lifetime race beyond 6fs.



I suppose this was in a day before track bias talk - but Coaltown's win in the Blue Grass came on a loose lead at Keeneland. They reconfigured KEE when they put in the poly-track ... but supposedly, the way the track was designed had a lot to do with why inside-speed was so strong there.

Citation did beat Armed early on as a 3yo - but those happened at sprint distances and Armed was cutting back from 10fs and wasn't in sharp form.

You may not know the legendary poster Dixie (Barn 31, Blue Eyes, etc.), but since he was the one who trained Coaltown and Citation, not Jones, I believe him when he says Coaltown was better.

Old Dixie would move on after the fall of Calumet and rise again to be calling the shots at Bobby Frankel's barn, clenching another dominance over racing in North America.

I've found the quality of competition that Dixie faced on the internet to be outstanding, but based on sheer body of work - I would rate him first in a canter.