Goldikova: Lost a step or as good as ever?

[brockguy]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

In one step, you say you have an untrained eye, and also assert the caliber of her competition here is weaker...can't have it both ways.

I'm absolutely, 100% confident in stating that from top to bottom (that includes Compliance Officer), the collection of horses in the BC Mile are better than any of the individual fields she faced this year...all of them. While there may have been one or two very good horses she went up against this year, there are 9 Grade/Group 1 winners in the field.

There are some pretty unaccomplished plodders that make up the also-rans in her other races. Dream Ahead, who beat her last time, ran her down to get up, had two fifth place finishes in attempts over more than 6 furlongs, beaten 12 lengths. The Prix Foret was his first win beyond 6, and the third place finisher was making his fourth lifetime start off a 173 day layoff.

Again, not going out on a crazy limb here, I'm including her, and won't be shocked with a win, but a loss is WAY more likely in this field, this year, now more than ever...This is absolutely the best field she's seen this year, and would argue, in any of her previous BC Mile appearances.

Pat, I think youre doing Dream Ahead a bit of disservice there. He's a 5 time G1 winner, champion sprinter and I would easily forgive him the 2 other poor runs at 7f+ this year (plus this race is run at slightly less than 7f!). They also finished miles clear of the 3rd , it was a quality performance by both and I couldnt say at all that she has lost a step. This certainly in my opinion was her best prep race for the BC Mile than her 3 previous victories..