Big Browns crop

[blackthroatedwind]

Drugs, no argument, but as a 2YO wasn't War Pass pretty good?

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Drugs, no argument, but as a 2YO wasn't War Pass pretty good?

Yes -- without a doubt. His race on the wet track in the Breeders Cup was one of the best performances by a 2yo in a long time.

I was going more towards 3yo triple crown series form VS 4yo form by crop.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

Yes -- without a doubt. His race on the wet track in the Breeders Cup was one of the best performances by a 2yo in a long time.

I was going more towards 3yo triple crown form VS 4yo form.

Thanks. I kind of figured that.

It was an awful group. Is it possible any horse has ever gone for the Triple Crown off a worse Preakness than Big Brown? Has it ever even been close?

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It was an awful group. Is it possible any horse has ever gone for the Triple Crown off a worse Preakness than Big Brown? Has it ever even been close?

I would have to go through some notebooks and look.

Canonero II would be one strong candidate.

[Calzone Lord]

Canonero II ran only 5 Beyer points faster in the Derby than the Twin Spires purse went one race earlier.

I didn't do a number for his Preakness though.

This is the 2nd place finisher to Seattle Slew in the Preakness:




This fine horse was also 7-to-1 against Slew in the Belmont Stakes.

[blackthroatedwind]

Slew beat some real mediocrities. No doubt. That's why a lot of fig guys were against him until the Fall of 1978.

He and Dr. Patches both ran at Saratoga before the Patterson, and their figs were extremely similar....which is why I bet Dr. Patches.

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Slew beat some real mediocrities. No doubt. That's why a lot of fig guys were against him until the Fall of 1978.

He and Dr. Patches both ran at Saratoga before the Patterson, and their figs were extremely similar....which is why I bet Dr. Patches.

The weak competition he faced at age 3 really masked his development.

A horse like Discovery was beaten five or six times at age 3 by Cavalcade -- and was 2nd in a lot of major races to him like the Kentucky Derby on almost every occasion. Discovery really wasn't even that good until late in his 3yo season.

He became just about the most invincible horse you could imagine for about five straight months at age 4 and was a great horse as a 4yo and 5yo.

Seattle Slew had no Cavalcade in his crop.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Thanks. I kind of figured that.

It was an awful group. Is it possible any horse has ever gone for the Triple Crown off a worse Preakness than Big Brown? Has it ever even been close?

I thought I was the only person thinking that. Hell, I thought he looked like he was about to break down in the Preakness stretch run.

[FATPIANO]

The Bid at 3, beat olders 2 out of 3, The Marlboro and The Meadowlands Cup(NTR), he came in second to Affirmed in The JCGC............

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by FATPIANO

The Bid at 3, beat olders 2 out of 3, The Marlboro and The Meadowlands Cup(NTR), he came in second to Affirmed in The JCGC............

He beat General Assembly and Coastal, both super talented horses, but also both 3YOs, in the Marlboro Cup. Just because it was open to older horses doesn't mean his real competition were older horses.

[FATPIANO]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

He beat General Assembly and Coastal, both super talented horses, but also both 3YOs, in the Marlboro Cup. Just because it was open to older horses doesn't mean his real competition were older horses.

Star de Naskra was a useful competitor, won The Whitney and was a Champion Sprinter, Cox's Ridge also won major races like The Met Mile, Haskell etc.

[Revidere]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

He beat General Assembly and Coastal, both super talented horses, but also both 3YOs, in the Marlboro Cup. Just because it was open to older horses doesn't mean his real competition were older horses.

To your point Andy, the older horses in the Marlboro were Cox's Ridge, Star De Naskra and Text. General Assembly just came off his record setting performance in the Travers and Coastal was riding a four race winning streak with two Grade 1's. In fact, General Assembly beat Star Se Naskra in the Vosburgh in both of their next starts.