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#141
06-26-2012, 07:57 PM
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Quote:
If you're going to run two separate Gr 1 races on the same day and distance ... leave it to the sh!t for brain Euro's to run them on two different parts of the course and waste an opportunity to make a clean comparison. They are messed up the way they do things over there. 
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#142
06-26-2012, 08:03 PM
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Regarding Harbinger's race...
2nd place finisher Cape Blanco's surrounding form:  5th place finisher Workforce's surrounding form:  The 3rd and 4th place finishers who split them are extremely honest Group 1 winning older horses. The other race same day and distance went 33 lengths slower. Cape Blanco beat this years 3-length Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso in the Irish Derby. He beat Twice Over and Rip Van Winkle into a pulp immediately after the Harbinger race. Twice Over form: 
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#143
06-26-2012, 08:43 PM
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Aside from the obvious lopsidedness of the vanquished foes, it seems visually that Harbinger was by far the more impressive of the two as well. Under an absolute hold while Cape Blanco and Workforce are committed to the front with a 1/4 mile left, makes short work of that pair when asked, hand-ridden while remaining in full stride to the wire.
IMO, the only reason Frankel won by the margin he did was that Excelebration, the only other horse in the race you could characterize as Group 1 material with a straight face, was taken completely out of his game. Normally, that colt is held up in the back. In every other start versus Frankel, he takes a stalking position behind that rival. In the Queen Anne, he's asked to sit close and match Frankel stride for stride throughout. A desperate (and futile) tactic that nearly costs him the runner-up spot.
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#144
06-26-2012, 08:54 PM
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Harbinger's 4-year-old form:
 Obviously the form of a developing horse getting better with every race leading up to a giant performance. Here is a look at the Hardwicke group Harbinger demolished in the race before he truly exploded: * Duncan (2nd by 3.5 lengths) raced 7 more times after this race, winning 3 of them. Two Group 2 wins and a Group 1 win. * Barshiba (3rd by 9.5 lengths) won a Group 2 next time out. * Sans Frontieres (4th by 11 lengths) Raced 3 more times and won ALL 3 of those races. Took a Group 2 by 2.5 lengths at 14/1 odds next out. Took a Group 3 by 2.5 lengths next. Won a Group 1 in his final start. * Redwood (5th by 11.75 lengths) He was in the top 3 in ALL of his next 7 races and all at the Group level. Here is his form going into the $5 million Dubai race where he finished 2nd in.  * Crowded House (6th by 15.5 lengths) He finished 2nd beaten less than a length in the Gr 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar less than 3 months later. * Petara Bay (7th by 17.5 lengths) He had two 4th's and a win in handicap races at odds of 7/1, 40/1, and 12/1 in his next 3 starts. * Wajir (8th by 22 lengths) 6-for-16 lifetime and a multiple Group stakes winner. Last seen winning a race Meydan by almost 5 lengths. * Jukebox Jury (9th by 22 lengths) Won 3 of his remaining 6 starts including a Group 1 win. He's 9-for-22 lifetime and a multiple Group 1 winner. * Claremont (10th by 23 lengths) Won a race at Meydan at 10/1 odds in the 3rd start after this. * South Easter (11th by 45 lengths) Was a distant 2nd in a 10-horse Group 3 next time out to Await The Dawn.
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#145
06-27-2012, 05:53 PM
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Quote:
Ha when I have the time I will - you seem to be suggesting that the horses who ran actually ran up to their or near their best form, I can easily argue that none of the other 4 horses did (which isn't that inconceivable!)
__________________
  #Grand
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#146
06-27-2012, 06:29 PM
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Quote:
The odds that all four of these extremely honest Group 1 winning horses simultaneously all picked the same day to run non-efforts is unlikely. When coupled with the fact that the race went 33 lengths faster than the other race on the card -- that comparison tells the story. Cape Blanco, Youmzain, Daryakana, and Workforce are all outstanding horses and they all ran very close to par on a day when the weather conditions were lovely Harbinger was a dramatically improving 4-year-old who absolutely exploded. It was a truly great performance. Like I said though, there's a difference between performers and performances. Harbinger broke down in a workout after that and never raced again. He was not a great performer at age 3 like Frankel was either. I have no problem with anyone saying Frankel was the better horse. Overall, obviously he is. That's undisputed.
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