$10,000 for Too Much Bling

[alysheba4]

Originally Posted by Gander

Back then I didnt even need to bet. Honestly I think I made 1 bet ever on Skip Away, $1,500 to win on him when he won the BC Classic. But I watched and rewatched all his races in awe.

Ghostzapper was greatly talented for sure, but 4 months between races to run against watered down fields? Where is the historic pleasure in that?

I lost a bundle betting against Cigar. Funny thing is I bet on him when he failed a few times on the turf before he got great.

Holy Bull also killed me at the windows. But I respect the hell out of him and he could have pissed on Ghostzapper & Bernardini.

........bernardini, yes. ghostzapper.....

[Bravado2112]

Holy Bull at 3 was slightly better than Bernardini going middle distances. Going over 1 1/8, they were probably pretty equal.

Ghostzapper obviously hit his peak form as a 4 yo. On his best, he was the fastest horse of recent times.

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Isn't he an Ohio bred?

More importantly....why the hell was he retired?

He broke down.

[Bravado2112]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

It's tough to say since obviously they can't ever meet. But I think Holy Bull crushes Bernardini from 7F to 1 1/4. Holy Bull crushed very good older horses in the Met Mile and the Woodward, and his Travers, dueling with the rabbit through crazy fractions was an amazing effort.

Holy Bull's 2 fastest races/Beyers were both at middle distances. Obviously his overall Travers effort was probably better than the final figure indicated as a result of the pace scenario, but in general Holy Bull's races at 9-10 Furlongs (115-113-85-115-115-116) look extremely similar to Bernardini's (113-114-116-117-115). They were both 3 yo's so they probably would have been even faster at 4, but I would imagine that Bernardini's ceiling was a little higher at 4 than Holy Bull's given that he was an and a bit more lightly raced.

I posted the lifetime Beyer figs for a bunch of top horses from the past 20 years in a prior thread, but here's Holy Bull again:

Holy Bull
Olympic - 117

Woodward - 116
Travers - 115
Haskell - 115
Dwyer - 119
Met Mile - 122
Derby - 85
Bluegrass - 113
Fla Derby - 115
FOY - 57
Hutch - 108

In Reality - 93
Futurity - 103
Alw - 91
MSW - 101

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Gander

Nothing left to accomplish? How about winning a grade one. Bishop Court Hill did. Too Much Bling is one of the most overrated horses in the past couple of years. He has looked sensational blasting a few weak fields and nobody will ever forget the day he lost to Songster because Gomez got him pinned on the rail. Believe me, hes got plenty left to prove. Too Much Bling will be forgotten just like 95% of the horses who have run this decade.

There were more "real" horses running in 1995 alone than in all years so far from this decade of racing.

They were being facetious when they said he had nothing left to prove. That has been an on-going joke around here for a few months. They even said it kiddingly about The Green Monkey. They said why even bother running him. He has nothing left to prove.

[KirisClown]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

I just doubt Bernie could have blasted those fields in the Met and Woodward like Holy Bull did.

Rest assured, Bernardini wouldnt have....

Holy Bull was a very special horse...

[Danzig]

perhaps we should start a pool on how many years stonewall remains in business....
would love to see their business plan.

[Bravado2112]

Holy Bull's Met Mile was his best race ever. Bernardini wouldn't have matched that - but Bernardini certainly could have matched Holy Bull's Woodward. Bernardini's last several races were very much in line with Holy Bull's Woodward. As I mentioned previously - Holy Bull & Bernardini were pretty similar going 1 1/8 - 1 1/4.

Bernardini was an extremely nice horse. He was never as good as the summer hype which wanted him to be in line with Secretariat, but he's certainly not as bad or overrated as the more recent claims want to make him out to be after the BC loss. He was very consistent in his figures/efforts and he is what he is - a top level 3 yo who was better than the typical 3 yo champ, in line with the better 3 yo's of recent times, but a bit below the all-time great level.

[KirisClown]

Originally Posted by Bravado2112

Bernardini certainly could have matched Holy Bull's Woodward. Bernardini's last several races were very much in line with Holy Bull's Woodward.

It's certainly more then just numbers isnt it? Basing everything solely on numbers seems a little too simplistic... Competition has to be factored in as well...

Running away from horses like Colonial Affair and Devil His Due etc.. is a little different than beating up on Wanderin Boy, Minister's Bid, Bluegrass Cat etc..