I would probably expect the nation's highest priced yearling at public auction sold in '07 (Dunkirk) to look the best. And the nations highest priced 2yo sold at public auction in '08 (Desert Party) should probably work the best.
Horses like General Quarters (who was a 20k yearling - and debuted for a tag) shouldn't be dazzling either in the flesh or AM. Same goes for Musket Man - who was a 15K yearling and a 35K May 2yo sale RNA.
The two best horses in I Want Revenge (95K May 2yo RNA) and Quality Road (110K yearling RNA for a sire's who's avg was 2.5 times higher) should probably not be getting rave reviews at this time ... but since they are trained by a pair of magicians .. I wouldn't get that excited if they are.
Basically ... the only way I'd upgrade a horse is if there was a strong consensus going around that a horse like General Quarters or a Musket Man just looks amazing in the flesh and turned in some jaw dropping works.
The only way I'd downgrade a horse is if a horse like a Dunkirk or a Desert Party are getting poor reviews all around.
|