Quote:
Originally Posted by Sightseek
I would take the top 3 in the Santa Anita Derby this year '09 (Pioneerof the Nile, Chocolate Candy, Mr. Hot Stuff) '08 (Colonel John (maybe), Bob Black Jack, Coast Guard) and 07 (Tiago, King of the Roxy, Sam P.)
I would say this year's Wood Memorial is even with Tale of Ekati's.
Dialed In's Florida Derby over '10 (Ice Box, Pleasant Prince, Rules) and '07 (Scat Daddy, Notional, Chelokee)
I'm in the minority, but I don't think this year has been as bad as the rest of you do.
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I didn't really want to compare the synthetic SA Derbies to this one because the nature of it is so different. However, Colonel John, even at this point in his 3YO season, was worlds beyond horses like Comma to the Top and Midnight Interlude.
Tale of Ekati's Wood was run at a rapid early clip where War Pass ran out of his skin. Unfortunately, War Pass was injured and never returned. Tale of Ekati later that year won the Jerome and the Cigar Mile (via DQ). Court Vision became a GI winner on the turf later that year. Giant Moon was subsequently a graded stake winner. Spurrier is multiple graded stakes placed. Roman Emperor returned to win the Barbaro, defeating subsequent Belmont winner Da' Tara in the process.
The 2008 Wood was much better than this year's in my opinion.
This year's preps have lacked a single performance that compares favorably to even the worst running of that given race in recent memory. The preps have been incredibly underwhelming to me, that's why the Derby is going to be such a ridiculous mad scramble, even more so than normal.