Big Brown - Overrated?

[Split Rock]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Figured I'd pick the two most overhyped horses of the past several years to compare Big Brown to in hopes that the ridiculous overhyping of this horse to the superlative degree stops.

LITF
103, 109, 102, 105, 105, 110

Bernardini
68, 90, 104, 113, 114, 116 (if you exclude his first race then his next figure was 117)

Big Brown
90, 106, 106, 109, 100, ???

So he doesn't even compare favorably with the last two overhyped horses and people want to compare him to Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Spectacular Bid?

so?

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Split Rock

so?

Yes, why allow reasonable thinking to get in the way of your myopic view.

[docicu3]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Yes, why allow reasonable thinking to get in the way of your myopic view.

The problem I have with any of this, including deciding where BB fits while ranking him against other 3 year olds of even THIS decade is that it is entirely possible that BB could win the Belmont against competition that is at best less than a competitive graded stakes race. If the Belmont is his last competitive race and he never looks in the eye of worthy competition mid stretch, how does history anyone know how BB would have handled a moment of challenge where his heart could be measured by having to overcome a foe in front of him in the final furlong of any significant race.

Are not the finest, swiftest and legendary performers of the sport measured by their response to moments of truth and not Beyers or negative TGH numbers? If the horse never sees worthy competition that challenge his best how will you ever know if he is not deserving of being compared to the best the sport has seen. It is not the horses fault that greed and premature retirement have currently ruined this sport. Winning from the outside in the Florida or Ky. Derby is not by itself cause to be canonized but it doesn't mean he is clearly undeserving of that status as an undefeated champion either.

It would be interesting to see how a quarter crack
opening back up would effect things... before the Belmont.
Dont want to see it happen. But it would
create some interesting situations and evaluations.