Who Is Horse Of The Year?

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

SS defeated Easy Goer on the track.

Affirmed defeated Alydar on the track.
.

This would mean something but many many east coast people think Alydar and Easy Goer were the better horse.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

This would mean something but many many east coast people think Alydar and Easy Goer were the better horse.

Easy Goer was an all-time great 2yo and 3yo. Sunday Silence was an all-time great 3yo.

If you want to talk about the 4 head-to-head meetings ... I think you can draw a line through the Ky Derby (SS won) and the Belmont (EG won)

The Derby was on a similar wet track at Churchill where EG ran WAY below his form as a 2yo. Sunday Silence won the Derby, but it graded out a very mediocre performance. I think its clear that both SS and EG hated the track that day .. EG just hated it a slight bit more. Giacomo and Mine That Bird might have been able to beat them both on that day.

I also give a pass to Sunday Silence for the lopsided Belmont defeat ... when you consider the quality of races Easy Goer ran at Belmont Park all through his career .. and the 12 furlong distance of the race ... SS really was up against it. Easy Goer ran a number on Ragozin that day equal to the Ragozin number Secretariat got for winning the Belmont.

It leaves the Breeders Cup Classic and Preakness Stakes. Two narrow wins for SS in very fast races. In both instances ... anyone watching the tape can see Easy Goer was more impressive in defeat both times. Sunday Silence had the better tactical speed and in both of those races ran more professional.. and that was really the difference in the outcome.

The only way you can argue that SS was the better horse of the two - is if you think the offical results of those 4 head-to-head meetings are all that count.

Just from watching films and looking at pps and charts - I can't imagine how anyone could conclude that Alydar was a better horse than Affirmed.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Easy Goer was an all-time great 2yo and 3yo. Sunday Silence was an all-time great 3yo.

If you want to talk about the 4 head-to-head meetings ... I think you can draw a line through the Ky Derby (SS won) and the Belmont (EG won)

The Derby was on a similar wet track at Churchill where EG ran WAY below his form as a 2yo. Sunday Silence won the Derby, but it graded out a very mediocre performance. I think its clear that both SS and EG hated the track that day .. EG just hated it a slight bit more. Giacomo and Mine That Bird might have been able to beat them both on that day.

I also give a pass to Sunday Silence for the lopsided Belmont defeat ... when you consider the quality of races Easy Goer ran at Belmont Park all through his career .. and the 12 furlong distance of the race ... SS really was up against it. Easy Goer ran a number on Ragozin that day equal to the Ragozin number Secretariat got for winning the Belmont.

It leaves the Breeders Cup Classic and Preakness Stakes. Two narrow wins for SS. In both instances ... anyone watching the tape can see Easy Goer was more impressive in defeat both times. Sunday Silence had the better tactical speed and in both of those races ran more professional.. and that was really the difference in the outcome.

The only way you can argue that SS was the better horse of the two - is if you think the offical results of those 4 head-to-head meetings are all that count.

Just from watching films and looking at pps and charts - I can't imagine how anyone could conclude that Alydar was a better horse than Affirmed.

Pat Day himself admits that he cost Easy Goer the Preakness. He was tremendous in defeat.

NT

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Pat Day himself admits that he cost Easy Goer the Preakness. He was tremendous in defeat.

NT

Pat didn't cost EG the Preakness. Dr. Harthill won the Preakness for Sunday Silence.

[10 pnt move up]

see, head to head means something but not everything, as Drugs so smartly pointed out.

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

...

It leaves the Breeders Cup Classic and Preakness Stakes. Two narrow wins for SS in very fast races. In both instances ... anyone watching the tape can see Easy Goer was more impressive in defeat both times. Sunday Silence had the better tactical speed and in both of those races ran more professional.. and that was really the difference in the outcome.

The only way you can argue that SS was the better horse of the two - is if you think the offical results of those 4 head-to-head meetings are all that count.

Really? I've watched that Preakness many times, and I always come away marvelling at Sunday Silence's race. How "anyone watching the tape can see Easy Goer was more impressive in defeat" comes as a complete surprise to me. Sunday Silence has to steady as Easy Goer passes and squeezes him into Houston. He loses a length or more by steadying, but his incredible athleticism allows him to accelerate again to the outside and set up the historic stretch run. Yes, that put Easy Goer at a disadvantage on the rail, but IMO if Easy Goer was the better horse, Sunday Silence would have never caught up with him in the first place after the squeeze.

Let others decide for themselves:

The Preakness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tw09xHXUhI

or this one, for some commentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoY_U8NTC7E

Yeah, if Sunday Silence's apparent ability to make lightning fast adjustments and his 3 out of 4 wins don't count, you can argue that Easy Goer is the better horse. But I still wouldn't agree with you. And I certainly don't agree that Easy Goer ran the better Preakness.

--Dunbar

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

It leaves the Breeders Cup Classic and Preakness Stakes. Two narrow wins for SS in very fast races. In both instances ... anyone watching the tape can see Easy Goer was more impressive in defeat both times. Sunday Silence had the better tactical speed and in both of those races ran more professional.. and that was really the difference in the outcome.

Brilliant. So Easy Goer was more impressive in those races because he was less professional, had no tactical speed, and hated the mud more than Sunday Silence.

Whatever.

Easy Goer certainly appeared to have more stamina than Sunday Silence, but unfortunately outside of the Belmont and JCGC (at the time) most of the important races were 10f which was clearly within SS's range.

[kgar311]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

This would mean something but many many east coast people think Alydar and Easy Goer were the better horse.

Easy Goer was "America's Horse" SS was the villain and as much as everybody loved EG me included, SS Beat EG more times then not on the track. SS won the Derby, Preakness and BCC, he came cross country and proved his greatness something Zenyatta did not. SS was a super horse and he proved it on the track not on paper.

[10 pnt move up]

Originally Posted by kgar311

Easy Goer was "America's Horse" SS was the villain and as much as everybody loved EG me included, SS Beat EG more times then not on the track. SS won the Derby, Preakness and BCC, he came cross country and proved his greatness something Zenyatta did not. SS was a super horse and he proved it on the track not on paper.

then how come sooooo many east coast people feel easy goer was the better horse?

[kgar311]

Originally Posted by 10 pnt move up

then how come sooooo many east coast people feel easy goer was the better horse?

He was a super horse in his own right, I think many people run alot of races on paper. EG prob would of beaten SS in the Travers and the JCCC, but who knows.

[2Hot4TV]

Originally Posted by kgar311

He was a super horse in his own right, I think many people run alot of races on paper. EG prob would of beaten SS in the Travers and the JCCC, but who knows.

Come on you know, save us the suspense.

[kgar311]

Originally Posted by 2Hot4TV

Come on you know, save us the suspense.

You're right I do know, it would of been amerrrrrrica's horse, EEEEEEEEEEEEasyyyy Goer, IN FRONT! - MC

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by kgar311

You're right I do know, it would of been amerrrrrrica's horse, EEEEEEEEEEEEasyyyy Goer, IN FRONT! - MC

If we're going to quote Marshall Cassidy, it was "New York's EEEEasy Goer."