The 3-year-old males

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by Danzig

how do you reconcile the two? if you think horses should race more, that there's more to racing than the classics, how can you then defend someone not racing because they only have the derby in their sights?
besides, you've got rht agreeing with you. that ought to tell you you're on the wrong track.

seems like this discussion rolls around every year. horses who haven't race at three are on peoples radar as being the ones to beat, when they've yet to show a thing as a 3 yo. newcomers are dismissed, and fairly often they're the ones to watch.

I have never dismissed a newcomer and in general they never seem dismissed to me. Dunkirk and Curlin come to mind.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

I have never dismissed a newcomer and in general they never seem dismissed to me. Dunkirk and Curlin come to mind.

And Big Brown, Bernardini, Smarty Jones, Flower Alley, Summer Bird, Rock Hard Ten, Eskendereya.....

The newcomers aren't dismissed but not all of us forget about the reigning leaders just because they haven't raced recently. The returning leaders have to prove they still belong; the newcomers have to prove they belong. Both groups have something to prove but if I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt to anyone, it's gonna be to the ones that have at least showed it in top company before.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

And Big Brown, Bernardini, Smarty Jones, Flower Alley, Summer Bird, Rock Hard Ten, Eskendereya.....

The newcomers aren't dismissed but not all of us forget about the reigning leaders just because they haven't raced recently. The returning leaders have to prove they still belong; the newcomers have to prove they belong. Both groups have something to prove but if I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt to anyone, it's gonna be to the ones that have at least showed it in top company before.

2 on your list were not new comers.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

2 on your list were not new comers.

Which two?

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Which two?

Big Brown was on a lot of peoples radar. He ran off to a huge turf win at Saratoga at 2. Eskendereya won an off the turf race for fun at 2 and proved he was really a dirt horse. I bet him in the BC Juvy and if that race was on dirt I am sure he would have made some noise. Im pretty sure Smarty ran at 2.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

Big Brown was on a lot of peoples radar. He ran off to a huge turf win at Saratoga at 2. Eskendereya won an off the turf race for fun at 2 and proved he was really a dirt horse. I bet him in the BC Juvy and if that race was on dirt I am sure he would have made some noise. Im pretty sure Smarty ran at 2.

Yes, they all ran as 2yos. I didn't think any of them were on the on the radar as far as being serious TC candidates through the first month of their sophomore seasons though. Nowhere near the top of most lists so that's what I consider a newcomer.

[RockHardTen1985]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Yes, they all ran as 2yos. I didn't think any of them were on the on the radar as far as being serious TC candidates through the first month of their sophomore seasons though. Nowhere near the top of most lists so that's what I consider a newcomer.

Eskendereya was in Joey S December top 5.
Good points on everyone else.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by RockHardTen1985

I have never dismissed a newcomer and in general they never seem dismissed to me. Dunkirk and Curlin come to mind.

so? i didn't know you were in the media. my point was that we have no top two year olds to discuss right now at 3, since they're all still in the barn; that any horse who runs a good race at any time leading up to may will be in the discussion because a horse can emerge as a contender at any time; that at this point, who won the bcj doesn't mean a whole lot, as it's a whole new year.