CTC,

Here's how I see the crop.

Lion Heart was a precocious miler that ran some good races in the spring for a 3YO at that time. However, he didn’t develop much. His Monmouth races were very overrated. He faced tomato cans.

Birdstone was a horse that only ran well when everything broke his way. He won his maiden race when he got loose on the slop. He picked up a bunch of tired sprinters that used themselves up early in the Champagne. He took advantage of a duel in the Belmont and then in the Travers he beat a bunch of horses that either didn’t want the distance or that got hurt - holding off the always hanging Cliff’s Edge. Mediocre over-rated horse that I would have retired ASAP if I owned him.

The Cliffs Edge was another of a long list of mediocre deep closing hangers that never beats top horses unless the race collapses. I wish he were coming back because I’d love to bet against him again next year all year long too.

Purge is/was a decent mid distance horse that can put up good figures when he’s not faced with significant pace pressure of high quality like he was in the Cigar and in one of his poor performances against Smarty. His race in the Travers was at a distance he did not want. I still think he has some potential for next year in the mid distance races.

Rock Hard Ten showed some potential right off, but something obviously went wrong. Maybe he’ll do better with the new trainer.

Smarty was tons the best of a sorry triple crown bunch. His derby preps were very good. His derby was OK. His Preakness was amazing, and his Belmont – though tough to measure - proved how much better than the rest of the crop he was. IMO, he was very good, but not quite as good as some figure makers think. He would have been tested against the best older horses like Roses and Ghost.



Post Edited (11-30-04 12:37)