Richiebee,
I don't understand how you can say he ducked competition all year, only to run in the BC Sprint at the end of the year. Wouldn't he have skipped the BC behind the supplemental excuse if he were ducking the competition?

So what you're saying is that the Riva Ridge (GR2) isn't a worthy race?? The King's Bishop (GR1) isn't a worthy race? There was a possibility that Bellamy Road was going to enter that race and they still ran. They ran in the top races for 3yo sprinters across the country, told everyone well in advance where they would run........ is it their fault that the 3YO sprint division was weak this year?? Why didn't ST show up for these graded stakes races?? Because Dutrow's vet didn't get ahold of him yet??

What kind of campaign did the great Silver Train have?? He raced exclusively against 3YO with the exception of an allowance NW1X against older bums. He won a 1 turn GR2 mile at Belmont setting fractions of 23.5, 46.7, 1:10. He won the BC sitting off of a torrid pace and was good enough to win while the speed horses knocked each other out. ST is a good horse and ran a good race that day while campaigning exclusively on the East Coast against competition no better than what LITF ran against with the exception of High Fly (in the aforementioned race with the soft fractions). He also lost to Santana Strings who LITF dusted earlier in the year. You mention that Gilchrist never raced him past his optimal distance, how many 2 turn races did ST run in?? Zero, and the 1 1/16 race he did run in he was up the track (albeit the race was a GR1). The 1 mile race was a Belmont was a glorified sprint.

LITF lost in the BC, but that doesn't mean he's a bum or just another horse. He's a front running speed horse, and when they don't break sharply or get bumped around down the backstretch it takes them a little off of their game. Gilchrist also stated that LITF was uncharacteristically acting up in the Paddock that afternoon. One loss and some of you East Coast guys can't wait to dismiss a West Coast horse. Reminds me of all of the whining about Easy Goer.

How good he really is remains to be seen. You are correct about the competition, but how many 3yos go looking for older horses until later in the year?? Lets see how he runs as a 4yo before we dismiss him. He did lead into the stretch of the BC while 4 wide on a racetrack unlike any other in America. I would love to see him up against ST or any other top sprinter on a regular racetrack with a normal run up to the turn. I don't think you've heard the last of this horse.