So where does all this leave Barbaro?
 

I'm not convinced Bernardini is the better three year old this year. Any chance those two will be co-three year olds of the year?

THere have been a couple co-champions in the past and I think they fixed things a few years ago so it can't happen again.

I think Dini still gets top 3yo

Bernardini got 4 pounds from Invasor and came up short and if you were to run the race again and not move Bernardini so soon the out come would be differant. Give the Invasor the credit he's HOY.

i'm not either...but no way to co-honors.
barbaro handled churchill, and bro derek and lawyer ron a lot better than bernie did.

but, if it's any consolation, fans will remember barbaro long after bernie has left the scene.

2hot i think hes talkin about the 3 year old crown which isnt an option for invasor.....i think bernadini is more deserving then barbaro....lets not get sentimental...lets look at the races. bernadini impressed me alot today. i thought hed get trounced.....today is finally proof his wins have been legit

Even as a Bernardini fan, I agree that Invasor deserves HOY. However, if Barbaro somehow wins 3YOOY over Bernardini, I'm losing all respect for the Eclipse awards.

Barbaro is HOY.

Bernardini had the best season by any three year old in north america. How can anyone logically argue this?

We all love Barbaro, but the 3yo award goes to Bernardini and the HOY to Invasor, pretty clear cut I think.

It's Bernardini to win the 3yo champ and no way you can argue Invasor as HOY.

There are plenty of Bernardini fans that will remember Bernardini - unless you are talking about the general public? I hardly think that they are thinking about Barbaro.

Why does every thread degenerate into a competition between these colts? I know you are not a fan of Bernardini, but he is an exceptional three year old and he is going to win the Eclipse as such. He won't be forgotten.

Unfortunately for you, the Eclipse awards voters won't forget.......and I really don't care if you or the general public forgets about Bernardini.......

ok, first off i was never 'not a fan of bernardini'. i was not a hype machine for him either, but certainly enjoyed the horse.

and no, fans won't forget him--but in the grand scheme of things, barbaro is the much better known horse--considering the amound of attention he has gotten, and continues to get, since his preakness...and he is the derby winner, and will always be remembered for that.

as for why it comes down to those two...human nature to compare the best two 3 yo colts out there, esp when it all comes down to speculation.

It has to be Bernardini, the 2nd in the classic against older horses iced it.

i really don't think you'll get a serious dispute about that! i don't think the voting will be unanimous, but bernie will get the nod by a large margin.

I think Barbaro deserves it over Bernardini.

And I have no problem with that if we are debating the relative merits of the horses on the track...........but I don't see the point in snide comments (not from you) about how Bernardini will be forgotten and Barbaro will always be remembered. Must there be a competition now between which horse will reside longest in fans' memories? I can't believe it's degenerated to this extent.

i really don't think either will be forgotten by racing fans.

they were both good, both had a good year, it's just that bernardini did what they both (regrettably) couldn't, and that was run all year and be competitive all year. of course bernardini was a lot more than just competitive!! he deserves the award and will get top three year old.
no sense in woulda coulda as far as barbaro. he has his own place in history, there's plenty of room for both!! and hopefully they can compete in the shed (altho i doubt the one will be there next year, and hope the other isn't!) and have their offspring on the track to race each other in years to come.

much as i like barbaro, and as difficult it is to say he didn't do enough, well--he didn't. he didn't have the opportunity, and that's racing.
in a way, it's good that bernardini came out and had the year he did, otherwise barbaro would get top three yo--and once again we'd have a three year old who did enough by winning the derby, and we don't need to offer an more encouragement to those would think only the spring is enough!! obviously had barbaro remained race ready, he'd have been out there.