Top 5 greatest failures I've seen among racehorses

[The Indomitable DrugS]

My top five horses who had a race and the probability for projected improvement that put them on a justifiable path to greatness ... only to see said horse hang around for more than a few races and never improve.

#1. Afternoon Deelites. A Dick Mandella trained West Virgina bred who was being advertised as the next Seattle Slew or Spectacular Bid after his incredible win in the Hollywood Futurity.

He did end his career 5-for-5 with 4 Graded Stakes wins in sprint races ... but suffered humiliating defeats in the Kentucky Derby and Santa Anita Handicap to horses he toyed with early on in his career.


#2. Pulpit. A Frank Brothers trained son of A. P. Indy. Won his debut going 7fs at Gulfstream with a 107 Beyer.

When you're a son of strong finishing marathoner like A. P. Indy - and you win a debut sprinting like he did. If you don't eventually make the Hall of Fame you're probably a gigantic failure.

He never panned out after the debut win - but was productive enough to win the Blue Grass and run a soundly beaten 4th in the Derby in his final two starts.


#3. Arazi. Won the Breeders Cup Juvenile with just about the most visually devastating sustained move you'll ever see.

Insanely impressive performance for a Euro shipper making his dirt debut - he had won 3 straight Gr 1's with ease in his 3 prior starts in Europe.

Could only manage an 8th place Derby finish and flopped as the favorite in the BC Mile on turf in his next two Euro visits. But did win a Gr 2 in Europe very nicely - and his middle move in the Derby was very impressive even though he hung badly.


#4. Lil's Lad. Neil Howard took over the training of this horse as a 3-year-old and his four races at Gulfstream Park in the winter of '98 were about as scary as anything you'll see from a newly turned 3-year-old.

He took his first start in an alw sprint by 16.5 lengths, in hand throughout, with a 109 Beyer. He took his 2nd start in an alw route by 6 lengths with a 106 Beyer. The camera guy couldn't even keep up with him .. Halory Hunter finished 2nd in the alw race .. he later won the Blue Grass and was 4th in the Ky Derby.

Lil's Lad dominated Coronado's Quest in a 113 Beyer Fountain of Youth win in his 3rd GP start. He was DQ'd from victory in the Florida Derby in his 4th and final start of the meet .. probably the greatest losing performance I've ever seen in a Ky Derby prep.

After leaving GP he was 2nd in the Blue Grass at odds of 2/5. Was sidelined and had to miss the Derby. Other than a nice 4yo debut he pretty much stunk it up after that.


#5. Badge of Silver. http://www.airdriestud.com/pdf/badge_pp.pdf

Won his first three races like he was the best 3yo in America at any distance ranging from 4 furlongs to 14 furlongs. Just sensational visual performances that also got big figures.

Injury issues plauged him though. He did have a few good moments later on. Including a 3rd place finish in the Breeders Cup Mile while making his first start off of an 11 month layoff .. a very tough thing to do. He also won a Graded Stake on dirt over Commentator and Dynever with a 111 Beyer.


* I didn't include Favorite Trick even though he won Horse of the Year as a 2-year-old ... because basically he always sucked.

* I also didn't include Discreet Cat because he didn't fall off the path until his 2nd winter-long Dubai trip. He was scratched from his World Cup prep race at the last second and basically became of claiming horse ability after that.

[jms62]

If I can use one word to describe your list of "failures". Absurd.

[Slewbopper]

Originally Posted by jms62

If I can use one word to describe your list of "failures". Absurd.

Agreed. How can multiple stake winners be considered great failures?

This topic should begin and end with the Green Monkey..........
$16 mil with a $10,200 return

And how about Zippy? 0 for 100

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by jms62

If I can use one word to describe your list of "failures". Absurd.

Why?

I'm not talking about horses who sold for $16 million because they fooled someone in an undertack show .. or sold for $11 million because they fooled someone with looks.

I'm talking about horses who were actually on the path to greatness - and had logical reasons to believe they would improve - and they certainly didn't come close to achieving greatness.

[jms62]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Why?

I'm not talking about horses who sold for $16 million because they fooled someone in an undertack show .. or sold for $11 million because they fooled someone with looks.

I'm talking about horses who were actually on the path to greatness - and had logical reasons to believe they would improve - and they certainly didn't come close to achieving greatness.

Drugs. First line of Slewboppers post verbatim is my reasoning.

[smuthg]

Drugs, what about Sweet Catomine?

[slotdirt]

Originally Posted by smuthg

Drugs, what about Sweet Catomine?

Tough to consider her a failure considering the circumstances though, no?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by smuthg

Drugs, what about Sweet Catomine?

If I had to do females ... she, along with Halfbrideld would be very high on the list. She didn't race long enough though afterwards to get a top 2 or 3 ranking though.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by jms62

Drugs. First line of Slewboppers post verbatim is my reasoning.

Easy. Multiple stakes winners can be great failures - to me anyway - because they were cut out to be all-time greats and they didn't achieve it.

[Sightseek]

Empire Maker would certainly be a good argument for a Top Fiver who didn't live up to hype.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Empire Maker would certainly be a good argument for a Top Fiver who didn't live up to hype.

He was 1st or 2nd 7 out of 8 races (all stakes but his maiden win). Not to mention his first three races were not anything great.

Virtually all these horses were injured at one point. I dont know about Afternoon Deelites.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Empire Maker would certainly be a good argument for a Top Fiver who didn't live up to hype.

He at least was pretty solid ... there have been some pretty hyped horses that were downright terrible.

I would the say most overhyped horse - that actually turned out to be a great horse - was without question Xtra Heat.

She would be the opposite of this list. I was so sick about people blabbing about her - and swore Victory Ride would kill her in the Test Stakes.

VR won the Test ... but Xtra Heat was light years the best horse in the race the way it was run .. and she just basically became the Godzilla of female spritners from that race on.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Empire Maker would certainly be a good argument for a Top Fiver who didn't live up to hype.

He's an interesting example whereas I think he was more hyped based on his breeding rather than his actual performances, any son out of a great broodmare Toussaud would have had unfair expectations placed on them at that time. Still given the memory of the highlight moment of his career when he broke up Funny Cide's triple crown bid, he left you with the feeling he could have done more in his career.

[Indian Charlie]

I think Dinard bowed a tendon prior to the Ky Derby. They never seem to come back as good after that.

He was a monster though and probably would have won the derby that year, if not more.

I'll always remember Paulson being excited after his first big win, saying that he was all pumped up about having a son of his prize stallion, Strawberry Road, being able to stand stud.

That's when he found out Dinard had been gelded already.

[Indian Charlie]

By the way, are horses like All Slewped Up eligible for your list?

[Indian Charlie]

Or this one:

[chucklestheclown]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

I'll always remember Paulson being excited after his first big win, saying that he was all pumped up about having a son of his prize stallion, Strawberry Road, being able to stand stud.That's when he found out Dinard had been gelded already.

[letswastemoney]

Mister Frisky