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#1
11-11-2010, 07:54 AM
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Best horses of the 1980's by division
Based on past performances I've studied and some old charts I've seen and old races I've watched - I thought I'd take a stab this morning.
2-year-old male: Easy Goer - Devil's Bag - Chief's Crown - Grand Canyon 2-year-old female: Princess Rooney - Landaluce - Before Dawn - Althea 3-year-old male: Sunday Silence - Easy Goer - Spend A Buck - Conquistador Cielo 3-year-old female: Winning Colors - Genuine Risk - Mom's Command - Bold N' Determined Older male: Spectacular Bid - Alysheba - Ferdinand - Turkoman Older female: Personal Ensign, Lady's Secret, Princess Rooney, Bayakoa Turf male: John Henry, Manila, Theatrical, Steinlen Turf female: Miesque, All Along, Pebbles, Royal Heroine Sprint male: Groovy, Precisonist, Phone Trick, Smile Sprint female: Gold Beauty, Very Subtle, Safely Kept, Pine Tree Lane Feel free to argue or agree. I'd be interested in hearing takes from people who were around and betting or in the industry through that time. 
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#2
11-11-2010, 08:07 AM
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__________________
Good jockeys don't need instructions and bad ones don't follow them
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#3
11-11-2010, 08:24 AM
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I considered Open Mind for both 2yo and 3yo filly. I think she has a pretty decent case for 4th in both divisions. She did tail off in the fall as a 3yo though - and that was enough for me to keep her off.
Go For Wand was a champion 2yo filly in '89 - she was such a great 3yo - but her 2yo championship season really wasn't good enough other than maybe to put her in the running for 4th. You had a lot of really outstanding horses that decade. The four older females are incredibly strong. I think you could make a case Personal Ensign is only 3rd best there. They're real close imo.
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#4
11-11-2010, 09:12 AM
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Revidere
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#5
11-11-2010, 09:59 AM
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I always felt Relaxing was one of the best mares of the time. Not sure if I could rate her higher than any on your list but I thought she was tops.
Spend A Buck was as game a frontrunner as I've ever seen. He's much closer to SS and EG than any other 3yo was to him.
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#6
11-11-2010, 10:20 AM
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On the Line, I'd to this day still rate him as one fo the best five sprinters I've ever seen. Perhaps top three.
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#7
11-11-2010, 10:23 AM
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A good case could be made for Althea as a 3yo filly as well.
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#8
11-11-2010, 10:24 AM
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Older male, Greinton most certainly was a better horse than Ferdinand. I'd say the same for Precisionist as well.
On pure raw talent, I'd put Swear in the 2yos.
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#9
11-11-2010, 08:24 PM
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#10
11-11-2010, 08:34 PM
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How bout Gulch?
__________________
"Change can be good, but constant change shows no direction" http://www.hickoryhillhoff.blogspot.com/
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#11
11-11-2010, 08:35 PM
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Melair could really fly. I was in love with a 3yo filly named Ski Goggle who destroyed Princess Rooney in the Acorn i believe. She was soon hurt, and never appeared again.
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#12
11-12-2010, 12:18 AM
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By just about anyone.
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#13
11-11-2010, 10:23 AM
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Obviously CC's Met Mile/Belmont double is impressive, but I'd favor a Derby/Preakness winner like Alysheba over that, especially given Alysheba's impressive BCC place performance to cap that year.
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#14
11-11-2010, 08:35 PM
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CC ran giant in the Met Mile - crush Silver Charm's sire Silver Buck who came right back and took a couple of Gr 1's for olders in the Suburban and a Whitney win over Winter's Tale. Just six days after winning the Met by 7+ lengths in a field of 14 - CC wins the Belmont by 14 lengths over a last out Ky Derby winner in a field of 11. CC did lose the Travers at 2/5 - but Beyer claimed in one of his books that there was a dead rail at Saratoga that day - and he was stuck on it thanks to Cordero pinning him on Aloma's Ruler. I think if you can forgive the Travers effort - he's maybe even 3rd to Spend a Buck.
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#15
11-11-2010, 03:19 PM
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Hybrid Mode
