Should Have

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by smuthg

Rockport Harbor... Talk about bad luck.

Didn't Rockport Harbor get beaten handily by a third-string Pletcher horse in the Lexington?

NT

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Didn't Rockport Harbor get beaten handily by a third-string Pletcher horse in the Lexington?

NT

Even if you accept the delusion that Rockport Harbor was an exceptionally talented horse, he had exactly the wrong running style for the 2005 Kentucky Derby, and would have gotten drowned.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Even if you accept the delusion that Rockport Harbor was an exceptionally talented horse, he had exactly the wrong running style for the 2005 Kentucky Derby, and would have gotten drowned.

The way the '05 Derby played out I think Survivalist might have outfinished Rockport Harbor.

NT

[miraja2]

Originally Posted by smuthg

Rockport Harbor... Talk about bad luck.

Luck? The horse is by Unbridleds Song. Are we supposed to be shocked that he wasn't able to stay healthy?
Add in the fact that his signature victory came over the great Galloping Grocer and I think he fails to qualify for this discussion.
In an unrelated matter, he is also one of the ugliest damn horses I have seen in years.

[SentToStud]

What about Man o' War?

He probably would have slaughtered everyone mentioned.

The last Preakness/Belmont winner not to have run in the Derby, I believe.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

What about Man o' War?

He probably would have slaughtered everyone mentioned.

The last Preakness/Belmont winner not to have run in the Derby, I believe.

Were you too old to hold a paper route at that time?

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Were you too old to hold a paper route at that time?

No but I was doing a stretch in reform school at the time.

[Danzig]

timely writer

[philcski]

Originally Posted by otisotisotis

don't remember the year, but i thought Buddha had an outstanding chance.

2002, and I disagree (even though I love his trainer), Buddha was a pretty sorry excuse for a Derby favorite (almost as bad as the actual ML favorite, Harlan's Holiday.)

Devil's Bag was the one I'll always lament.

[philcski]

Also, before my time but Key to the Mint was probably the winner in '72 had he gone in the Derby.

I'm also glad no one has said Bernardini yet, because he wasn't winning the Derby at that point in his career last year.

[King Glorious]

Thanks for reminding me. Add Bernardini to my list. I don't see why he couldn't have won it. He was good enough to win the Preakness two weeks later. I know, I know. I thought he was good enough to win the Preakness anyway though so I don't think two weeks earlier, he wouldn't have been able to beat Barbaro.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by philcski

Devil's Bag was the one I'll always lament.

Devils Bag was done well before that Derby. Now, if the 2YO Devils Bag showed up......

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Thanks for reminding me. Add Bernardini to my list. I don't see why he couldn't have won it. He was good enough to win the Preakness two weeks later. I know, I know. I thought he was good enough to win the Preakness anyway though so I don't think two weeks earlier, he wouldn't have been able to beat Barbaro.

Yeah, his win in the Withers was much better than Barbaro's Derby.

Put down the pipe.

[KirisClown]

Touch Gold

Montreal Red

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Yeah, his win in the Withers was much better than Barbaro's Derby.

Put down the pipe.

I don't see the point. Barbaro was prepped to be at his peak in the Derby. Bernardini wasn't. Had he been, from what I saw of Bernardini last year, I have no reason to believe he couldn't have been just as good or better than Barbaro in the Derby had they decided to go that route earlier and had the time. His win in the Withers was a 104 figure. I guess that sucks for a third career start number. It doesn't make sense to me that a horse can run a 113 figure in mid-May but couldn't run a 111 two weeks before? If he wouldn't have been capable of running a 111 two weeks before but could do a 113 two weeks later, maybe Bernardini needs to be on the Mitchell Report.

[Lava]

Originally Posted by Antitrust32

how about rags to riches.. she could have won.

IMO she had a great shot at winning, I just dont think SS is all that good.

[smuthg]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

Didn't Rockport Harbor get beaten handily by a third-string Pletcher horse in the Lexington?

NT

Rockport Harbor was never healthy after the Remsen...

[philcski]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

Thanks for reminding me. Add Bernardini to my list. I don't see why he couldn't have won it. He was good enough to win the Preakness two weeks later. I know, I know. I thought he was good enough to win the Preakness anyway though so I don't think two weeks earlier, he wouldn't have been able to beat Barbaro.

He needed that Withers start. No way he would have been ready for the Derby off a maiden win- you don't seriously believe he could have beaten Barbaro do you? The Preakness is a different race, and (unfortunately) it fell into his hands after Barbaro went down.

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Devils Bag was done well before that Derby. Now, if the 2YO Devils Bag showed up......

Yeah, I know. I remember waiting for the newspaper to show up the next day to find out what he did in the race before the Flamingo (Everglades I think?) and when he was kind of average I was disappointed, then the terrible performance in the Flamingo... still, something was wrong and if he had made it healthy to Churchill he would have destroyed that field.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by smuthg

Rockport Harbor was never healthy after the Remsen...

And wasn't that good up until then...

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by philcski

He needed that Withers start. No way he would have been ready for the Derby off a maiden win- you don't seriously believe he could have beaten Barbaro do you? The Preakness is a different race, and (unfortunately) it fell into his hands after Barbaro went down.



Yeah, I know. I remember waiting for the newspaper to show up the next day to find out what he did in the race before the Flamingo (Everglades I think?) and when he was kind of average I was disappointed, then the terrible performance in the Flamingo... still, something was wrong and if he had made it healthy to Churchill he would have destroyed that field.

Great horses do great things. Lammtarra won the Epsom Derby in his second career start....off of a seven month layoff at that. I'm not suggesting though that Bernardini would have beaten Barbaro if he had run off of the maiden win. What I was saying is that had things been able to go different and they could have started on him earlier and had more preparation time, I think that Bernardini would have been the one winning the Derby, not Barbaro.