Who was closer to the Triple Crown...Smarty or Alex?

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Cardus

Now that is a future wager! Great job!

I wasn't convinced about him through the preps because I got caught up in the pedigree angle, which now means less and less in regards to the Kentucky Derby. (It means much more in the Belmont Stakes, though.)

However, his BRISNET pace figures were clearly the best of the lot that spring. He had a great motor, and could distribute his speed more efficiently than the others.

Thanks! it was a once in a lifetime thing, probably.

Pedigree 'capping really seems to have hit a wall in the Derby. That year's sires were miler-miler-miler-sprinter, last year (well, holy bull was good at everything)-sprint-miler, this year was long-all-long. no real pattern versus the old days where if you didn't have the longwinded pedigree you were a pretty easy toss.

A friend of mine had sent me the BRIS numbers and they actually had him rated #1 from his 2nd race on, plus it confirmed my figure on the Aqu race... (had it about 10 points higher than Beyer)

[slotdirt]

There was a few years there (Distorted Humor, Elusive Quality, Northern Afleet) where sprinters were siring Classic winners. Darned if that didn't throw the breeding experts into a tizzy.

Originally Posted by slotdirt

There was a few years there (Distorted Humor, Elusive Quality, Northern Afleet) where sprinters were siring Classic winners. Darned if that didn't throw the breeding experts into a tizzy.

Yeah slot, but those "experts" got up off the mat pretty quickly and explained to us how they were right anyway.
All you have to is go back far enough in the pedigree until you get to a stamina sire(go far enough back and you can find one in just about any horse), and then explain that the horse they said wasn't bred to go that far was bred to go that far all along.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

There was a few years there (Distorted Humor, Elusive Quality, Northern Afleet) where sprinters were siring Classic winners. Darned if that didn't throw the breeding experts into a tizzy.

John..

Except that they were all carrying on the outrageous success of the Raise a Native line in the race..

Originally Posted by Kasept

John..

Except that they were all carrying on the outrageous success of the Raise a Native line in the race..

But they weren't fashionable and proven to have sired a classic winner, until they did. LOL!!
My question to those experts when they start citing their statistical data always would be something like "Yeah but has Elusive Quality ever sired a horse as fast as SJ is?" or "Yeah, but has Northern Afleet ever sired a horse as good as AA is?" Blank stares usually follow, as if you have disrupted their world of stats and numbers with an impossibility too mind numbing to grasp.

To put it in another perspective. Should all the kids who wanna be tennis stars in a few years not even bother to take up the game and practice and try regardless of their passion for it, athletic ability, or talent shown?
Thing is that their is a youngster out there with the greatest tennis pedigree ever. Hes by the sire Andre Agassi out a mare named Steffi Graf(By Peter Graf) and obviously with that pedigree he will win every grand slam event he enters once hes old enough to compete. Unless of course there is a kid out there who some day grows up to be more talented and athletic, or who perhaps has more heart and desire.

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by oracle80

To put it in another perspective. Should all the kids who wanna be tennis stars in a few years not even bother to take up the game and practice and try regardless of their passion for it, athletic ability, or talent shown?
Thing is that their is a youngster out there with the greatest tennis pedigree ever. Hes by the sire Andre Agassi out a mare named Steffi Graf(By Peter Graf) and obviously with that pedigree he will win every grand slam event he enters once hes old enough to compete. Unless of course there is a kid out there who some day grows up to be more talented and athletic, or who perhaps has more heart and desire.

Oracle,
I agree with you on this post. Very well said.
That's why I think that breeding takes a back seat to training.
That said, do you know which stallion has sired the most TC winners?
I don't, but I'll guess it's Native Dancer or Northern Dancer.
DTS