actually when smarty jones was making that turn around the backstretch, I was yelling at the TV... actually was yelling at Stewart Elliot to be more specefic, for making that move about a quarter of a mile too early. the pressure got to him. Smarty didn't have THAT muck kick to get a mile and a quarter making the move when he made it. I knew he lost. didn't know to who, but I knew he would get run down.
The closest we have came has been Real Quiet. If the Belmont was written to be a mile and 879 yards instead of a mile and 880, Real Quiet would have won the triple crown. got beat by not even a head. About half a nose.
Afleet Alex had the best chance to win it, but Jermery Rose f'ed up in the derby and took the inside trip when the rail had been dead all day.. he admitted he f'ed up after the race, and came back and rumped the last two races.. was easily the best 3 year old in his crop.
I'm from arkansas and I always liked Smarty Jones, but I think the Cliff's Edge might have been better. Probably the most unluckiest horse ever. Was the morning line fav of the derby, and in the race, out the gate he looses his front two shoes (and the race is in the slop) and still finishes 5th. Then because of the injury he got running the derby he was scratched minutes before the preakness started... I think he's standing at stud now, but that was a hell of a horse, even though I think smarty still would have won the preakness.
This is what I do for a living (horse racing) so I take it very seriously. the more people who we can get to come in the game, the better for everyone. the more money in the para mutal pools, the more the purses go up, etc.
the problem you have no is that horses are bred to sale isntead of being bred to race. Inbreeding and breeding to horses who are known to be injury prone, creates brittle horses who can't withstand the triles and tribulations of the game, espiically at the classic distance (mile and a quarter).
out of all the preakness contenders, Curlin probably has soundest pedigree... Street Sense is pretty good, but once you get down the line a little in his pedigree it's pretty bad.
You see these horese sired by AP Indy (Rags to Riches), Stormy Atlantic (Stormello, magnificance-who is the only filly that can give Rags to riches a run for her money, who i sout for the year because of injury), Johnaneseburg (Tefelsburg, Scat Daddy), horeses who have Storm Cat directly within their blood lines, either by sire, grandsire or damsire (Storm in may, any given saturday, Sam P).. they are built to be fast, and that's what they do... but they aren't built for a long term racing career and they don't hold up.
That's why although I always roote for hosres like Brother Derek, Hard Spun, who is a danzing, who is one of the more durable horses you will find. Tiago is by pleasant Tap, who might be my fav sire right now.. his horses will run for ever and a day.. he's the sire of premimum tap who came in a game as hell 2nd in the Dubai World Cup to take him his second place share of 6 million.. can't beat that. Holy Bull colts won't bring alot at sales rings, but you can't write a distance long enough where they can't run it, if you like grays, he is for you (even though he wasn't gray, at least until he got older)
I like smarty jones, he got wisked away to stud so fast it wasn't funny. had one of the better confirmations you can have.. the only horse that looked better was probably Barbaro... who wouldn't have own the TC BTW
Injuries play a large part of it as well.. A horse by the name of Ghostzapper was probably the best race horse north america has seen in the last 10 years, but was taken off the TC trail when he developed an injury. When he came back however, you couldn't come within 10 lengthes of him. he has the highest Beyer in the last 10 years, an only lost 2 races out of like 13... very lightly raced, but he showed up when the money wa son the line, and you couldn't beat him.. the only horse I have ever seen with my own two eyes that had enough in him to lead a group of horses for a mile and a quarter... Grade 1 horses mind you, and pull away in hand in the end like he was breezing, he's by awesome again.
