DrugSalvastore
11-19-2005, 02:59 PM
It's pretty ridiculous to say that a multiple Grade 1 winning horse, who won 7 of 11 career starts, and made over $1.8 million was a major dissapointment---in the case of Rock Hard Ten...I think it's accurate to say that.
If ever I saw a horse who had the total package---it was this one. He was without question the most 'can't miss' looking horse of this decade...and really, the most memorable moment of his career is probably the brawls he got into with the starting crew's at Pimlico and Belmont before the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Both of those melt downs held the race up for several minutes.
Gary Stevens called him "the best horse I ever sat on." What a joke that is! I'm sure Rock Hard Ten was without question the most talented horse he ever sat on---but there is a tremendous difference between being "the best" and the most talented.
This horse will do fine as a stallion--he's by Kris S. out of a mother who was a champion 2yo filly in France. His mother is also a half sibling to a Ky Derby winner.
I guess, in his defense, RHT never got the chance to run over the turf, and logic tells you he would figure to perform exceptionally well over that surface.
Along with a Pletcher trained horse named Strong Hope--I felt Rock Hard Ten was the most physically impressive looking horse I've ever seen in person. After his debut win at Santa Anita--you had to think to yourself "They might as well as just concede the Derby to this horse" even though this horse never raced as a 2yo--and over a century of history suggested that horses who don't race at 2 don't win the Ky Derby.
This horse HAD TO BE held to a much higher standard than the others, and in my opinion, based on what he obviously was capable of, what he could of done, and what he should have done---this horse failed on the track.
If ever I saw a horse who had the total package---it was this one. He was without question the most 'can't miss' looking horse of this decade...and really, the most memorable moment of his career is probably the brawls he got into with the starting crew's at Pimlico and Belmont before the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Both of those melt downs held the race up for several minutes.
Gary Stevens called him "the best horse I ever sat on." What a joke that is! I'm sure Rock Hard Ten was without question the most talented horse he ever sat on---but there is a tremendous difference between being "the best" and the most talented.
This horse will do fine as a stallion--he's by Kris S. out of a mother who was a champion 2yo filly in France. His mother is also a half sibling to a Ky Derby winner.
I guess, in his defense, RHT never got the chance to run over the turf, and logic tells you he would figure to perform exceptionally well over that surface.
Along with a Pletcher trained horse named Strong Hope--I felt Rock Hard Ten was the most physically impressive looking horse I've ever seen in person. After his debut win at Santa Anita--you had to think to yourself "They might as well as just concede the Derby to this horse" even though this horse never raced as a 2yo--and over a century of history suggested that horses who don't race at 2 don't win the Ky Derby.
This horse HAD TO BE held to a much higher standard than the others, and in my opinion, based on what he obviously was capable of, what he could of done, and what he should have done---this horse failed on the track.