46zilzal
05-25-2006, 01:07 PM
Ever since I started to follow racing one of the things I always admired was that the HORSEMEN never built up their charges with repeatedly superlative adjectives. The multiple writers for the press are a different story.
I recall when Cougar II was winning on both dirt and grass (too bad it came up wet when he ran against Secretariat as he hated off going) Shoe referred to him as a "useful" horse.
When enough water goes under the bridge, one begins to recognize greatness in the thoroughbred is embodied in a prolonged campaign of a multi-faceted competitor with the toughness to stay around. Brilliance comes and goes (I personally thought that Easy Goer was the next coming, but had to recognize that this massive individual was NOT quick: his Achilles heel).
Over time, the great geldings are the ones that stick out: Exterminator, Kelso, John Henry, and FOREGO. The last of these three was around for a good long while running on spindly legs, carrying great weight and winning both long and short.
There are so many like Silent Screen, Mr. Frisky, Ogygian, Success Express, (two with short brilliant careers: Danzig and Mr. Prospector), Houston, Capote, Storm Cat, Tasso, Favorite Trick, Gilded Time, Arazi, etc. that promise so much but are never around long to prove much. Much akin to brilliant comets these flame out long before they have shown anything other than brilliance.
Add Barbaro to this list. Let the sportswriters get into the deification as they normally do to sell newspapers. We will never know.
I recall when Cougar II was winning on both dirt and grass (too bad it came up wet when he ran against Secretariat as he hated off going) Shoe referred to him as a "useful" horse.
When enough water goes under the bridge, one begins to recognize greatness in the thoroughbred is embodied in a prolonged campaign of a multi-faceted competitor with the toughness to stay around. Brilliance comes and goes (I personally thought that Easy Goer was the next coming, but had to recognize that this massive individual was NOT quick: his Achilles heel).
Over time, the great geldings are the ones that stick out: Exterminator, Kelso, John Henry, and FOREGO. The last of these three was around for a good long while running on spindly legs, carrying great weight and winning both long and short.
There are so many like Silent Screen, Mr. Frisky, Ogygian, Success Express, (two with short brilliant careers: Danzig and Mr. Prospector), Houston, Capote, Storm Cat, Tasso, Favorite Trick, Gilded Time, Arazi, etc. that promise so much but are never around long to prove much. Much akin to brilliant comets these flame out long before they have shown anything other than brilliance.
Add Barbaro to this list. Let the sportswriters get into the deification as they normally do to sell newspapers. We will never know.