A Look Back at the Three Year Old Males of 2009

[tribecaagent]

It's been said that you judge a crop of throughbreds at the end of the year. Well, here is a list of the three year old males we've seen this past year (in no particular order):

1. Summer Bird
2. Mine That Bird
3. Regal Ransom
4. Girolamo
5. Zensational
6. Chocolate Candy
7. Midshipman
8. Courageous Cat
9. Vineyard Haven
10. Quality Road
11. Musket Man
12. I Want Revenge
13. Dunkirk
14. Pioneer Of The Nile
15. Papa Clem
16. Friesen Fire
17. Atomic Rain
18. West Side Bernie
19. Desert Party
20. Take The Points
21. Battle Of Hastings
22. Capt. Candyman Can
23. Kensei
24. Blame
25. Misremembered
26. Fiddlers Afleet
27. Gone Astray
28. Munnings
29. Old Fashioned
30. The Pamplemousse


This was an outstanding crop of three year old males. Certainly, one of the finest I've ever seen.

[ghostyapper]

It's been said that you judge a crop of throughbreds at the end of the year. Well, here is a list of the three year old males we've seen this past year (in no particular order):

1. Summer Bird
2. Mine That Bird
3. Regal Ransom
4. Girolamo
5. Zensational
6. Chocolate Candy
7. Midshipman
8. Courageous Cat
9. Vineyard Haven
10. Quality Road
11. Musket Man
12. I Want Revenge
13. Dunkirk
14. Pioneer Of The Nile
15. Papa Clem
16. Friesen Fire
17. Atomic Rain
18. West Side Bernie
19. Desert Party
20. Take The Points
21. Battle Of Hastings
22. Capt. Candyman Can
23. Kensei
24. Blame
25. Misremembered
26. Fiddlers Afleet
27. Gone Astray
28. Munnings
29. Old Fashioned
30. The Pamplemousse


This was an outstanding crop of three year old males. Certainly, one of the finest I've ever seen.

It was an ok group. Finest you've ever seen? :eek:

[tribecaagent]

I'm curious to hear what crop you think performed at a higher level?

[ghostyapper]

I'm curious to hear what crop you think performed at a higher level?

Ok so you weren't joking :confused:

Better than this group? Just in the last 15 years:
07, 06, 05, 04, 03, 97.

[tribecaagent]

How about some names?

I don't expect 30, but a top ten would be nice.

[toetoe]

It's been said that you judge a crop of throughbreds at the end of the year. Well, here is a list of the three year old males we've seen this past year (in no particular order):

1. Summer Bird
2. Mine That Bird
3. Regal Ransom
4. Girolamo
5. Zensational
6. Chocolate Candy
7. Midshipman
8. Courageous Cat
9. Vineyard Haven
10. Quality Road
11. Musket Man
12. I Want Revenge
13. Dunkirk
14. Pioneer Of The Nile
15. Papa Clem
16. Friesen Fire
17. Atomic Rain
18. West Side Bernie
19. Desert Party
20. Take The Points
21. Battle Of Hastings
22. Capt. Candyman Can
23. Kensei
24. Blame
25. Misremembered
26. Fiddlers Afleet
27. Gone Astray
28. Munnings
29. Old Fashioned
30. The Pamplemousse


This was an outstanding crop of three year old males. Certainly, one of the finest I've ever seen.


Point taken, but you forgot two things:

1) Win Willy;

2) The following emoticon --- [ :rolleyes: ]. .

[toetoe]

How about some names?

I don't expect 30, but a top ten would be nice.



Curlin, Hard Spun, Street Sense, Any Given Saturday ...

Alysheba, Bet Twice, Cryptoclearance, Gulch, On the Line, Demons Begone, Capote, War, Masterful Advocate, Leo Castelli ...

Broad Brush, Ferdinand, Snow Chief, Judge Angelucci, Groovy, Danzig Connection, Temperate Sil ...

Spend a Buck, Tank's Prospect, Chief's Crown, Proud Truth, Creme Fraiche, Stephan's Odyssey, Fast Account, Eternal Prince, Hajji's Treasure ( :( ) ...

Slew o' Gold, Sunny's Halo, Caveat, Play Fellow, Marfa, Desert Wine ...

Spectacular Bid, Coastal, Golden Act, General Assembly, Flying Paster ...

Foolish Pleasure, Wajima, Master Derby, Avatar, Diabolo, Prince Thou Art, George Navonod ( ;) ), ...

Secretariat, Linda's Chief, Sham, Tentam, Angle Light, Shecky Greene, Ancient Title, Easy Ern ( ;) ), ...

Riva Ridge, Key to the Mint, Quack, Big Spruce, Solar Salute, Royal Owl, Kentuckian, No Le Hace ...

[toetoe]

War Chant, Fusaichi Pegasus, Red Bullet, Albert the Great, The Deputy, Captain Steve, More than Ready, Trippi, Aptitude ...

[tribecaagent]

Curlin, Hard Spun, Street Sense, Any Given Saturday ...
Curlin was a fantastic racehorse.
Please don't suggest that Hard Spun, Street Sense, and Any Given Saturday are superior to Summer Bird, Blame, Quality Road, Vineyard Haven, and I Want Revenge.

Alysheba, Bet Twice, Cryptoclearance, Gulch, On the Line, Demons Begone, Capote, War, Masterful Advocate, Leo Castelli ...
Alysheba, Bet Twice, and Gulch were terrific racehorses (you're forgetting Gone West); but after those (Cryptoclearence was a one run closer at the mercy of pace) they are just not as talanted as the 2009 group.

Broad Brush, Ferdinand, Snow Chief, Judge Angelucci, Groovy, Danzig Connection, Temperate Sil ...
This was a deep and talented group of the top four - Ferdinand, Snow Chief, Danzig Connection, and Broad Brush. Please don't suggest Groovy or any of the others were top class racehorses.

Spend a Buck, Tank's Prospect, Chief's Crown, Proud Truth, Creme Fraiche, Stephan's Odyssey, Fast Account, Eternal Prince, Hajji's Treasure ( :( ) ...
To me, this group is the deepest. I'll give you the top ten - Spend A Buck, Tank's Prospect, Chief's Crown, Proud Truth, and Creme Fraiche (you're forgetting Gate Dancer, Vandlandingham, Turkoman, Precisionist, and Track Baron) -ALL very game, hard-knocking racehorses. Can't knock any of em'. Time will tell if horses like Dunkirk, Girolamo, Friesen Fire, Kensei, Munnings, Musket Man, and Regal Ransom will step up. I think they will.

Slew o' Gold, Sunny's Halo, Caveat, Play Fellow, Marfa, Desert Wine ...
Please. This group was the weakest (and you're forgetting Bates Motel and Greinton).

Spectacular Bid, Coastal, Golden Act, General Assembly, Flying Paster ...
After "The Bid" what was left?

Foolish Pleasure, Wajima, Master Derby, Avatar, Diabolo, Prince Thou Art, George Navonod ( ;) ), ... Before my time.

Secretariat, Linda's Chief, Sham, Tentam, Angle Light, Shecky Greene, Ancient Title, Easy Ern ( ;) ), ... Unfortunately, missed the BIG Horse.

Riva Ridge, Key to the Mint, Quack, Big Spruce, Solar Salute, Royal Owl, Kentuckian, No Le Hace ... Was still playing with Lego and Play Doh

[tribecaagent]

War Chant, Fusaichi Pegasus, Red Bullet, Albert the Great, The Deputy, Captain Steve, More than Ready, Trippi, Aptitude ...War Chant, Red Bullett, Captain Steve, Aptitude, and More Than Ready were outstanding racehorses. Fusaichi Pegasus was overrated.

I'll take Quality Road, Summer Bird, Vineyard Haven, Blame, and I Want Revenge over those. Never mind the late developers such as Misremembered, Girolamo, Regal Ransom, Al Kahli, Fiddlers Afleet, and Courageous Cat. How about horses like Dunkirk, Friesen Fire, Musket Man, and Midshipman?

Very deep group.

[FlyinLate]

Curlin, Hard Spun, Street Sense, Any Given Saturday ...
Curlin was a fantastic racehorse.
Please don't suggest that Hard Spun, Street Sense, and Any Given Saturday are superior to Summer Bird, Blame, Quality Road, Vineyard Haven, and I Want Revenge.


You must be kidding me.
I Want Revenge only won prep races and we haven't seen him since.
Quality Road has a track record on a racetrack which was the fastest I've ever seen (This Ones for Phil ALSO set a track record that day. He hasn't done much since as well). He has potential but until he shows it he's no top 3yo in my book.
Vineyard Haven ran average yesterday in a small field to hold second after barely getting up in an awfully weak philly field the race before.
Blame wins against a tough field yesterday with a beautiful trip and he's now one of the best 3yo's?

Summer Bird is the only horse whose really proven himself on the level of Curlin, Street Sense, and Hard Spun.
Most of this year's top 3yo males has been ridden with injuries from Musket Man, Pamplemousse, Fresian Fire, etc.

[Dahoss9698]

You must be kidding me.
I Want Revenge only won prep races and we haven't seen him since.
Quality Road has a track record on a racetrack which was the fastest I've ever seen (This Ones for Phil ALSO set a track record that day. He hasn't done much since as well). He has potential but until he shows it he's no top 3yo in my book.
Vineyard Haven ran average yesterday in a small field to hold second after barely getting up in an awfully weak philly field the race before.
Blame wins against a tough field yesterday with a beautiful trip and he's now one of the best 3yo's?

Summer Bird is the only horse whose really proven himself on the level of Curlin, Street Sense, and Hard Spun.
Most of this year's top 3yo males has been ridden with injuries from Musket Man, Pamplemousse, Fresian Fire, etc.

I thought this was a pretty good year for 3 year olds, but not as strong as the thread originator thinks.

But, I think you're kind of off mark here. Quality Road won the Amsterdam (setting another track record) and was 2nd in the JCGC. Vineyard Haven ran a monster race in the King's Bishop and his Defrancis (at Laurel by the way) was impressive also. At no point did he look comfortable on that track and sill got up on sheer guts. He got spent dueling yesterday. He was one of the better 3 year olds this year and is a very good horse. Blame has also gotten real good. He'll be a force next year. What more could he have done this year to be included good?

[toetoe]

First you judged them as sophomores. Now you predict that "time will tell." Aw ... :( .


Groovy is equus non gratus, but Zensational (I'm a fan, b.t.w.), possibly only your 30th best of this mediocre crop, is the bee's knees.

Hard Spun would beat any of your examples, except maybe Summer Bird (love him, too), at any distance.

As to your plea, I am not calling them worldbeaters, just 2009-crop-beaters. Jeez ... what the ... :confused: .

[toetoe]

How about horses like Dunkirk, Friesen Fire, Musket Man, and Midshipman?[/b]

Very deep group.



Yeah, gee ... how 'bout them ? Well, to put it nicely ... :ThmbDown: .



If this was a great crop, we're in very deep doo-doo.

[toetoe]

Thank you --- I did indeed forget Turkoman. Skywalker, too. :ThmbUp: .

[tribecaagent]

Thank you --- I did indeed forget Turkoman. Skywalker, too. :ThmbUp: .

Skywalker was not a top class racehorse. He won the 86 classic on a ++ speed biased racetrack. Sorry.

[Dahoss9698]

First you judged them as sophomores. Now you predict that "time will tell." Aw ... :( .


Groovy is equus non gratus, but Zensational (I'm a fan, b.t.w.), possibly only your 30th best of this mediocre crop, is the bee's knees.

Hard Spun would beat any of your examples, except maybe Summer Bird (love him, too), at any distance.

As to your plea, I am not calling them worldbeaters, just 2009-crop-beaters. Jeez ... what the ... :confused: .

You think Hard Spun beats Quality Road at any distance?

[tribecaagent]

You must be kidding me.
I Want Revenge only won prep races and we haven't seen him since.
Quality Road has a track record on a racetrack which was the fastest I've ever seen (This Ones for Phil ALSO set a track record that day. He hasn't done much since as well). He has potential but until he shows it he's no top 3yo in my book.
Vineyard Haven ran average yesterday in a small field to hold second after barely getting up in an awfully weak philly field the race before.
Blame wins against a tough field yesterday with a beautiful trip and he's now one of the best 3yo's?

Summer Bird is the only horse whose really proven himself on the level of Curlin, Street Sense, and Hard Spun.
Most of this year's top 3yo males has been ridden with injuries from Musket Man, Pamplemousse, Fresian Fire, etc.

YOU must be kidding ME.
I Want Revenge stumbled at the start of The Wood, spotted the field at least five lenghts, and won. When was the last time you've seen that in a Gr. I? He might return, he might not. Either way, his body of work was brilliant.
I felt the same as you about Quality Road until his stellar performance in the Amsterdam followed by his game second behind Summer Bird in the Gold Cup.
Vineyard Haven ran at Philly time before last? Please get your facts straight before you post.
Blame beat a very salty group yesterday - the trip is up for dabate. Frankly, I haven't done the whole card yet, so I'm not going to comment on trip.

[toetoe]

Skywalker was not a top class racehorse. He won the 86 classic on a ++ speed biased racetrack. Sorry.

Of course. He was no Gone Astray or Courageous Cat. What was I thinkin'? (:Slapping self on forehead.)

[tribecaagent]

Of course. He was no Gone Astray or Courageous Cat. What was I thinkin'? (:Slapping self on forehead.)

I don't know, perhaps it's me? Didn't Courageous Cat just get beat less than a half length to a very special filly - beating some hard-knocking, older racehorses in the process - Justenuffhumor, Court Vision, and Delegator?

[tribecaagent]

First you judged them as sophomores. Now you predict that "time will tell." Aw ... :( .


Groovy is equus non gratus, but Zensational (I'm a fan, b.t.w.), possibly only your 30th best of this mediocre crop, is the bee's knees.

Hard Spun would beat any of your examples, except maybe Summer Bird (love him, too), at any distance.

As to your plea, I am not calling them worldbeaters, just 2009-crop-beaters. Jeez ... what the ... :confused: .

To me, Groovy and Zensational are one and the same. Very nice horses - spent the year beating up on local talent in their own backyard - but when it came time to win the big one - zero.

Where do you get my 30th best from?

To say Hard Spun would beat any of my examples (except Summer Bird) at any distance is just silly.

[Spalding No!]

Skywalker was not a top class racehorse. He won the 86 classic on a ++ speed biased racetrack. Sorry.

Skywalker won the Santa Anita Derby at 3, ran a good 5th in the Derby.

[Dahoss9698]

Zensational doesn't even belong in the same sentence as Groovy.

[tribecaagent]

Perhaps. But to say Groovy rates up there with Ferdinand, Broad Brush, and Snow Chief is silly.

[toetoe]

Where do you get my 30th best from?





"... in no particular order" means maybe first and maybe thirtieth.


"Please don't suggest Groovy was top class ..."

"To me Zensational and Groovy are one and the same."



Possible explanations:

1) I'm having acid flashbacks;

2) You're having trouble making cogent cases for horses/crops.

If (2) is the case, I still like the enthusiasm. :ThmbUp: .

[tribecaagent]

"... in no particular order" means maybe first and maybe thirtieth.


"Please don't suggest Groovy was top class ..."

"To me Zensational and Groovy are one and the same."



Possible explanations:

1) I'm having acid flashbacks;

2) You're having trouble making cogent cases for horses/crops.

If (2) is the case, I still like the enthusiasm. :ThmbUp: .

You're funny. I'll give you that. My birthday is coming up, I might hire you to do some standup.

[Trotman]

There could probably be something said about each and everyone of them and I no doubt could probably come up with a different crop or year but I feel the important thing we should remember is that to make your list or my list is that they made an impression on us and that's the beauty of Horse Racing. :)

[Cratos]

Curlin, Hard Spun, Street Sense, Any Given Saturday ...

Alysheba, Bet Twice, Cryptoclearance, Gulch, On the Line, Demons Begone, Capote, War, Masterful Advocate, Leo Castelli ...

Broad Brush, Ferdinand, Snow Chief, Judge Angelucci, Groovy, Danzig Connection, Temperate Sil ...

Spend a Buck, Tank's Prospect, Chief's Crown, Proud Truth, Creme Fraiche, Stephan's Odyssey, Fast Account, Eternal Prince, Hajji's Treasure ( :( ) ...

Slew o' Gold, Sunny's Halo, Caveat, Play Fellow, Marfa, Desert Wine ...

Spectacular Bid, Coastal, Golden Act, General Assembly, Flying Paster ...

Foolish Pleasure, Wajima, Master Derby, Avatar, Diabolo, Prince Thou Art, George Navonod ( ;) ), ...

Secretariat, Linda's Chief, Sham, Tentam, Angle Light, Shecky Greene, Ancient Title, Easy Ern ( ;) ), ...

Riva Ridge, Key to the Mint, Quack, Big Spruce, Solar Salute, Royal Owl, Kentuckian, No Le Hace ...

I truly believe that your list was put together in haste because from 1973 you forgot Forego, Dahlia, and Desert Vixen.

[Linny]

Perhaps. But to say Groovy rates up there with Ferdinand, Broad Brush, and Snow Chief is silly.

Hard to compare as one was a sprinter, the others ran in classics. Just like comparing Zensational to Summer Bird is somewhat moot. Of course both Groovy and Zensational have proven to be good sprinters, though Groovy probably faced better horses than Zen did. This was a poor bunch of SoCal sprinters this year.

As good as Friesan Fire and IWR and the 'Mousse looked in the spring beating up on horses that will mostly be midlevel claimers by next summer, since they didn't get the chance to prove themselves they cannot be held out as part of a stellar crop. What has become of most of the horses IWR and 'Mousse and FF beat? It's not like Au Moon and West Side Bernie and Just a Coincidence have exactly covered themselves in glory this year.

You cannot project what would have happened as anywhere near fact. Remember Bellamy Road. His Wood Mem. was a thing of beauty. Wen he won that day, it was hard to imagine that he could ever lose. But he got hurt and lot the Derby and a couple of other races before they quit with him so as to avoid dulling the memory of that one grand moment.

I think that this is a good group but untill they face good older horses, they have just beat up on one another. The 3yo that has actually stepped up and beaten proven solid older horses is Blame. He had no shot against a loose Regal Ransom in Louisiana but then beat older horses in the Fayette and the Clark. I'm not saying he's the "best of the bunch" but at least has done something outside the division.

[Jasonm921]

I agree I think the 2007 crop (curlin, street sense, hard spun) was much better and probably the best since the Silver Charm/Free House crop. I hope Summer Bird comes back after the surgery because he was coming into his own.

I have some pics of these three year olds at my Flickr site if anyone is interested.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/easygoer/sets/72157614950884186/

[bisket]

street sense would beat any of this years no doubt.

[NTamm1215]

street sense would beat any of this years no doubt.

Summer Bird would pound Street Sense's overrated butt at anywhere from 8-10 furlongs. That's even if SS got his coveted perfect trip.

NT