Quote:
Originally Posted by open_question
Thing is, Justify wouldn’t be the leading contender for HOY except for the TC, and he wouldn’t have the TC except for winning the Belmont, and his Belmont win was off-putting because, reasons.
No Foul, but Plenty of Harm: Sorting Out the 2018 Belmont Stakes
It’s no wonder that a significant number of fans don’t want to reward this particular TC winner with HOY, especially when there’s an outstanding alternative candidate in Accelerate.
Jmho |
As the linked article says, the conclusion of the NYRA stewards was that no disciplinary action need be taken.
As for hypotheticals, I'm not really convinced things would have turned out different had Noble Indy been sent to the lead. Noble Indy was in the Kentucky Derby after a front-running score in the Louisiana Derby but couldn't get close to Justify as he dueled with top class sprinter Promises Fulfilled early.
Justify also locked horns early with juvenile champion and subsequent Haskell winner Good Magic in the Preakness, put him away, and was able to hold sway.
So Justify was able to go toe-to-toe with two Grade 1, Eclipse-caliber colts from the bell in two separate classics two weeks apart, but Noble Indy was the one that would have exposed him for the "unexceptionable" specimen that he really was?
The perceived nefarious circumstances surrounding the Belmont might put a blight on the connections of the horse--and in that case one need not support the trainer nor the owner for a year-end Eclipse Award-- but Justify won the Triple Crown and there's no two ways around it.
