GOAT creep
Since 2015, we have had 3 "the GOATs:"
American Pharoah
Arrogate
now Justify
I do not mean runners up on the GOAT list, I mean horses heradled as THE GOAT.
It is verboten to disagree with their GOAT status. Even after Arrogate began running decidedly unGOATishly, his GOATness was not challengeable.
I can't remeber such a period, even back in the 70s. Secretariat's being the GOAT has never been able to be challenged, but even at the time Slew's and Affirmed's statuses were challenged. There is still a sizeable "Alydar" was better crowd. Fager was never really granted GOAT status, some still insist Damascus was better. Sunday Silence was never labeled GOAT, and even here just recently the "Easy Goer was better argument" was advanced. Sunday was so dismissed he had to go to Japan. The Bid was never the GOAT. Kelso and John Henry were never the GOAT.
It has never been suggested that Gun Runner was the GOAT, and for the most part saying he was a better horse than the GOAT Arrogate will get you castigated. Chrome certainly has never been offered GOAT status. Nyquist who tied 5 historical precendents, which likely will never be do e again, was mocked and still is.
Most of those who insist tmost fervently that American Pharoah was the GOAT, insist with no irony that Arrogate was also the GOAT, and now do the same with Justify. Perhaps their hostility stems from cognitive dissonance?
Anywho, the GOAT is starting to become whatever horse that Santa Anita Baffert fan boy clocker, who keeps getting breeding kickbacks says they are. They also all have gaudy figs and either slow times or in Arrogate's case to have gone from a good horse to a great horse to a horse that couldn't beat Gunnevera in 13 months.
GOAT creep just struck me as funny...
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