Quote:
Originally Posted by cj
I said it was her biggest feat, but that was a weak Classic by any measure.
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There have clearly been better Classic fields, but on my metrics it wasn't as weak as the Beyer figure suggested. I think Blame was a LOT better than generally given credit for and imo she had a worse trip than him at the start and with kickback.
Still, that Classic field was much better than the typical Grade 1 race for older males. Most of the other great fillies/mares that have tried dirt colts have tried them in weaker Grade 1 male fields, not at 10F on dirt. Those that tried stronger fields at 10F have mostly failed, sometimes badly.
Beholder has been placed in fairly aggressive spots against males also and given a good account of herself.
I agree with you that they should have taken another major stab or two at big races. By far the biggest mistake was not going to Saratoga to face Rachel at 10F. It would have given her another race on dirt before the Classic and IMO she would have had an edge on Rachel at 10f. The way the race setup, she would have won in a jog.
