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This whole thread just proves the weakness of the "who did he beat" school of handicapping. Any horse can be degraded by digging up out the faults of horses he beat. Even Secretariat's Belmont performance can be degraded. "Yes he won by a big margin but who did he beat, Twice a Prince? My Gallant? Private Smiles? Yes Sham was in the field but he went bad that day and ran the worst race of his life finishing last behind Private Smiles?"
I was at Belmont when Ruffian won the Mother Goose, her last race before her fatal match race with Foolish Pleasure. The filly who finished 2nd had once run in an optional claiming race but had now improved to G1 stakes placed caliber and was gaining on Ruffian in the stretch when the great filly was coasting home without urging. She won with ease and the chart said "confidently ridden". Yet some clown yelled out, "This filly is a sham. She had trouble beating a claimer".
If you read what's being said about both Justify and Accelerate you'd think they were a couple of losers who only beat a bunch of tomato cans. Just about any horse, even a great one, can be degraded by someone using the "who did they beat" philosophy.
Last edited by bobphilo; 11-07-2018 at 06:55 AM.
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