Horse of the Year

[Appy]

I see one upside to the subjective award charade.
With all the problems facing horse racing it is heartening there were several deserving candidates to consider.

[OntheRail]

Chromes HOY title will add some value to the next two starts for smart bettors (*).

The voters must of thought if a clean start was had in the Classic CC would of won for sure... I can't say that. And his nick on the shin in the Belmont was nothing compared to Big Brown's horrific injury at the start.

* Well maybe not if they really intend to run him in Dubai as Art eluded to... as he's no Curlin.

[rastajenk]

Originally Posted by alhattab

The whole process is ridiculous and pointless to me- utterly meaningless. Either keep score based on actual performance in races or don't bother.

It kept people talking during the post-BC downtime, what in golf has been referred to as the "silly season." That's a rather harmless benefit. If HOY was points-based, it wouldn't even have that small benefit.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by alhattab

The whole process is ridiculous and pointless to me- utterly meaningless. Either keep score based on actual performance in races or don't bother.

You don't mean "actual performance" you mean who hits the line first. Two different things. Some methodologies give higher performance figures to horses who don't actually hit the line first.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by pandy

I thought the voters got it right, California Chrome deserved top honors. I know some folks thought it may be close but Bayern most likely would not have won the Classic if he did not impede two of his main rivals at the start of the race, and he should have been disqualified but the judges choked under pressure. Chrome was a deserving winner.

Watch the overhead of the break that has been posted twice on here somewhere and you might begin to think differently...

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I actually thought Bayern was going to get it, but I suspect there were a lot of voters that believed he benefited from easy leads on biased tracks in the Haskell and at PARX and then the controversial start in the Classic. The bigger debate is whether trip handicapping should be part of the process.

However, IMO, this is far from a bad decision. CC won some of the most important races of the year and was possibly thwarted in the Belmont when he got stepped on and returned with an injury that required time off. He had a very very good early part of the year and finished well enough.

This is a terrible decision.

None of these "what if" scenarios should be coming into play as far as voters are concerned.

Deal with the results on the track as they stand official. That's all that should matter. What did they win and who did they beat.

Bayern won the biggest 3yo race of the year (since the 2014 BCC was all about the 3yos, how does it carry less weight than the Derby?), AND he beat CC two of three times.

And yet, CC gets all the year-end awards...makes total sense...

It's all becoming so meaningless these days, isn't it?

[horses4courses]

Maybe it's horses with names beginning in "B"?
Bayern....Blame.....

Let's face it.....Black Tie Affair won by default

[Cratos]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

This is a terrible decision.

None of these "what if" scenarios should be coming into play as far as voters are concerned.

Deal with the results on the track as they stand official. That's all that should matter. What did they win and who did they beat.

Bayern won the biggest 3yo race of the year (since the 2014 BCC was all about the 3yos, how does it carry less weight than the Derby?), AND he beat CC two of three times.

And yet, CC gets all the year-end awards...makes total sense...

It's all becoming so meaningless these days, isn't it?

I agree with you and now we should rethink about calling the "BC Classic" the championship race until we define "championship."

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

This is a terrible decision.

None of these "what if" scenarios should be coming into play as far as voters are concerned.

Deal with the results on the track as they stand official. That's all that should matter. What did they win and who did they beat.

Bayern won the biggest 3yo race of the year (since the 2014 BCC was all about the 3yos, how does it carry less weight than the Derby?), AND he beat CC two of three times.

And yet, CC gets all the year-end awards...makes total sense...

It's all becoming so meaningless these days, isn't it?

We can have a special award the "horse who wins the BCC award".

Why just automatically award a horse who gets to the finish wire first in one race when we know that 1) post positions are randomly drawn and since post postitions can affect who gets to the line first, why let an award be determined by a random pill draw and 2) since when did we become so simple that we can't watch a race with our eyes and make a call on who is the best horse? The finish line is only there so they know who to pay off parimutually....its got no other real purpose. We can watch with our eyes, we know the best horse doesn't always win also.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Why just automatically award a horse who gets to the finish wire first in one race

I'm not. But you like to argue, so you make shit up.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

I'm not. But you like to argue, so you make shit up.

Yes, i often make things up. Just like 99% of the time a certain poster is the recipient of abuse and 1% of the time he starts it...i guess those weren't "made up" numbers.

And yea, i LOVE to argue...what else ya got!

[The WindfallAngler]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

You don't mean "actual performance" you mean who hits the line first. Two different things. Some methodologies give higher performance figures to horses who don't actually hit the line first.

These teeming hordes who're spouting declarations like "actual performance" are what I refer to as Bottom Liners. They are brisk. Give 'em a one win edge, going heads up, and they are down like a shot. Results oriented--to a fault.

But simplistic! Book their bets. Re-raise the raiser.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by The WindfallAngler

These teeming hordes who're spouting declarations like "actual performance" are what I refer to as Bottom Liners. They are brisk. Give 'em a one win edge, going heads up, and they are down like a shot. Results oriented--to a fault.

But simplistic! Book their bets. Re-raise the raiser.

WA i miss you man, everything been ok with you? Good to see you again.

I know what you're saying, and take a look at baseball's cy young award....the 'best pitcher" in 2010 was King Felix, but he had a mediocre "win" record. He only crossed the line 13 times successfully, but baseball voters didn't need to see how many times his nose hit the line because they did something far more sophisticated.....you ready? Drum roll please....they watched the games!

Yes, they watched the games, and with their own eyes, determined King Felix was the best....they didnt just automatically award the pitcher who "crossed the line first" most times the award.

[The WindfallAngler]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

This is a terrible decision.

None of these "what if" scenarios should be coming into play as far as voters are concerned.

Deal with the results on the track as they stand official. That's all that should matter. What did they win and who did they beat.

Bayern won the biggest 3yo race of the year (since the 2014 BCC was all about the 3yos, how does it carry less weight than the Derby?), AND he beat CC two of three times.

And yet, CC gets all the year-end awards...makes total sense...

It's all becoming so meaningless these days, isn't it?

Ah yes, The Bottom Line. All inclusive number. Shrug off the intangibles.

Screw the inscrutable! Shortcut the situational! Well, but one cannot "beat" what he cheats, can he? (With sympathies for Shared Belief and his backers, yaaaay CHROME.) Cheers!

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by The WindfallAngler

These teeming hordes who're spouting declarations like "actual performance" are what I refer to as Bottom Liners. They are brisk. Give 'em a one win edge, going heads up, and they are down like a shot. Results oriented--to a fault.

But simplistic! Book their bets. Re-raise the raiser.

Yeah, you're the awesome "see the forest, ignore the trees" kind of guy...you rock dude...

Tell me again how CC deserved it over Bayern...you can slice it any which way you want...objective...subjective...doesn't matter...

Popularity and name recognition seems to be dominating this vote in recent years...not actual achievement.