Quote:
Originally Posted by VeryOldMan
What world records has he set like Dr. Fager and Secretariat?
Has he had to haul the freight like Forego?
Could he put up a 4 year old performance like Spectacular Bid?
I'm not conceding that Flightline is an "immortal". I honestly want him to prove me very wrong in the Classic. Long time fans of the sport, like me, want him to succeed. But he's nowhere near that yet.
His unsoundness is a negative to me - Forego was legendarily unsound. Didn't prevent him from becoming "mighty" and hauling the freight and winning from 7f to 2 miles.
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I'd settle for a legitimately solid pace battle with Life Is Good, put him away, easily repulse Epicenter, Taiba and anyone else trying to rally, and draw off by 5 or more lengths on a track that's not carrying speed better than average like he got in the Pacific Classic.
There's not doubt in my mind that he's brilliantly fast and is going to crush most fields on most days. But to me, the truly great ones don't just win by big margins or in fast times. That's a signal of possible greatness.
When the great ones are faced with a nightmare trip/setup they do something that other horses can't do and still win.
How many horses can make a premature monster move like Secretariat did in the Preakness and still finish the race loaded with reserve energy?
How many speed horses can get left badly at the start, rush up quickly, bull their way through horses, duel and set a very fast pace, and still win the Derby like Slew?
Lots of very good horses can run fast and win big when the conditions are OK. The great ones have something extra in the tank. They can find an extra gear or extra energy to overcome really tough conditions when nothing else will get the job done. Not all the "fast" horses have that reserve energy and ability. That's one reason why longevity matters a bit. The horse gets more chances to prove he actually has that more extreme ability beyond just being fast (or not).