What Could Have Been?

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by the little guy

Favorite in the 1990 BC Classic....amazingly enough.

i knew that! (i had Unbridled )

[Spalding No!]

Pair of Rokeby horses:

Red Ransom
Eastern Echo

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by the little guy

Favorite in the 1990 BC Classic....amazingly enough.

It was an interesting BC Classic to say the least. The fact that the Derby winner won it probably makes it memorable despite "what could have been".

Should have been one for the ages with Sunday Silence and Easy Goer renewing their rivalry for the final time.

Then Criminal Type who had beaten them both got hurt as well.

On top of that, his early season rival Ruhlmann didn't show up either and the exposed but resurgent Quiet American was excluded from the oversubscribed field.

On the 3yo front, Preakness winner Summer Squall couldn't get lasix (he bled through it in the Meadowlands Cup anyways) so didn't start, Pleasant Tap who would later blossom into a top class older horse was inexplicably entered in the BC Turf off an open lengths allowance win on the dirt (at Belmont no less), and Ron McAnally insisted on ruining Silver Ending's form by keeping him at home to run on turf despite winning the recent Grade 1 Pegasus.

Finally, the race featured some miserable efforts from some of the horses that had good form prior to the race:

Home At Last - Super Derby winner DNF'd and never hit the board again.

Go and Go - Belmont winner DNF'd and Dermot Weld didn't even bother to bring him back home to Ireland...(coincidentally his stablemate and close relative Twilight Agenda was in the process of being transferred to the US & would be one of the top older horses the next year)

Opening Verse - Euro-transplant had won the Oaklawn Handicap and made a bold move on the far turn but wilted & switched back to the turf in 1991 (ended up winning the BC Mile)

Midwest stalwarts Dispersal & Beau Genius served as templates for Black Tie Affair the following year, but they had to contend with "Thirsty" Six Red's 1:09-and-change speed and thus both spit the bit...

Flying Continental - won Grade 1s coast to coast but bombed worse than Aptitude on the heels of his JCGC win and never was the same, sold to toil in the midwest for several more campaigns before becoming a California stallion.

Canadian Triple Crown winner Izvestia ran admirably enough (with the equally admirable but ailing Randy Romero aboard) despite a tough trip; coincidentally he tragically broke down the following year in the Canadian International.

Wasn't all terrible, though; Mi Selecto & De Roche both showed up...

[KirisClown]

Originally Posted by SG4

This is like my dream team of mid 90's horses who I loved, nice list.

90s horses are everything

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by Spalding No!

It was an interesting BC Classic to say the least. The fact that the Derby winner won it probably makes it memorable despite "what could have been".

Should have been one for the ages with Sunday Silence and Easy Goer renewing their rivalry for the final time.

Then Criminal Type who had beaten them both got hurt as well.

On top of that, his early season rival Ruhlmann didn't show up either and the exposed but resurgent Quiet American was excluded from the oversubscribed field.

On the 3yo front, Preakness winner Summer Squall couldn't get lasix (he bled through it in the Meadowlands Cup anyways) so didn't start, Pleasant Tap who would later blossom into a top class older horse was inexplicably entered in the BC Turf off an open lengths allowance win on the dirt (at Belmont no less), and Ron McAnally insisted on ruining Silver Ending's form by keeping him at home to run on turf despite winning the recent Grade 1 Pegasus.

Finally, the race featured some miserable efforts from some of the horses that had good form prior to the race:

Home At Last - Super Derby winner DNF'd and never hit the board again.

Go and Go - Belmont winner DNF'd and Dermot Weld didn't even bother to bring him back home to Ireland...(coincidentally his stablemate and close relative Twilight Agenda was in the process of being transferred to the US & would be one of the top older horses the next year)

Opening Verse - Euro-transplant had won the Oaklawn Handicap and made a bold move on the far turn but wilted & switched back to the turf in 1991 (ended up winning the BC Mile)

Midwest stalwarts Dispersal & Beau Genius served as templates for Black Tie Affair the following year, but they had to contend with "Thirsty" Six Red's 1:09-and-change speed and thus both spit the bit...

Flying Continental - won Grade 1s coast to coast but bombed worse than Aptitude on the heels of his JCGC win and never was the same, sold to toil in the midwest for several more campaigns before becoming a California stallion.

Canadian Triple Crown winner Izvestia ran admirably enough (with the equally admirable but ailing Randy Romero aboard) despite a tough trip; coincidentally he tragically broke down the following year in the Canadian International.

Wasn't all terrible, though; Mi Selecto & De Roche both showed up...

Don't forget Ibn Bey, the European horse who ran his eyeballs out!

I think Pat Day's ride on Unbridled was one of the best of his career. He guided him to the rail from an outside post position, and then saved all the ground while steering him through the holes.

[Inner Dirt]

I wonder how many horses are retired due to injury, but the real reason is they felt horse had hit it's ceiling? Devil's Bag comes to mind.

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

I wonder how many horses are retired due to injury, but the real reason is they felt horse had hit it's ceiling? Devil's Bag comes to mind.

To some extent, those things go hand-in-hand. I believe Devil's Bag had knee surgery or at least a knee problem that ultimately limited his chances of moving forward from his 2yo campaign.

Another brilliant but oft-injured horse was Ogygian.

[VeryOldMan]

Originally Posted by Spalding No!

I believe Devil's Bag had knee surgery or at least a knee problem that ultimately limited his chances of moving forward from his 2yo campaign.

Per Wikipedia (I know):

On May 7, it was announced that veterinarian Dr. Alex Harthill had discovered a small fracture in Devil's Bag's right front knee and that the colt would be retired from racing.

On the eve of the Kentucky Derby.

I remember he was blazingly fast. Not sure he could get the classic distances. Blast from the past!

[outofthebox]

Here is a forgotten horse. Ski Goggle. Undefeated going into the Acorn Stakes and handled Princess Rooney easily. She was injured, layed up and ran later in the year at Oak Tree and finished second. Never raced again...

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by outofthebox

Here is a forgotten horse. Ski Goggle. Undefeated going into the Acorn Stakes and handled Princess Rooney easily. She was injured, layed up and ran later in the year at Oak Tree and finished second. Never raced again...

Interesting. Was a good broodmare; dropped Ski Paradise who was runner-up to Lure in his second BC Mile & the grey Japanese colt that ran in the 1995 Kentucky Derby.

Somewhat similar race record to Key Phrase, who was also a good broodmare.

[v j stauffer]

I know this one is way out from left field.

But there was something about VIOLENCE that made me think he could have been a big star.

[BIGTKLO]

Event of the Year was a super talented race horse. He was hurt in his final work before the 1998 Kentucky Derby. I believe he worked a mile in 137 and change and came out of that work with an injury. He came back in the Malibu and finished 3rd. He was then 2nd in the San Fernando, 1st in the Strub, 2nd in the BIG CAP, and 4th in the Mervyn LeRoy to end his career. I think he had the potential, pre injury, to be one of the all time greats.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

I know this one is way out from left field.

But there was something about VIOLENCE that made me think he could have been a big star.

Oh yeah. I saw him win the CashCall Futurity (the last time I took my late father to Hollywood Park). He looked like the world.

[DFW]

Garthorn 1986 Met Mile in 1:33.3 defeated Lady's Secret and Turkoman among others in the 2nd fastest Met Mile to that date, never ran again

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by DFW

Garthorn 1986 Met Mile in 1:33.3 defeated Lady's Secret and Turkoman among others in the 2nd fastest Met Mile to that date, never ran again

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