Who In Recent History Could Have Beaten American Pharoah At 10 Furlongs

[afleetphil]

I can't come up with many, but maybe Afleet Alex or Big Brown. Afleet Alex had a tremendous turn of foot. I can picture him going after Pharoah down the stretch.

[peeptoad]

That's not a simple question, in no small part because it depends on the entire field of horses in question and it would be pure speculation anyhow. Keen Ice beat him at 10F so maybe there's your answer? I think Honor Code (or another horse) could have beaten him had Liam's Map been in the Classic, but that is pure conjecture.

[curtis]

I agree with peeptoad, you're asking a simple question that has a very complex answer.  In my opinion, the best 10f performances in recent memory were Ghostzapper's 2004 BC Classic and Game On Dude's 2014 Santa Anita Handicap.  Except for one another, I don't think any horse since 2000 would have beaten those horses on those days.  Even Lava Man's 2005 Hollywood Gold Cup was a pretty underrated performance as was Candy Ride's 2003 Pacific Classic, (Candy Ride is probably the most talented horse I've seen since Spectacular Bid).  I'm not sure that Pharoah is even Baffert's best horse since the beginning of the century.  Beside the aforementioned Dude, I think Point Given would have given him fits.  Saturday was Handicapping 101: What Happens When a Very Good Speed Horse Has No Early Pressure?  The answer is figure out who is going to fill out the Tri and the Super.

[Man o Taz]

Well, this is a neat exercise and I appreciate the responses. Fun to read.

I do not know if those listed could have beaten American Pharoah because of his efficient gallop.

Did he run as hard as he could on Saturday?

I do not think so.

I think he would have bested the three year olds mentioned.

Ghostzapper, Candy Ride, Game On Dude, and Lava Man?

That is another question, but I think while the race may have been closer, the result may have been the same.

He did face a very fast 10 furlong horse in Tonalist and easily dispatched him.

Keen Ice, while talented, 9 out of 10 times loses to American Pharoah.

A 120 BSF finally showed some of his detractors that he could run more than just a fast time.

[curtis]

Well, this is a neat exercise and I appreciate the responses. Fun to read.

I do not know if those listed could have beaten American Pharoah because of his efficient gallop.

Did he run as hard as he could on Saturday?

I do not think so.

I think he would have bested the three year olds mentioned.

Ghostzapper, Candy Ride, Game On Dude, and Lava Man?

That is another question, but I think while the race may have been closer, the result may have been the same.

He did face a very fast 10 furlong horse in Tonalist and easily dispatched him.

Keen Ice, while talented, 9 out of 10 times loses to American Pharoah.

A 120 BSF finally showed some of his detractors that he could run more than just a fast time.

Don't be too hard on Tonalist, when Beholder and then Smooth Roller came out, what chance he had was gone.  As such, I didn't bet the race and just watched and enjoyed what I figured to be nothing more than a merry chase.  Look up the 1978 Woodward on YouTube.  Substitute Slew for Pharoah and Exceller for Tonalist and you pretty much have what happened Saturday.  I understand about the 120 BSF but also note that horses tend to earn high numbers under optimal conditions.  You couldn't have drawn up a better scenario for Pharoah than what was set to transpire on Saturday.  I would have been shocked if he didn't post a career best figure and I don't necessarily believe he did less than his best.

Since I was talking about horses from this century, I was remiss in not mentioning Tiznow and Invasor.  Both were exceptional 10f horses.  I still think Candy Ride was the best horse to have raced this century.  He unfortunately couldn't accomplish as much as he should have, but he was as brilliant as anything I've seen during that period.  Medaglia d'Oro would have won most any Pacific Classic with his run that year and Candy Ride passed him as if he were tied to the 1/8th pole.

[Man o Taz]

Thanks.

I thought many suggested that Medaglia d'Oro was really a 9 furlong horse since he only got 10 furlongs once and that was on an off-track I think which could have moved him up. I know he finished runner up a number of times including the Belmont Stakes.

If that was the case, he may have been coming back to Candy Ride which made his run look all the more impressive.

I like Tonalist a lot, but I really do not know what to make of his performances this year. This was his first race where he finishes out of the money since last year's 5th place finish in the BC Classic. He has only been out of the money one other time - a 4th place finish in his 1st race. I just cannot figure him out. But it looks like his connections see a ripe opportunity to try and take the older male Eclipse Award with a win in the Cigar Mile. I hope Honor Code keeps it. I know he only has 3 wins, but they were against some quality fields and he did finish in the money in the BC Classic.

[afleetphil]

Agreed. It should be Honor Code.

[Man o Taz]

We can hope. 

[Senator L]

If it were at SA I bet Beholder would take a lot of money

[Man o Taz]

And now one writer on HRN is touting Effinex as possible champion older male if he wins the Clark Handicap.

[curtis]

And now one writer on HRN is touting Effinex as possible champion older male if he wins the Clark Handicap.

Shared Belief is more likely to win the award than Effinex and he has only two chances: slim and none and rumor has it Slim left town.

[Man o Taz]

I will have to remember that phrase. lol