As the Years Go By

[Senator L]

Year after year it seems the speed figures for the thoroughbred continue to decline. The foal figures for this year
is 20,300 (est Jockey Club) to me it begs the question are our stars really that good? I think this topic really started
with Cigar. Andy Beyer use to bad mouth him all the time that he wasn't that good - his Beyers were only in the mid
teens. Yet, he won 16 in a row. So, do you think the current super stars stand out because there isn't as much competition and that competition isn't very good. Or numbers don't matter and they would knock heads with the all time greats.
Thinking of California Chrome, Songbird, American Pharaoh

[stark]

What I'm not sure about is that Beyer Numbers should be used as a measuring stick?  Ragozin/Thorograph?

Last I heard, and that was a long time ago.....Beyer had committees of staff located all over the country, there was a South team and an East team etc.  Anytime there's some subjectivity allowed, it's further complicated by multiple personalities, no?  Do the staffs stay the same over the years or are there some new faces involved?

Just because Ghostzapper and Sunday Silence had multiple Beyers over 125 vs. this year's best by Frosted @ 123 and a whole bunch of others in the 110-115 range, I don't think they'd win by the length of the grandstand if they were to meet today.  Yes the oldtimers would win but not in a canter as would be indicated by the Beyers alone.

The only sure thing is that horse racing is tough to compare era to era, just as Baseball, Singers, Actors, Football, etc are.

[afleetphil]

Interesting question and I don't have any idea. However I understand that Chrome and Pharoah are not in Secretariat's class ( but who is ), they are both good solid horses that will be in the HOF soon. Their records speak for themselves, the best we have seen in years. They only can race against who goes in the starting gate with them.