NEWS
By any measure
Posted: Saturday, May 27, 2000
Which horse is really better will be interesting to see as the rest of the year plays out
So much for a Triple Crown winner. That was over fast. Actually, it only took a few seconds.
At the top of Pimlico Race Course's homestretch in the Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 20, Red Bullet was moving with purpose and resolve. He quickly went past Fusaichi Pegasus by taking an inside route and, at that point, it was obvious-painfully obvious, to the backers of Fusaichi Pegasus-who was going to win. From the head of the stretch to the wire, Red Bullet clearly demonstrated that he was the best horse on the day. He also conclusively avenged his lone defeat.
The question that begs to be answered after the Preakness is, which horse is really the best in the crop? Prior to the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2), both Red Bullet and Fusaichi Pegasus were hailed as talented colts with tremendous potential, with inexperience the bane of both. Entering the Wood, Red Bullet had but three starts and Fusaichi Pegasus just four.
After his dominating win in the Wood and subsequent triumph in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Fusaichi Pegasus was hailed as the anointed one. Red Bullet was just an understudy.
Well, not so fast. Maybe, just maybe, there are two top-notch horses in this crop.
When horses have made so few starts, their potential is sometimes hard to gauge, but there is every reason to believe both colts have a lot of room for improvement. That is good news for racing and bad news for all the other three-year-olds.
In Fusaichi Pegasus and Red Bullet, racing may get a great rivalry, something that has been missing from the sport for some time. If both colts compete in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 10, it will be a rubber match that will be highly anticipated by everyone in racing. ABC-TV and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association would be most appreciative.
Racing has not had a really great rivalry since Sunday Silence and Easy Goer in 1989. Fusaichi Pegasus and Red Bullet may be able to provide similar excitement. They must meet a number of times to be able to write a similar chapter, of course, but here is to both staying sound, in training, and pointing for the same races all year.
The 125th running of the Preakness suggests a number of things about the Triple Crown, Fusaichi Pegasus, and this crop of three-year-olds, to wit:
- It is tough to win the Triple Crown. Fusaichi Pegasus was competing for the third time in five weeks, and that may have had an effect on his performance. While some will say that schedule is not much racing for an improving three-year-old, the fact that he had but one start at two underlines the importance of having a sound foundation going into the spring of a horse's three-year-old season. Fusaichi Pegasus did not have the experience of running often at two. With his extra time between races, Red Bullet blossomed.
- One bad race and it is over. There is no second chance. A horse has to cope with the conditions on race day. While trainer Neil Drysdale and jockey Kent Desormeaux indicated that Fusaichi Pegasus had trouble handling the Pimlico surface, which they described as slick, all the other horses were asked to compete on the same track. Fusaichi Pegasus won over a wet-fast Aqueduct track in the Wood Memorial, so any excuse offered must be taken with a grain of salt. Even if the colt were to come back and be undefeated for the remainder of his career, it just may not have been his day on May 20.
- This year's crop of three-year-olds is not deep. On the other hand, it does not have to be. When you get two top horses, it hardly matters who number three is. For instance, in the foal crop of 1986 crop, Sunday Silence and Easy Goer were dominant. But quick, who was the third-best member of that crop? Well, it was probably a filly, Open Mind. Third in the 1989 Derby was Awe Inspiring. Third in the Preakness was Rock Point. Third in the Belmont was Le Voyageur. It only takes a couple of great horses to make a memorable crop.
- A great rival is often needed to reflect glory. Where would Sunday Silence be without Easy Goer, or Affirmed without Alydar? It helps when there is a constant measure by which to gauge ability.
Mark Simon is editor of Thoroughbred Times.
