Fellow sportswriter calls out Jacobs

[Waquoit]

Basically says Jacobs doesn't know what he is talking about. It's not about hoop, but still...

 

[UConn5]

and this is news?

 

[Fishy]

Jacobs really was out of his depth - horse racing has been ridiculously close to a glut of triple crown winners.

Point Given and Afleet Alex are probably triple crown winners if not for some jockey error - add them to the horses who were pipped in the Belmont.

In reality, one of the major factors in this triple crown drought is simply numbers...

Secretariat beat 12 horses in the Derby, five horses in the Preakness and four in the Belmont.

I'll Have Another beat 20 horses in the Derby, ten in the Preakness and would have had to beat another 11 in the Belmont.

 

[UConn5]

Jacobs is an idiot, we have known this for years. The horse racing article doesn't change anything.

 

[Cheddie]

Jacobs really was out of his depth - horse racing has been ridiculously close to a glut of triple crown winners.

Point Given and Afleet Alex are probably triple crown winners if not for some jockey error - add them to the horses who were pipped in the Belmont.

In reality, one of the major factors in this triple crown drought is simply numbers...

Secretariat beat 12 horses in the Derby, five horses in the Preakness and four in the Belmont.

I'll Have Another beat 20 horses in the Derby, ten in the Preakness and would have had to beat another 11 in the Belmont.

Part of the numbers drop-off for Secretariat, particularly in the Belmont, was a belief by other trainers that he was unbeatable (and he was). Even without any competition, he set a Belmont (and world dirt track record for 1 1/2 miles) that still holds today. His time would have won the 2012 race by nearly 7 seconds. And he holds the Derby and likely the Preakness record (to be reviewed with modern technology).

 

[Palatine]

Jacobs would be out of his depth in a dog's water bowl.

 

[Fishy]

Part of the numbers drop-off for Secretariat, particularly in the Belmont, was a belief by other trainers that he was unbeatable (and he was). Even without any competition, he set a Belmont (and world dirt track record for 1 1/2 miles) that still holds today. His time would have won the 2012 race by nearly 7 seconds. And he holds the Derby and likely the Preakness record (to be reviewed with modern technology).

Actually, that's not accurate.

Fields in the triple crown races were routinely far smaller than they are now.

Seattle Slew faced 14 in the Derby, eight in the Preakness and seven in the Belmont. Affirmed beat just ten, six and four in his three races.

Spectacular Bid, who for my money is the second or third best horse to ever run in this country, beat nine horses in the Derby, four in the Preakness and seven in the Belmont. (Of course, he beat only five.)

 

[freescooter]

Agree that numbers are routinely higher in the races now. In part that's because trainers would not continue to run horses that were out of it after the Derby or the Preakness,They'd just move on to other tracks where they could win. But it is also the money available now is completely different. A horse like I'll have Another probably runs the Belmont 20 years ago since that is the type of injury that usually can be run through. But because the horse is so valuable now,it just isn't worth taking the chance, even if its relatively slight. I'm not sure I buy the idea that the number of opponents really mean all that much. A horse like Citation, in 1948, ran the Jersey Stakes in between the Preakness and the Belmont...absolutley unheard of today...on the other hand there were only 6 horses in the Derby and 4 in the Preakness. trainers, and owners, didn't enter horses just for the sake of entering horses. they only entered if they thought they had a chance to win.. Today, there are horses that would likely finsih second if every other entrant failed to finish...Seattle Slew may have beaten fewer horses, but on the other hand, he was unbeaten in every race thorugh the Triple Crown, not just the 3 crown races. He went on to run the rest of the 1977 season as well as 1978. Secretariat ran for 3 more seasons,I believe. It is almost unthinkable that a Triple Crown winner would run any more races, never mind 3 more years today. Just the changing nature of the sport that more horses are entered in the various races, I think. Affirmed beat Alydar by a nose 3 times. I can't remember two horses that were so close in talent ever.

 

[zls44]

I will never, for as long as I live, see this video and not be totally convinced that Real Quiet is going to win the Triple Crown.

 

[Waquoit]

I will never, for as long as I live, see this video and not be totally convinced that Real Quiet is going to win the Triple Crown.

I distinctly remember the run-up to that Belmont. More than once I heard about how tricky the track is, how you don't want the horse to start his run midway through the turn like you do at CD and Pimlico because you still have so much farther to go. The jockey has to be patient and wait a bit longer. And then you see Desormeaux do exactly what you shouldn't do and get beat a nose. And just to rub it is he says if he could do it again he wouldn't change a thing. Few years later he pulls up Big Brown for no other reason then he was going to get beat. I can't stand him.