Horse Racing Forum - USA Thoroughbred Races

Posted: **Sat Feb 26, 2022 3:59 pm**

I just finished reading a book about Justify and I had to ask - is it true? I've only ever seen him on TV but I know there are people here who have seen him in person. Is this "you know you're in a god-like presence" stuff true? He really is THAT majestic?

Posted: **Sun Feb 27, 2022 5:04 pm**

I'm sorry if I offended anyone with how I worded my question. I was genuinely curious if you could line up Man O'War, Secretariat & Justify and go WOW - those are some gorgeous chestnut racehorses. I didn't mean to imply that I wanted people to slam Justify, I just know how sometimes writers can fall in love with the poetry of their words. I supposed I should just go see for myself, huh?

Posted: **Sun Feb 27, 2022 5:09 pm**

I think there is confirmation bias present, but also I have read a lot of books on racing, and most suffer from not great writing.

Posted: **Sun Feb 27, 2022 5:22 pm**

Pretty much everyone alive to see Justify today was not when Man O' War was around, and the population that saw both him and Secretariat isn't the majority (I would guess). So, you do have confirmation and "what have you done for me lately" bias floating around.

Additionally, I think some of this may be doubling-down "cope" because there's a lot of insecurity surrounding Justify.

I've only ever just seen photos and while I do find him pretty and rather stout I personally don't get a big "WOW" factor from the pictures like I have others.

Posted: **Sun Feb 27, 2022 6:40 pm**

I've seen him in person at Churchill, from a distance. He definitely has a vibe and you could pick him out of a crowd.

I've seen several great stallions and some that are so-so... those who "have it" certainly do have a different air about them. AP Indy, Silver Charm, American Pharoah, Giants Causeway... all knew/know they were 'better" than the others.

Posted: **Sun Feb 27, 2022 6:45 pm**

I was there when he won the belmont(first time ive ever gone) i was happy to see a triple crown but i wasnt impressed by his win personally. Hes just your average unsound horse. But thats my opinion. I was far more impressed with monomoy girl and hoppertunity with their wins

Posted: **Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:55 pm**

I've been around long enough to have watched Secretariat run, but only on television. Still, the way he powered away from the field and through the line was pretty impressive.
However, when I thought about a horse who had a charisma that burned through the screen, it was Dubai Millennium who first came to mind. The new TVG was on track that year for the Dubai World Cup, and I got to watch the beautiful bay stallion parade like he stepped out of "Drinkers of the Wind"....and then he ran like the wind. I still see the raised perfect head, nostrils flared, his dark coat glistening in the lights of the winner's circle. The look of eagles.
The second horse I thought of was Zenyatta. Because, y'know, ZENYATTA.

Posted: **Mon Feb 28, 2022 12:10 am**

He’s a big flashy chestnut. I think big flashy chestnuts catch anyone’s eye.

Posted: **Mon Feb 28, 2022 1:34 pm**

Izvestia wrote: ↑Mon Feb 28, 2022 12:10 am He’s a big flashy chestnut. I think big flashy chestnuts catch anyone’s eye.

This. See also California Chrome,

Posted: **Mon Feb 28, 2022 2:29 pm**

BaroqueAgain1 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:55 pm I've been around long enough to have watched Secretariat run, but only on television. Still, the way he powered away from the field and through the line was pretty impressive.
However, when I thought about a horse who had a charisma that burned through the screen, it was Dubai Millennium who first came to mind. The new TVG was on track that year for the Dubai World Cup, and I got to watch the beautiful bay stallion parade like he stepped out of "Drinkers of the Wind"....and then he ran like the wind. I still see the raised perfect head, nostrils flared, his dark coat glistening in the lights of the winner's circle. The look of eagles.
The second horse I thought of was Zenyatta. Because, y'know, ZENYATTA.

Glad I'm not the only one who saw Secretariat run.

Not that I'm old or anything.

Posted: **Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:38 pm**

I've never seen Justify, but of the horses that I have been lucky enough to see in person, the one who really gave me that feeling of "whoa, I'm standing in the presence of greatness" was Seattle Slew. It was something intangible in his presence and the way he carried himself.

Posted: **Tue Mar 01, 2022 12:27 am**

I never saw him in-person. Coolmore lists his height at 16.3 1/2 hands. Good-sized for sure. I was in awe of seeing horses like Redattore (BRZ), Medaglia d'Oro, Rock Hard Ten, and California Chrome in-person.

Posted: **Tue Mar 01, 2022 6:28 am**

TwilightTear wrote: ↑Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:38 pm I've never seen Justify, but of the horses that I have been lucky enough to see in person, the one who really gave me that feeling of "whoa, I'm standing in the presence of greatness" was Seattle Slew. It was something intangible in his presence and the way he carried himself.

Angel Cordero said he reminded him of Mohammed Ali - Slew did have that presence, this idea that he knew he was better than everyone else....which, I love, because racing as a whole (before the Gold Cup’ thought he was nothing.

I’m sure I’m in a very small minority, but I think he was magnificent looking - but then, I adore him. Plus, I prefer dark horses - while beautiful, chestnuts are just not my thing.

Posted: **Tue Mar 01, 2022 3:31 pm**

Slewfan2 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 01, 2022 6:28 am
TwilightTear wrote: ↑Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:38 pm I've never seen Justify, but of the horses that I have been lucky enough to see in person, the one who really gave me that feeling of "whoa, I'm standing in the presence of greatness" was Seattle Slew. It was something intangible in his presence and the way he carried himself.
Angel Cordero said he reminded him of Mohammed Ali - Slew did have that presence, this idea that he knew he was better than everyone else....which, I love, because racing as a whole (before the Gold Cup’ thought he was nothing.

I’m sure I’m in a very small minority, but I think he was magnificent looking - but then, I adore him. Plus, I prefer dark horses - while beautiful, chestnuts are just not my thing.

I am also a fan of dark horses. Nothing wrong with a flashy chestnut, but I've always preferred dark/bay or brown horses like Slew or Ruffian.

Mohammed Ali is definitely a good comparison. My dad said, jokingly, "this must have been what it felt like to be called before Caesar."

Posted: **Tue Mar 01, 2022 3:52 pm**

Even though I posted this topic (and I think Man O'War was the greatest of all time), I too prefer dark horses. They just look so elegant.

Posted: **Tue Mar 01, 2022 6:46 pm**

djacks211 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 01, 2022 3:52 pm Even though I posted this topic (and I think Man O'War was the greatest of all time), I too prefer dark horses. They just look so elegant.

We agree on both counts - Man o’War is the greatest of all time. I wish I could have seen him in person - he ran like his tail was on fire, and he had the most gorgeous coloring - technically Chestnut, but more like copper/red, hence his nickname

Posted: **Wed Mar 02, 2022 12:04 pm**

I saw Seeking the Gold at Claiborne about 10 years ago and he deigned to come out and pose with me and my friend during a tour. Very much a "wow" moment for us. We saw Pulpit, Arch, and Eddington as well during that tour. Pulpit was super chill, Arch wanted to each non-horse-savvy tourist jackets, and Eddington was kind of cranky, but Seeking the Gold was WOW.

Posted: **Sat Mar 12, 2022 7:06 pm**

I'm not really a fan of Justify, but after I found out the oddness in his gallop I'd noticed meant he had a double suspension gallop with sometimes ridiculous height on the second suspension I realized that may be why he would suffer from tender feet, and made him more interesting to me. Coolmore actually used a photo from his Preakness that showed this in their advertising.

--Pi, who ended up buying a MyRacehorse share in his daughter Rosie's Alibi

Hopefully this link will work:
https://images.app.goo.gl/pGSRC37tzZVFDi2X6

And another:
https://images.app.goo.gl/rJYwzStKWFMhguDJ7

Posted: **Sat Mar 12, 2022 7:27 pm**

Pirateena wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 7:06 pm I'm not really a fan of Justify, but after I found out the oddness in his gallop I'd noticed meant he had a double suspension gallop with sometimes ridiculous height on the second suspension I realized that may be why he would suffer from tender feet, and made him more interesting to me. Coolmore actually used a photo from his Preakness that showed this in their advertising.

--Pi, who ended up buying a MyRacehorse share in his daughter Rosie's Alibi

Hopefully this link will work:
https://images.app.goo.gl/pGSRC37tzZVFDi2X6

And another:
https://images.app.goo.gl/rJYwzStKWFMhguDJ7

That’s an interesting theory. I’ve seen a photo of Nicolo Dell’Arca that suggests that he might have had the same thing.

In Justify’s case, though, it appears that in both photos it’s the Preakness episode where he jumped the track. https://www.horseracingnation.com/blogs ... akness_123

Posted: **Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:27 pm**

Pirateena wrote: ↑Sat Mar 12, 2022 7:06 pm I'm not really a fan of Justify, but after I found out the oddness in his gallop I'd noticed meant he had a double suspension gallop with sometimes ridiculous height on the second suspension I realized that may be why he would suffer from tender feet, and made him more interesting to me. Coolmore actually used a photo from his Preakness that showed this in their advertising.

--Pi, who ended up buying a MyRacehorse share in his daughter Rosie's Alibi

Hopefully this link will work:
https://images.app.goo.gl/pGSRC37tzZVFDi2X6

And another:
https://images.app.goo.gl/rJYwzStKWFMhguDJ7

i thought he was jumping tracks in the mud or a shadow or something in his preakness.

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