The Great Ones Elevate Their Performance

[Silver Charm]

The Great Ones elevate their Performance, On the biggest Stages, at the highest Stakes

They are able to summon something extra and by shear will, produce wonders.

You remember the images, you certainly haven't forgotten the names. Jordan, Montana and Rice, Reggie and the Yankees, Tiger, Jack, Borg, Orr, Seattle Slew, Affirmed and of course Secretariat. Others may have had as much talent, better bat speed, forty time or some of something else. But the desire, the will to win, is what separated them from the rest. People don't get the nickname Mr. October by being afraid to take hold of the bat, by not demanding, "I Want The Ball."

At some point California Chrome is going to be tested and one has to wonder if the rigors of the Triple Crown haven't taken a brutal toll. No one hands you a World Championship Trophy, a Championship Ring, Champions have to earn them. As others have pointed out the modest pedigree, the added distance and the grueling campaign may have emptied the tank. And yet those others mentioned above were never fearful to dig down deep and summon up a little something extra knowing the hopes and dreams of a Team, an entire Town and in some cases nearly a whole Country were RESTING ON THEIR BACKS.

To properly earn his spot in history, to step onto the pedestal of the greatest of all Champions, California Chrome will probably have to meet all challengers and defeat them one by one. The difference between Winning and Losing probably will not come down to Speed Figures or Racing Form Reads, but that most immeasurable of intangibles that separates The Great Ones from the Rest.

The Great Ones Elevate Their Performance..........

On the biggest Stages, at the highest Stakes...........

[Tavasco]

Excellent & Inspiring post.

Thanks for the thoughts!

[Silver Charm]

Thanks!! Perhaps it\'s the increased Social Media world we live in but I\'ve never seen an audience so FIRED up over this race!! But it\'s not gonna be easy!! Good luck everyone!!

[Rich Curtis]

\"Others may have had as much talent, better bat speed, forty time or some of something else. But the desire, the will to win, is what separated them from the rest.\"

 How do you know that?

[Dana666]

Very well spoken! Couldn\'t agree with you any more! I suppose we wouldn\'t want it any other way, and Chrome will certainly earn every bit of that Crown if indeed he is to rise to the occasion. This is the real test, and he\'ll be asked to reach down deep like never before. Racing doesn\'t get any better than this really.

[jerry]

Awfully frothy talk considering more horse have lost the triple crown than have won it.

[sekrah]

Agreed. People setting themselves up for disappointment.  Chrome is probably a 30-35% shot today and people are talking as if it is over.  Very easily could go down.

[Silver Charm]

I don\'t think Dana or I are predicting a Win. If anything we are saying the deeper one gets into making History in American Sports the TOUGHER it gets. There are no layovers at this level and that\'s the way it should be. If he loses he wasn\'t good enough, if he wins give him his due. Believe me he will have earned it.....Good Luck Today!!!

[P-Dub]

sekrah Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Agreed. People setting themselves up for
> disappointment.  Chrome is probably a 30-35% shot
> today and people are talking as if it is over.
> Very easily could go down.


What TC opportunity can you recall where people didn\'t set themselves up for disappointment??  Or any Championship event?? Any time stakes are high and you don\'t win, there\'s disappointment.

[cardinal]

This is ridiculous.  You can\'t compare a race horse to human beings like Jordan, Montana and Rice, Reggie and the Yankees, Tiger, Jack, Borg, Orr who came up clutch in big moments.  Your really think California Chrome knows what is at stake today at having a chance to break a 36 year drought, and is going to dig deep and find more because of it?  The horse would give the same exact effort if it ran in a allowance race today.  It doesn\'t know the difference.  And figures and sheets matter.  This is racing, not basketball, football, and baseball where mentality plays much more of a factor in the final result.  Anyway, I hope Chrome wins today and defies the odds.

[jerry]

I\'m trying not to set myself up for disappointment. Betting against him. Rooting for him. How can you lose?

[gowand]

Rich,
Aren\'t there some kids around to tell there is no Santa Claus?  Let us enjoy a positive racing day.

[Rich Curtis]

No. I have the power to ruin this day of racing for all of you by asking Silver Charm a question, and I exercised it--because I hate watching people enjoy a day of racing.

And all kidding aside, how about enjoying a day of racing without any anthropomorphic babble that leads to the following ludicrous conclusion: If Cal Chrome loses, it is because he did not try hard enough to win.

[Lost Cause]

cardinal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is ridiculous.  You can\'t compare a race
> horse to human beings like Jordan, Montana and
> Rice, Reggie and the Yankees, Tiger, Jack, Borg,
> Orr who came up clutch in big moments.  Your
> really think California Chrome knows what is at
> stake today at having a chance to break a 36 year
> drought, and is going to dig deep and find more
>

3 races in five weeks can have a big physical effect on a horse which in turn affects them mentally..what is being inferred is that the great ones try to run past the tiredness and mental block to dig deep and find more.

[joemama]

Things got awfully quiet around here real fast.