Commentator one of the best of his Generation

Posted August 10, 2009
By Profitus Maximus

Today the Daily Racing Form reported that Commentator, the two time Whitney (G1) winner, has been retired. He was one of those race horses that was brilliant on his best day but that was also a bit inconsistent. He finished with a lifetime record of 14 wins, 1 second, 3 thirds, and 6 finished out of the money. One of those third place finishes was in the G1 Woodward against 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam and was beaten 14 lengths, a performance for which he received an 82 Beyer Speed Figure - that might as well have been an out of the money performance.

It seemed he ran either phenomenally or threw in a clunker. He finished 10th beaten 11 lengths in the G1 Forego at 7 furlongs at Saratoga Race Course and finished 7th beaten 12 lengths in the Breeders Cup Sprint (G1). On the other hand, in 12 of his 14 wins, he won by margins from 6 to 14 lengths, so when he won, he dominated.

When assessing the greatness of a horse, it is important to note the trainer. Nick Zito had him ready to go much of the time, but other times he obviously wasn't 100%. Contrast Commentator with Ghostzapper who had Bobby Frankel in his corner, who was both a master of getting them 100% fit and of shrewdly placing his charges in conditions for which they were optimally suited.

On his best day, I think Commentator was just as good as Ghostzapper from 7 to 8 furlongs. He ran a 121 Beyer in a 7 furlong allowance race at Belmont Park back in 2005, stopping the clock in 120 and 1, a 1/5 of a second off the track record, under the easiest of restraint, just galloping past the wire.

And in his next race in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Race Course, he defeated that years horse of the year Saint Liam by a neck at a distance of 1 1/8, which was probably an 1/8 of a mile longer than he wanted, as Saint Liam began to inch closer to him steadily in the final 1/16 of a mile.

He won the Whitney Handicap three years later in 2008 and received a remarkable 120 Beyer Speed Figure. It may not have been quite as strong as the 123 he received in 2005, but it was still a testament to his ability and longevity.

Commentator closed out his career with three 120+ Beyer performances. Very few horses can make that claim. He was always a fun horse to watch, lets hope he has a good life in retirement.