One Hit Wonders

At the moment, Arrogate is still the "buzz horse" in American racing following his spectacular Travers Stakes (USA-I) score. Before handing him the crown of the 3-year-old division, however, it might be worth remembering a few other horses who had Pegasus-like moments but failed to sustain that level of excellence. Consider the following:

• General Assembly, the horse whose stakes and track record Arrogate broke yesterday, gave a superb imitation of his sire Secretariat when he ran off with the 1979 Travers Stakes by 15 lengths (USA-I) in 2:00 flat. Although he was a good runner, he never showed such exceptional form before or afterward and was nowhere near the class of Spectacular Bid, who defeated him easily in all four of their meetings.
  
• Bellamy Road became the favorite for the 2005 Kentucky Derby after running off with the Wood Memorial by 17-1/2 lengths and equaling the Aqueduct track record for 9 furlongs, all while in hand. He was injured during the Run for the Roses, reinjured himself while running a game second to Flower Alley in the Travers Stakes and was unable to make a planned comeback at 4.
  
• Western Playboy ran away and hid from the field in the 1989 Pennsylvania Derby (USA-II), winning by a record 17 lengths. His time of 1:47-3/5 set a stakes record that stood for 22 years, but he simply wasn't in the same class as Sunday Silence and Easy Goer and was soon forgotten outside his native Illinois even though he actually had a good race record that included an earlier win in the Blue Grass Stakes (USA-I).
  
• After Silky Sullivan made up 28 lengths in the final half-mile to win the Santa Anita Derby by 3-1/2 lengths with one of his come-from-the-clouds charges, he shipped to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby as one of the greatest popular favorites ever. While he was "only" the co-second choice in the wagering, more $2 win tickets were sold on Silky than on any other horse up to that time. Unfortunately, Silky spun his wheels on a muddy track and finished far back. He later fell prey to tendon trouble and never recovered his earlier form.
  

So...one super freaky performance from Arrogate, or a superhorse in the making? Only time will tell.