How long has 3 been the “age of retirement”?

Evan Hammonds has on opinion piece at Bloodhorse about how 3 year olds have always turned in solid performances in the BC Classic… “All in all, 3-year-olds have proved their point in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in its 23-year history”.

Mind you, this is my first full year of being a fan, and for that alone I will always hold this year’s 3 year olds close to my heart, but it does seem like they are exceptionally talented.

Nonetheless, for this crop or any other, how well would they fare if the most talented (or at least most lucrative) hadn’t retired and had another year of racing under their belt? Perhaps we’ll never know, but I’d like to think that someday we’ll find out.