I'm very interested to hear how Karen answers that question. I can give you my comparison of Polaris and Cowboy from my garden in Tulsa. I haven't tried One Trick Pony yet.
Polaris has been a must grow for me since it was introduced. Captain Lucky is one of my favorite tomatoes, and Polaris tasted like a Captain Lucky that was maybe very slightly less sweet (but still sweet) and had that great "smokey" favor of a typical purple/dark tomato. It also had a "richness" in the flavor, similar to Captain Lucky, that you don't see in very many tomatoes. 2021 in my garden was "the year of the darks", where I grew Carbon, Polaris, Dana's Dusky Rose, Daniel Burson, and Rosella Purple Dwarf, all side-by-side for a taste test. 5 out of 5 people in my house chose Polaris as their favorite from those. Carbon and Daniel Burson were both very good, but Polaris was better IMHO.
Cowboy is different than Polaris, even with Captain Lucky as a parent. But it is equally outstanding. It has a more traditional "old-time", balanced tomato flavor. If I describe Polaris as sweet and smokey, I'd say Cowboy is sweet and tangy. The flavor balance for Cowboy was perfect in my garden this year. I've only grown it in 2023, so I want to give it a couple more seasons. But I plan to also grow it every year. It was the best tomato of 18 I grew this past season. I also started Cowboy plants for my parents and my sister in 2023, and they both said it was the favorite from their garden this year, as well.
I would have a very hard time choosing between Polaris or Cowboy, if I could only grow one. I'd probably go with Cowboy, because it seems to be a little more productive. But I only grew it in 2023, so I'll need a couple more years to make a valid comparison on production.
When the seeds for One Trick Pony (and maybe Bloodstone) become available, I'm sure I'll try to get some. Karen makes some great tomatoes.
Lee
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