CURLIN WINS.....CURLIN WINS!!!!!!!!!!

[Pete]

Hi Folks,

I can't fault anything about Borel's ride. His move was brave, bold and precise. He rode a winning race but got caught by a very good colt who emerged as a star today. It was a very exciting race.

Curlin's still not totally professional but he's proven that he's a genuine talent. There are 2 top 3yos, Street Sense and Curlin, and while Hard Spun is good he's not in their class (as are any of the others).

Larrygene, congratulations on picking Curlin but don't change your name yet.

Street Cry continues to move on despite Street Sense not winning the Preakness because his son, Street Magician, won the G3 Hirsch Jacobs Stakes on the undercard giving him yet another graded winner.

Condolences to the connections of Mending Fences.

Regards,

Pete

[Barbaro06]

I was there in person to see one of the most exciting races ever. I was screaming at the top of my lungs as the horses came down the stretch--it was hard to separate the two until we saw the slo-mo. It was an awesome sight to see. I really wanted Street Sense to win, but all in all, I was satisfied to be a witness to such a spectacular race.

Yeah, another year without a Triple Crown winner. It doesn't matter what the name is if there is another. For God's sake, one winner is named after the capital of Nebraska.

Lincoln is the Capital of Nebraska (and Lincoln was named after a President... just so you know).

Ooops...must be the black-eyed Susan working on me...thanks for the correction!

[larrygene]

Thanks Pete for the congratulations. That had to be one of the most exciting races I've seen in a long time. What a thrill!!!!! As I stated earlier I hope we get to see Curlin run as a 4 yr old. I believe his best races are ahead of him, both from a maturity and experience standpoint.

And, I have no intention of changing names.

Larrygene

[jagger]

More congratulations, Larrygene, on the Curlin pick. He beat some very good horses on a perfect day with nobody getting a bad trip or bad ride. IMO. With a first and a third in the triple crown series, another good showing at the Belmont might go a long way towards Horse of The Year and certainly 3 yo of the year. This may have been his best distance as others would seem to be more suited for the 1 1/2 mile. He is a fine example of outcrossing with no inbreeding in the first 5 generations. The closest is 4 x 6 to Native Dancer. And yes, it truly was a very exciting race.

[casallc]

I watched the race over and over. Street Sense ran a great race, Borel did everything right. He took advantage of the opportunities when they were presented. He won the race, nobody told Curlin though. Curlin ran green the whole race and made one of the boldest moves I have ever seen that close to the finish after being passed and day lighted in the stretch. I have been in the business almost 50 years and cannot recall a horse finding another gear at the finish like that. Curlin may be a great horse if he doesn't blow up. The race was as fast as any Preakness so Curlin deserves all the respect but Street Sense ran a great race also.

[casallc]

What do you think about me now!!!!!!!! Curlin wins the Belmont. Bring on whoever you got. This is going to be a superstar!!!!

Larrygene

"Curlin, not only wins the Preakness by daylight, if he gets to the Belmont, he wins it. When that happens the $3.5 million price tag will look like the best investment since Microsoft".

Larrygene

Curlin did indeed win the race but not by daylight. Being from Oklahoma you know when you give daylight and you win by a head you lose your bet. I hope you placed your bet at a parimutuel track and not at Wildcat Junction.

[Mood Swings]

I missed the race, boo hoo Hopefully I will get to see a replay this afternoon. Sounds like it would have been a thrill to watch.

[larrygene]

casallc if you're going to stick your neck out and make predictions on a horse race then why not make a BOLD prediction!! You are correct Curlin won by a head and not daylight as I predicted but another 50 yards and it would have been daylight. So...... with that said I'm going to be BOLD and say Curlin wins the Belmont by daylight This horse has only run 5 times!!!! He doesn't even know what he is on this earth for. Show me any other horse, anywhere, that has his race record that is running today. Please don't give me a break, give Curlin one. He has to be one of the most talented horses to come along in many, many years. THIS IS ONE SPECIAL RACEHORSE!!!!!! That had to be one of the most exciting stretch runs in TC history.....right up there with the Real Quiet Belmont. I hope I'm not the only one that is very excited about a horse that could turn into a Superstar. I'm sick and tired of these flash in the pan runners Give me a horse to root for and follow and not disappear after 5 races. Let's all pray Assmussen and the owners give us that horse.

Larrygene

[casallc]

casallc if you're going to stick your neck out and make predictions on a horse race then why not make a BOLD prediction!! You are correct Curlin won by a head and not daylight as I predicted but another 50 yards and it would have been daylight. So...... with that said I'm going to be BOLD and say Curlin wins the Belmont by daylight This horse has only run 5 times!!!! He doesn't even know what he is on this earth for. Show me any other horse, anywhere, that has his race record that is running today. Please don't give me a break, give Curlin one. He has to be one of the most talented horses to come along in many, many years. THIS IS ONE SPECIAL RACEHORSE!!!!!! That had to be one of the most exciting stretch runs in TC history.....right up there with the Real Quiet Belmont. I hope I'm not the only one that is very excited about a horse that could turn into a Superstar. I'm sick and tired of these flash in the pan runners Give me a horse to root for and follow and not disappear after 5 races. Let's all pray Assmussen and the owners give us that horse.

Larrygene

I agree, Curlin looks like the real deal. When he learns what to do - Look out!

[UmmYeah]

Show me any other horse, anywhere, that has his race record that is running today.

Invasor.

Sure hope that Curlin's path crosses Invasor's later this year. THAT'S the matchup I'm really looking forward to.

[sb]

I watched the race over and over. Street Sense ran a great race, Borel did everything right. He took advantage of the opportunities when they were presented. He won the race, nobody told Curlin though. Curlin ran green the whole race and made one of the boldest moves I have ever seen that close to the finish after being passed and day lighted in the stretch. I have been in the business almost 50 years and cannot recall a horse finding another gear at the finish like that. Curlin may be a great horse if he doesn't blow up. The race was as fast as any Preakness so Curlin deserves all the respect but Street Sense ran a great race also.

Agree 100%, and the way Curlin finished 'may' make him a Belmont contender, if this effort didn't take too much out of him.

Hardspun is a very good colt, but I heard that he needs more time between races to recover. Perhaps the timing was bad, but he's been getting a pretty nice check in both the Ky Derby and now the Preakness.
It's not just all about winning....

The saddest thing to me was the change of expression on Calvin Borel's face; all beaming and confident going into the race-- then devastated, serious, and humbled. According to the finish photo I saw, it was by just a nose, not even a head. Well, I look at it this way: Calvin Borel will have more chances to ride in the Triple Crown; Street Sense won't.
I like both of them, and they are a fabulous team.

As to the breeding; it's the Canadian breeding again: Smart Strike[CAN] over Deputy Minister [Can]. Those Canadians have bred the best horses, including Northern Dancer, NIJINSKY, etc. One more triomphe for
the great female family 23-b! "Center piece" here is "No Class!"

On to the Belmont!. My guess is that Curlin is the only one of the 3 first who will show up this time around.

Which stallion that won the Kentucky Derby was the best one at stud?


SB

[Pete]

Hi Sb,

Some good posts in this thread.

Which stallion that won the Kentucky Derby was the best one at stud

Clyde Van Dusen, without question would have been but some idiot gelded him.

I've spent so much of my life in NORTHERN regions where I was a DANCER that I can't answer the question. No please don't remind us hat he was Canadian bred.

Regards,

Pete

[Pete]

Hi Jagger,

In a reposnse to you in another thread I meant to mention that this Preakness has no excuses, just solid performances.

You make a good point that Curlin is a complete outcross through 5 generations as are Afleet Alex, Secretariat and John Henry (his sire is inbred), etc.

For those that look to inbreed there's a good point that many of the best runners are made without any duplications between parents in 5 generations. Consider your options.

Regards,

Pete

[sb]

Hi Sb,

Which stallion that won the Kentucky Derby was the best one at stud

Clyde Van Dusen, without question would have been but some idiot gelded him.

Pete

The answer to my own question is UNBRIDLED, I believe, and interestingly, he was trained by Carl Nafzger. Small comfort, of course, sind it was so very close. Now the future will tell which of the two, SS or Curlin is the better colt. We already know that Hard Spun will be game and full of courage, if he will be pointed to the Belmont at 1.5 miles. Way to go, Hard Spun. With Danzig as his sire, he should have a great chance.
But as his trainer, Larry Jones, it will all depend how Hard Spun came out of the race.

sb

[Pete]

Hi Sb,

sb wrote:
Which stallion that won the Kentucky Derby was the best one at stud

The answer to my own question is UNBRIDLED

I was joking about Clyde Van Dusen but I don't think that you are about Unbridled. Better than Northern Dancer?

Regards,

Pete