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Originally Posted by King Glorious
I said that I thought Curlin should skip the Preakness for his LONG TERM GOOD. I also said that he was good enough to win the race and he was indeed my pick to win it. So what is your point with that question? I also think that if Street Sense or Curlin is to run in the Belmont, they are both good enough to win it and one of them probably will. But again, I'm talking about the LONG TERM ramifications, not the short. I felt the exact way about Afleet Alex. U care to tell me how that one turned out? I felt the exact way about Point Given, Giacomo, Monarchos? Sure, PG went on to win the Haskell and Travers. Those were the only two races for those four horses combined.
It's not the timing alone of the race that concerns me. I wouldn't care if he ran back two weeks after the Preakness. It's the distance at the end of a trying period.
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Here is my point. Curlin had the opportunity to win a big race right then. His connections would have been foolish to pass on that opportunity just because of some nonsensical notion that skipping that race would somehow help win some other big race down the road. As you know, I am not just saying this in retrospect now that I know he won. I told you that at the time. Horses can get injured/sick at any time. Hell you could skip the TC races and the horse could break his leg in a workout the next day. If you have a healthy and fit horse and there is a G1 million dollar classic that he could win right then, take your shot.
I can tell you right now that I don't think Point Given or Giacomo's careers were ruined by running in all three TC races. Point Given won the last two, and that did not prevent him from winning the Haskell and the Travers as you think it should have. And Giacomo? I highly doubt if that horse would have ever won another G1 no matter WHAT campaign they set for him.