I am no fan of the horse, but I felt that Curlin was probably the best three-year-old of the bunch going into Saturday. However, I didn't think he'd stamp himself as far and away the best horse in the race. His performance was awesome and left no room for excuses.
Having said that, there is no horse I have seen in my 10 years of racing "fanhood" that was as good a classic horse as Invasor. He could win from anywhere regardless of the track, trip, or bias. He had all the tools. The reason he doesn't get the uninhibited respect he deserves is because he didn't burn the stopwatch or win by 10 beautiful lengths like others we have drooled over in the past. Instead, he always showed up. He had tons of talent, but he had the rare intangibles as well. Because of that, the one thing I learned in watching his career is that no matter the situation or the competition, he will always get the job done. So, regardless of how brilliant and incredible I think Curlin's Classic was on Saturday, I firmly believe Invasor would have found a way and joined Tiznow in Classic lore had he stepped onto the Monmouth track Saturday.
As a side note, I may become a very big Curlin fan if he returns as a 4yo. I'd like to find out.
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