Seattle Slew's Kentucky Derby is a great example of it as well.
It was a painfully slow race and came back terrible on figures (Beyers, Ragozins, and my projections) -- but he ran tremendous to blow the break from such a big field and bull his way into a speed duel. Win the battle and the war.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWO0QgZKoYY
Had any even marginally respectable closer been in that race and showed up they would have got him -- but it was still a great performance.