Orb Retired, to Stand at Claiborne in 2014

[Calzone Lord]

I think if people take a retrospective look at the "inside straight" Orb pulled off in Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby, and Kentucky Derby ... they'll see that he was an example of decent horse, with the right type of running style, getting good and lucky at the right time.

Orb's reputation is built almost entirely on that inside-straight.

Violence was the better horse in the Fountain of Youth. I don't see any person with two eyes and a basic understanding of horse racing who can argue that.

Orb's Florida Derby win wasn't all that impressive. Merit Man was 3rd going 9 furlongs. A 100/1 shot was 4th. 2nd place had missed almost an entire month of training.

Orb's Kentucky Derby win from way in back of a pace meltdown hardly looks impressively, especially retrospectively. Though his presence in the race did save us from Golden Soul becoming the worst KY Derby winner since the 1930's.

Mine That Bird's Derby win, also on a wet track, was a more impressive performance than Orb's. He was another horse who got hot at the right time and made his reputation on 3 races.

Orb's reputation was such, that almost halfway through Gulfstream, Shug didn't even want to give him a shot on the triple crown trail. His hand was basically forced.