How would The Classic have been...

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

Why the coyish slam on Dutrow?

The '05 and soon to be named '07 Horse of the Year both were trained by guys who served fairly lengthy suspensions during their championship season.

In my opinion - Saint Liam (rest in peace) was a horse who wouldn't have been near as dominant for most competent trainers. I believe Curlin, on the other hand, would be.

Dutrow is the best move-up artist at the top level the East has to offer.

If you remember out West - some red-hot Turf Paradice trainer named Jeff Mullins ran a very troubled and narrowly beaten 3rd at big odds with a horse named Lusty Latin in the '02 Santa Anita Derby.

Mullins proceeded to win each of the next three Santa Anita Derby's with crazy longshots.

I'm personally skeptical of how accomplished some of these horses would have been in the hands of competent trainers who aren't move-up artists.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

The '05 and soon to be named '07 Horse of the Year both were trained by guys who served fairly lengthy suspensions during their championship season.

In my opinion - Saint Liam (rest in peace) was a horse who wouldn't have been near as dominant for most competent trainers. I believe Curlin, on the other hand, would be.

Dutrow is the best move-up artist at the top level the East has to offer.

If you remember out West - some red-hot Turf Paradice trainer named Jeff Mullins ran a very troubled and narrowly beaten 3rd at big odds with a horse named Lusty Latin in the '02 Santa Anita Derby.

Mullins proceeded to win each of the next three Santa Anita Derby's with crazy longshots.

I'm personally skeptical of how accomplished some of these horses would have been in the hands of competent trainers who aren't move-up artists.

Just to add, Lusty Latin ended up running for cheap tags for every Juice guy in the mid atlantic.

[cmorioles]

Invasor would not have beaten Curlin.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Invasor would not have beaten Curlin.

Really? How do you know?

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Really? How do you know?

Of course I don't know, it is an opinion. But the numbers rarely lie, and Curlin has been consistently faster than Invasor.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Of course I don't know, it is an opinion. But the numbers rarely lie, and Curlin has been consistently faster than Invasor.

Numbers lie all the time...look at lawyer ron.

Wasnt bernardini consistently faster as well?

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Numbers lie all the time...look at lawyer ron.

Wasnt bernardini consistently faster as well?

when did they start giving out trophies for best numbers??

would have been nice to have invasor out there. he never did get enough credit for everything he did.

[avance2000]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Numbers lie all the time...look at lawyer ron.

Wasnt bernardini consistently faster as well?

yeah, but fraudardini sucked.
curlin certainly would have given invasor a tougher battle than old bernarfraudi did, but as to who would win between invasor and curlin, i think it is tough to say. if they raced 10 times i think they would each win a few, but i don't think invasor could have beaten curlin yesterday. he ran brilliantly.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Invasor would not have beaten Curlin.

I would have loved to see it. I think in the Dubai World Cup Invasor would have had at least a 119 Beyer if they produced figures so he was certainly capable of going that fast. Also, no one ever looked Invasor in the eye in the stretch and then beat him which we have seen happen to Curlin.

[GenuineRisk]

I can't help but wish the legal issues don't resolve soon- the longer they take to resolve, the longer Curlin will keep running, I hope!

[Thunder Gulch]

I think Bernardini was the same as Curlin and Invasor waxed him. Actually, Bernardini was more dominant through the summer than Curlin by a wide margin.

[SOREHOOF]

Actually, Bernardini was more dominant through the summer than Curlin by a wide margin.[/quote]
Curlin faced tougher horses than Bernardini. Curlin is no INVASOR though. If he races next year we'll see how he stacks up.

Originally Posted by Thunder Gulch

I think Bernardini was the same as Curlin and Invasor waxed him. Actually, Bernardini was more dominant through the summer than Curlin by a wide margin.

Bernardini did not even run in the Derby.
And he was had a very diff. running style compared to Curlin.
Curlin and Invasor ran the same type of race.
Bernardini did not face any horse as good as Street Sense
or Rags in his TC races.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by pgardn

Bernardini did not face any horse as good as Street Sense
or Rags in his TC races.

Bernardini only ran in one triple crown race....

And Invasor might have faced better horses than Street Sense in Uruguay.



.... My bad, no sense baiting ARyan since he's surely fixated on a lame Red Sox game.

[SOREHOOF]

It SHOULD take a career best to win the BC Classic!

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Bernardini only ran in one triple crown race....

And Invasor might have faced better horses than Street Sense in Uruguay.

.... My bad, no sense baiting ARyan since he's surely fixated on a lame Red Sox game.

I forgot about that, he did not go in the Belmont.

Curlin had a full plate and performed wonderfully.
A lot was asked of this horse and he came through.
This animal was definitley not pampered.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Thunder Gulch

I think Bernardini was the same as Curlin and Invasor waxed him. Actually, Bernardini was more dominant through the summer than Curlin by a wide margin.

Curlin's performance in the BC Classic was obviously better than Bernardini's.

This isn't about who is better than who - Invasor only beat a hanging Sun King by a head in the Whitney when he had difficult circumstances.

With any kind of circumstances he would have needed a career best race to beat Curlin yesterday.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Curlin's performance in the BC Classic was obviously better than Bernardini's.

This isn't about who is better than who - Invasor only beat a hanging Sun King by a head in the Whitney when he had difficult circumstances.

With any kind of circumstances he would have needed a career best race to beat Curlin yesterday.

or vice versa

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Danzig

or vice versa

Curlin, a 3-year-old making just his 9th career start...and 3rd start off of a layoff was probably more likely to deliever a career best race than a 5-year-old.

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

I can't help but wish the legal issues don't resolve soon- the longer they take to resolve, the longer Curlin will keep running, I hope!

That's the way I feel, too. I had no trouble rooting for Curlin once it got down to Curlin, Street Sense, and Hard Spun. With the latter two definitely ending their careers prematurely, give me the one who at least MIGHT be around next year.

I will say this for Asmussen--he was very gracious toward Helen Pitts in his ESPN post-race interview.

--Dunbar