Curlin didn't look invincible...

[sdjcom]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Curlin looked short to me. I'm not sure how cranked he was, but I find it hard to believe today's race was his "A" race. Maybe his form is in decline, or the turf start took a lot out of him, or the trip to Dubai is taking it's toll. Who knows, but I don't think Asmussen would change spots with anyone right now.

I agree, but I feel he just had an off day.

[VOL JACK]

Originally Posted by sdjcom

I agree, but I feel he just had an off day.

Curlin just seems like the type that is just gonna run as fast as he has to, to win the race.
It was a good race if the track was as speed biased as I think it might have been. NY tracks have a way doing that before the big races, as we have all seen. I thought after the first race the track was gonna be a tiring surface. Then watching the 2 stakes it looked like Monmouth.

[CSC]

Curlin was there for the taking yesterday, he ran his eyeballs out to just squeak by a 40-1 shot that set contested fast fractions, someone questioned me why I kept posting I was going to try to beat Curlin yesterday, I think the answer was clear yesterday, at .35 to the dollar he was life and death to get up yesterday. My mind hasn't changed that's 2 average performances in a row for Curlin since coming back from Dubai. Whether he doesn't like Saratoga, or the turf. It wasn't the same Curlin I have seen prior Dubai.

[Thunder Gulch]

I agree with a lot of you here. Whether he was a little short or not, he just didn't have the same explosion we want to see from him. Has anyone ever come back from the Dubai trip with the same horse? That trip just seems to bring a lot of champions down from their pinnacle on the way home.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Thunder Gulch

I agree with a lot of you here. Whether he was a little short or not, he just didn't have the same explosion we want to see from him. Has anyone ever come back from the Dubai trip with the same horse? That trip just seems to bring a lot of champions down from their pinnacle on the way home.

I think that Dubai 'curse' is at times coincidental, however I agree he didn't win like a 3/10 shot should with the set up he got. Still we have seen what the Spa usually does to champions, Ginger Punch also got up mostly on will, and Curlin did the same yesterday.

[ArlJim78]

i think its way after the fact to blame dubai. he looked sharp in his first outing after dubai, the one in KY where Einstein was second.

with that said, he does seem to be on the decline for whatever reason.

[Quiet Chris]

The horse is not invincible. Commentator probably would have beaten him yesterday, except for the fact that Commentator might have not shown up.

Curlin's JCGC will be the real test to see what he is made of. They have been shipping him around the world and changing surfaces on him all year.

The horse is clearly the best dirt horse in the world though. There doesn't appear to be anyone out there that can take him in a 10f dirt race.