Curlin & the Classic

[Smooth Operator]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Younger than him? thanks for the laugh.

Yeah, I laughed too when I saw Curlin getting steamrolled in the lane by those 3-year-olds, DaHoss9698.

You'd think that a supposedly top-class 4yo would have a maturity edge over a top-class 3yo like RP ... and would defeat him more often than not.

Sure didn't look that way last weekend.



At any rate, things might get even better ... maybe they'll give that Horse-of-the-Year award to the filly.

Wouldn't that be sweeeeeeeeeeeet!

[Smooth Operator]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Keep avoiding it. The maturity edge stuff might be your finest work to date. Do you have a relative named Hrfan? 3 year olds have now won 9 of 25 runnings of the classic. Including Curlin last year. It's not a big deal for 3 year olds to beat elders late in the season. But, someone so on the ball probably already knew that.

Lol ... you're too funny, DaHoss9698.

Did you even think before making that stellar post ... or did you just go off half-cocked and start typing?

Of course 3-year-olds will win their share of BCCs ... because many years the older division is so painfully mediocre. Last year was a perfect example of this. You didn't have to be a charter member of MENSA to figure out that the strong contingent of 3yos was gonna dominate the contest in Jersey.

What I said in the previous post is that a "TOP-CLASS" older horse will usually have an edge over a top 3yo. 2006 is a perfect example when the very nice 3yo Bernardini couldn't hang in the stretch with the older, high-quality Invasor.

How many of the 3yos did you see finishing ahead of SL in the '05 BCC ... or in front of GZ and RiM in '04? How 'bout PP in '03?

All top-class older runners which got the best of their younger rivals in the big race.

Heck, go back to the late '70s when the Triple Crown (and near TC) winners squared off against each other. The 4yo Slew got the best of Affirmed in '78 ... and, not surprisingly, the 4yo Affirmed took care of business against Spectacular Bid in 1979.

[slotdirt]

Funny how the most widely-regarded 3YO's had already been retired before the Breeders Cup Classic in both 2003, 2004, and 2005. That really makes your point for you.

[Smooth Operator]

Brilliant stuff there, slot

Too bad you never got a chance to purchase that win ticket on SJ in the '04 BCC. Would've been a pleasure taking your money.

And do you actually believe that EM would've finished ahead of PP (or MdO and Cong, for that matter) in '03? How'd FC do in that little contest, btw?

Granted, AA may've had a shot to take down SL in '05, but I probably wouldn't have wagered a nickel on it.

[slotdirt]

Hey, I'm not the one that is using St. Liam holding off the brilliant Flower Alley in 2005 as evidence that good 4YO's always beat 3YO's in the Breeders Cup Classic.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Smooth Operator

2006 is a perfect example when the very nice 3yo Bernardini couldn't hang in the stretch with the older, high-quality Invasor.

That's a terrible example of a generally true situation. Perhaps Affirmed vs. Seattle Slew or Spectacular Bid vs. Affirmed would have been accurate examples.

Bernardini ran a better race than Invasor that day and lost due to a very premature move. Given similar trips, Bernardini would have won.

[Smooth Operator]

Too bad we never got to see a rematch, Throat.

No doubt there are better examples, but I'll stand by that one as a good example of a high-quality older runner getting the best of his talented younger rival.

Frankly, I thought that Bernardini would win that day because Invasor hadn't raced for a while and was coming back in a 10-furlong contest. Thought he might be a bit short, but McLaughlin obviously did a great job preparing him for the big race.

[Smooth Operator]

Well, it's been almost two weeks now ... hopefully crybaby Asmussen has finally come to grips with the real reasons why his overrated colt lost last month.

[slotdirt]