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Fun Horse Names for Our Thoroughbred Born on January 1st - He's Going to the Kentucky Derby. What name should this horse have?
Born First Run First - Perfect name for a horse we expect to win a lot of stake races
7%
Happy New Year Baby - With all the money this horse will earn, it's going to be a great racing year!
3%
Follow Your Elders - Born before the other horses, this is a perfect name for a leader on his way to the Triple Crown.
7%
Can Run From Day One - Born early and ready to race. Bring on the bed of roses!
14%
January's First - This guy will be first on that First Saturday in May when he crosses the finish line for the Kentucky Derby.
69%
Total votes: 29
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My diagnosis: Curlin didn't like the surface
Fate seems to have dealt Curlin a cruel blow. That's the way that I see it. In the week leading up to the Classic, the experts kept on saying that the synthetic surface "evens out the field", meaning that a great horse like Curlin would be more vulnerable to lesser horses because the surface is not as hard on a thorougbhred's legs as a natural dirt surface is. Curlin is by quite a wide margin the best horse in the world on dirt, and when I watched the Classic today it just looked to me like he wasn't all that comfortable with the surface. Steve Assmussen was quoted before and after the race saying that he felt it was a turf race. Well, I think that he was right. Coming out of the final turn, when he made that powerful move to take the lead, Curlin didn't look as fluid as I've seen him in the past. He looked like he was laboring, which if you watch his dirt races this year, is quite unfamiliar. I could tell something wasn't quite right, but it sure was a gallant effort just to get the lead. After about the eighth pole it just seemed as if Curlin had had enough. The key for me was not that Raven's Pass was able to overtake him, but that Henrythenavigator, a horse that Curlin had passed before, came back in the final furlong to pass Curlin. In all of Curlin's races that I've ever seen him run on dirt, I can't recall a single instance of that happening. It almost seemed as if Curlin was saying, "Well, I gave you guys all I could handle on this stuff for 9 furlongs, but I'm sick of it, and you can have it" in angry defiance. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but I just think he was not used to this surface, didn't have enough time to acclimate to it, and maybe would have been better served with a few races that surface before the Classic.
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Comments
in agreement
I agree. The surface was new to him and I bet he's one of those horses that doesn't like synthetic surfaces. He's certainly a dirt horse. I hope they run him again next year and back to the dirt.
I just dont buy into that stuff.....
He got beat, plain and simple...That would be like saying Michael Jordan cant play basketball on dirt, or concrete.....if ur fast , ur fast.....Secretariat got beat, what was his excuse? ...ruffiano
I disagree completely
I disagree completely ruffiano. There are major differences which make a horse run better on different surfaces. I have a horse with giant, flat feet and a very low stride. These combined make him not so great on dirt. The minute he steps on turf, he is a different horse. Genetics, physcial and mental factors can greatly effect if a horse can run on different surfaces.
You are 100% right D, Ruff you are off the mark
You are 100% right D, Ruff is way off here. You want to a championship that is fair and what we got this weekend was nothing more than extended Turf Championships. HTN and Ravens Pass would not have finished in the money on a dirt course. Why do you think the Euros sent so many horses this yr? Because it was equal to a turf race.
I agree dede and aqacom
It is said that there are horses for courses. Well, it could also be said, their are horses for surfaces. In this business there are many variables for placing your horse where he/she has the best chance of winning. Track surface and track condition among them. If I owned Curlin, I'd rather see him run on dirt than some untested, new, surface. Every trainer of every horse in every country that has horse racing, make these decisions everyday. It's something that must be dealt with and can't be ignored.
England had two very nice milers that love the turf., that finished first and second in the Classic. I don't want to take anything away from these horses (they're good ones, no doubt) but, it is of my opinion, that if the classic had been run on real dirt, that they would have opted to run the shorter distance where they've excelled and proven themselves.
I think the strategy for their trainers was knowing that if Curlin couldn't handle the synthetic surface, ( there was a good probability that he might not )we have an excellent chance of going the extra distance and beating him. They were right in thinking this way.
The fact that it is said that synthetics appear to favor horses who do well on the turf certainly was part of their reasoning. The Classic had the biggest purse too. I sure hope we see, Curlin again next year.
In any case, kudos to Jess
In any case, kudos to Jess Jackson for deciding to enter Curlin in the race. It was a risk that didn't pay off. But I admire them for trying.
It also makes you wonder about Big Brown... if it is the case that the ProRide surface is like turf, then BB should have done very, very well on it.
SOoooo...
what ur all saying is, and hey I could be wrong totally, is that Curlin gets beat there is a excuse, when the GREAT secretariat got beat, he just got beat.....to me now days, when a great horse gets beat which is eevry year, there is always a excuse...if the trainer knew he would get beat in the breeders cup, why did he race him then if its that cut and dry that Curlin cant run on synth. that would be the stupidest thing ive ever heard of running ur horse knowing he cant win....I know Im the lone voice on this because everyone is so in love with Curlin, and rightly so I guess, he is a decent horse. But a horse like this comes around every year, the unbeatable, the next secretariat and all..and it always fizzles out...We just have to grasp on how great the past greats were, only 11 have won the triple crown, there is a reason for that. Its amazing tho if Curlin coudnt run on synth, it sure was a incredible move he made before the turn. I think he just ran out of gas...I just get tired of excuses for any so called great team, horse...Football teams lose cause they are used to artificial turf, or used to grass.....well, I think Id be practicing more on the surfaces ur not good at, cause it wont change in the future, in order to become a real champion fellas, u have to win at all surfaces like a secretariat did...he won on grass and dirt..remember Curlin is the richist horse cause they pay millions of dollars per start now, if the past champs had that, Curlin woudnt be the richest horse......ruffiano
many uncertainties in racing
Much of my comments are based on the fact that Curlin had never raced on this new version of synthetic surfaces. As a trainer, you don't know for sure, unless you try it. That's true of all surfaces, at all tracks. I think that the Dubai surface, where he won, is sand. Not positive, however.
Curlin tried the grass ( The Man O' War )and was beaten by Red Rocks. He finished second. If you don't try, then you have no idea how your horse will handle the various surfaces. This is true of various distances.