Hey Fat_Man

[PaceAdvantage]

Congrats....hope you had some nice $$$ on Curlin. I know you've always liked this horse....I was on the bandwagon with you earlier this year, but unfortunately, I jumped off a while ago....

[cj]

I pretty much thought he was a lock today, but damn, he was an ultra lock.

[DanG]

I pretty much thought he was a lock today, but damn, he was an ultra lock.
Lock?

Wow…impressive confidence in those conditions.

[Pell Mell]

It's been some year with those three horses. They kind of took turns beating one another but I don't understand why so many cappers keep discounting Hard Spun because if you want to win you have got to get by him. My vote for the biggest boo-boo of the year; The ride that HS got in the Belmont. Great race by Curlin today!

[cj]

Lock?

Wow…impressive confidence in those conditions.

Yep, I posted as much at my site which I linked here.

[cj]

It's been some year with those three horses. They kind of took turns beating one another but I don't understand why so many cappers keep discounting Hard Spun because if you want to win you have got to get by him. My vote for the biggest boo-boo of the year; The ride that HS got in the Belmont. Great race by Curlin today!

He is a good, solid horse. The reason he is discounted is because at the Classic distances, he isn't very hard to get by. Someone always finds a way to do it, and it isn't close.

[alysheba88]

He is a good, solid horse. The reason he is discounted is because at the Classic distances, he isn't very hard to get by. Someone always finds a way to do it, and it isn't close.

SS didnt get by him- again.

Hard Spun is a very nice horse.

[Pell Mell]

He is a good, solid horse. The reason he is discounted is because at the Classic distances, he isn't very hard to get by. Someone always finds a way to do it, and it isn't close.

Maybe not close for first but he's always there. And where was SS today? After their last race a lot of experts were saying that no way does HS beat SS today. Not to take anything away from any of them but if I had a good mare I know where I'd send her. Just my opinion.

[Cratos]

It's been some year with those three horses. They kind of took turns beating one another but I don't understand why so many cappers keep discounting Hard Spun because if you want to win you have got to get by him. My vote for the biggest boo-boo of the year; The ride that HS got in the Belmont. Great race by Curlin today!

I went to the BC races on the Jersey Shore for two races and I was disappointed in one (the loss by Discreet Cat), but I came home with a few wooden nickels when Curlin rewarded my backing of him with a generous $10.80 payoff.

If Curlin stays in training in 2008, he might be at 4yo a good facsimile of the great Forego in that he is a big horse with good acceleration and the ability to go and win at a distance of ground consistently. Also he proved in the BC Classic (unlike Forego) that he can handle the off-track. However he probably will never have the opportunity to demonstrate Forego’s weight-toting ability because most if not all of the major route races today are run under weight-for-age conditions.

I don’t know if Curlin will be good on turf, but he and the excellent turf runner, English Channel come from the same sire, in Smart Strike and we might just see in Curlin next year (if he runs) the unique versatility of excellence on grass and dirt. If Curlin can win on the aforementioned turf surface and move his game to the synthetic surfaces he would be well on his way of being the class (and he might already be) of his generation.

[the_fat_man]

yeah, I was on him good, PA. I've bet this horse every race except the Belmont and Haskell. The odds today were extremely generous.

I'm not going to claim that I expected him to win as easily as he did, though I did think he was better than the field.

I had no problem throwing out Street Sense and didn't even bother worrying about Any Given Saturday (or Tiago). My primary concern was your horse, Lawyer Ron, and I played a single number 4-1 in addition to screwing up the pick4 (as I wasn't willing to go for more than 8 combos). Have never been a Hard Spun supporter and that cost me today.

The game is obviously about winning money but there's also a special satisfaction that comes with being right about a horse you've supported.

Curlin never really got the credit he deserved, IMO. The praise was reserved for SS and others. Too bad he won't be back.

[Semipro]

Yeah I've loved Curlin since Arkansas Derdy bet on him every race since then.Been touting how he was going beat SS at the wire that senerio didn't happen but man was he the best today and deserves Horse Of The Year. I think that Hard Spun has been the most underated of the bunch.

[Semipro]

Maybe not close for first but he's always there. And where was SS today? After their last race a lot of experts were saying that no way does HS beat SS today. Not to take anything away from any of them but if I had a good mare I know where I'd send her. Just my opinion. Me too Curlin

[OTM Al]

I was sitting just off the turn and I must say the move he made was magnificent. It looked from right there that Street Sense was going to move with him for a strong second place finish (it was that obviously over right there) but he just seemed to go flat as he moved into the stretch. Much as I did like Hard Spun earlier this year, I didn't use him as I expected like many that he and Lawyer Ron would knock heads and wipe each other out, but really nice job by him too.

Several horses had trouble coming out of that turn during the day. Worst was Smokey Stover who almost completely lost his back end as he fishtailed way out and the jock wisely just shut him down then and there. I don't think anyone won because of the rain, all winners were quality, but it would have been nice if it was a little dryer on a championship day.

So what you think fat man? I generally reserve my judgement on 2yos for a couple more months, but War Pass impressed me much more than Street Sense did last year. Looooooong way to go though :)