Curlin

Today I watched a racehorse set a new record. Curlin has now earned over ten million dollars in purses on the race track. For those of us who followed his Triple Crown run last year, and came away disappointed, it is vindication.

This is why racehorses should continue running so long as their health and soundness permits. Curlin as a four year old is superior to Curlin as a three year old. And I was a loyal fan of Curlin at three.

Like most racehorses, he's won some and lost some. He even lost the Belmost Stakes to a filly, in what really was a beautiful race. To those who think Eight Belles should not have been in the Kentucky Derby because of her gender, I suggest you check the NTRA video archives of the '07 Belmont Stakes, when a filly named Rags to Riches defeated Curlin in a stretch duel. In the '08 Derby, that same sort of courage was present, but with different results.

And none of that detracts from what Curlin has accomplished in his career. Truly, Curlin deserves to be ranked among the modern greats. And if he meets Big Brown in the Breeder's Cup Classic, well, I for one will be glued to my seat for the two minute duration.