Horse racing rivalry

Tucumcari · Postby **Tucumcari** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 6:37 pm

All throughout horse racing there have been great rivalry's!. I guess in my lifetime I can think of a few. Alydar and Affirmed, Easy Goer and Sunday Silence. Alysheba and Ferdinand, Light lite and Meadow Star, etc, etc...
So obviously rivalry between two individuals have fueled the sport of racing for years and years.
Enter Curlin and Big Brown. Their rivalry is as heated and as full of opinion as any rivalry in history. Granted we now have the Internet and forums on which to express ourselves, far more efficient than a letter to the editor.

The thing that is so unique about Curling and Big Brown is that they have never met. Nor are they liable to. And yet we the people remain locked in heated battle as to whom is the superior individual.
Perhaps Ferdinand and Alysheba are the most applicable to this situation to a some degree. A 4 year old and a three year old both very highly regarded, as they should have been. Alysheba was laying it down impressively as a 3 year old as was Ferdinand the four year old. Breeder's Cup Classic that year (1987) was one to remember! A clash of Champions for sure!
As Breeder's Cup approaches, I find myself thinking how sad if this really never gets settled. It will always be a huge question mark surrounding this so called rivalry. It's a shame that we will likely ever know who was the better racehorse. And with all probability it will be a rivalry whose ending comes with their performance at stud. Maybe history will have to find it's rest in the hoof beats of their "children."
Pity!

steward · Postby **steward** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 4:48 pm

Count me as one who isn't jazzed by thought of a matchup, or lack thereof. Racing was simpler when most American champion horses lived on dirt, first and foremost. Them was the old days. This is now. It is what it is.

no hurray · Postby **no hurray** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:44 pm

what makes you think they won't meet up in the classic? i think they will!!

Tucumcari · Postby **Tucumcari** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:08 pm

Certainly I hope they do. I sincerely hope that the Curlin camp comes out to our synthetic "sandbox" for the BC. It would make my year! And I've had a pretty good year!