"Interestingly, both horses are winners of the Preakness Stakes (gr. I). When was the last time a foal was bred from two winners of the same American classic, you may ask? The year was 1921, when 1905 Belmont winner Tanya visited Peter Pan, the 1907 winner. The union created Ragtime, a claimer who made 76 starts and raced to age 10."

"It's a hard saying but the reality is evident: Curlin was beaten by two of the best horses in Europe, not by a couple of carpetbaggers who got lucky. Curlin met his match, fair and square, and did not quite make it. Remember this: Raven's Pass had to break the track record to run Curlin down and win the Classic."

Where Curlin ranks on the list of great horses is a matter for debate (a debate we're fortunate to have)