Curlin's Legacy

[Smooth Operator]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Where are these reports? I honestly don't remember the steroid talk last year, so is there a link or something to these reports? The fact they are legal is beside the point. If he was indeed on steroids, he was one of thousands of horses that are.

I understand the trainer has a long rap sheet. But I also know Curlin ran a hole in the wind when breaking his maiden for Helen Pitts. So are we to assume he was "juiced up" then also? It just seems like a lot of guessing and assuming on your part, without any kind of evidence. It's just funny to me that if Curlin was trained by someone like Bill Mott, he'd be looked at in a different light. It's too bad.

A simple Google search will turn up many articles about Curlie's 'roid use last year, DaHoss.

Sure, 'roids were legal just about everywhere, but somehow I doubt the intention was to make them available so that they could be administered to perfectly healthy, robust horses on a regular, systematic basis. There's obviously no question at this point that they have been abused by many trainers for many years for the sole purpose of performance enhancement on the racetrack.

Like I said before, we know that Curlie received an anabolic steroid last season (likely on a regular basis, in my opinion, because of the way he held up during a very long campaign, his very muscular physique - particularly at the BC, and his trainer's rep regarding drugs), but I have yet to see any kind of evidence that either of his two main rivals were treated with 'roids. In fact, I'd be quite surprised if Nafzger used them on SS, especially on any kind of regular basis. So, in my opinion, you simply can't say with certainty that Curlie was the best of his generation because his performances were pharmacologically-enhanced last year and SS's and HS's may not have been.

As far as Curlie running "a hole in the wind" in some maiden contest, please, there have been countless good runners which have scored big in their maiden race.

Also, you never answered the question I posed in the other post ... do you think Curlie's acceleration issues this season have anything to do with his being off the 'program'? Would he have beaten the G3-caliber Wanderin Boy by six or eight lengths instead of less than one length if he was back on a 'roid regimen?