By Elizabeth Rancani

Curlin is back! Make no mistake about it. The horse of the spring is back for another round this fall. He may even be better, as this time he didn’t defeat a three year old, but a seasoned, top older horse. Lawyer Ron can get a mile and a quarter. That much is now certain, and he just might be the best of the bunch on Breeders Cup day.

We also have Street Sense, Any Given Saturday, Hard Spun, Tiago, Student Council and Awesome Gem. Street Sense also has no problem with a mile and a quarter, but he does have some issues that could easily get him beat. Any Given Saturday and Tiago are improving every time they run, but are they good enough to defeat the top ones? Hard Spun seems a little out of his league, as he will face a tough field at a distance that isn’t his favorite. He is classy enough to hit the board, but a win seems unlikely, as he will not be the lone speed in this race. Student Council and Awesome Gem are outside shots, but have a chance nonetheless.

California horses are always suspect so we really have no idea how good Tiago, Student Council or Awesome Gem are. Still, it would not be a surprise to see any of them hit the board.

Lawyer Ron seems to be the one to beat as older horses traditionally have the edge in the Classic. He had two fantastic races at Saratoga this summer, and his Jockey Club Gold Cup was a great race also. He proved he can get the distance, and Curlin only narrowly defeated him in the closing yards. He is clearly the best older horse, and unless another older horse surprises and wins the Classic, he will be Older Male of the Year.

Street Sense did not run a great race this weekend against Hard Spun. Many will say that the speed holds up on synthetic surfaces, but you cannot say that about that race. Street Sense was not trying to make up ground over a tiring surface. He was right with Hard Spun most of the race, and just did not have the guts to pass him in the stretch. His earlier wins look suspect this season, as his Derby trip was at his favorite track and his other wins at Saratoga were against weaker foes.

Any Given Saturday has a win over the Monmouth surface and an impressive win at that. Many will say distance could be a problem for a son of Distorted Humor, but another Distorted Humor did get a mile and a quarter. Remember Funny Cide? He also has plenty of stamina from his dam’s side with A.P. Indy blood. If Lawyer Ron can get a mile and a quarter, it would seem stupid to leave Any Given Saturday off your list for that reason.

Distance, however may prove to be Hard Spun’s undoing. He is classy and talented, but he will not have an easy lead like he did in the Derby. He will likely be tested at all phases of the race, and since he could not hold off Street Sense in the Derby, what chance does he have of holding off Lawyer Ron, Tiago, Any Given Saturday, Street Sense and Curlin in the Classic?

Which brings us to the Preakness champ. He has had a remarkable year. We first met him in early spring where he reeled off three sensational wins before making it to the Derby. History was against this green colt, but he threaded through the field to run a respectable third. He then came back and outgamed Street Sense to the wire in the Preakness. The fresh, monster filly, Rags to Riches carrying five pounds less than Curlin beat him by a head in the Belmont stretch, but still Curlin overall was the Triple Crown star this year. He earned a first, a second, and a third, clearly best of the bunch. So, the regression in the Haskell was not surprising. The ease of which Any Given Saturday beat him is worth noticing, however. Many will say that Curlin failed at Monmouth already, and that Belmont is more suited to his big, long stride. That may be true, but he was able to win at Pimlico, and that doesn’t have the long, Belmont stretch. At Monmouth though he will have to make his move at the top of the stretch and that doesn’t seem to be his style.

With Any Given Saturday, Street Sense and Hard Spun all running just one more time in their “careers,” here’s hoping that Curlin stays in training, as he could be a monster at four. He hasn’t had as much time to prove his worth anyway, so it would be lucrative to keep him around. Of course, if he wins the Classic, all bets are off. He will likely tie up the three year old championship and Horse of the Year titles there, and his career will be over. His connections are trying to make that a reality, as he really has to win the Classic to win any award at all this year. Only problem is, there will be four other tough three year olds there to try and stop him. And one four year old looking to even the score.