Curlin is Not Cigar, and Cigar is Not Curlin
In all sports, from Thoroughbred Racing to Soccer, we love to make comparisons. Is David Beckham on par with Pele? Does Barry Bonds really stack up to Hank Arron? If Curlin win the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Saturday, will he honestly occupy a place in history once held by “the unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar?”
The answer to that last question (and almost all questions like it) is “Yes and No.”
We have to make these comparisons, though. After all, deciding who’s the best, fastest, richest and most talented is why we have sports in the first place. Competition drives us to determine a superior example of whatever interests us, whether it is who runs the fastest or who jumps the highest or who makes the most money.
It is difficult for us to properly compare Hall of Famer Cigar to future Hall of Famer Curlin. They compete in different times, over different tracks, with different training methods, and for different purses. Cigar raced 33 times, won 19 and banked $9,999,815. As of today, Curlin has raced 14 times, won 10 and has banked $9,796,800. Dollar advantage Cigar, win % advantage Curlin.
Of course, neither of those things tell the true story. Of Cigar’s 19 wins, 16 of them came in succession tying the North American record for consecutive wins. Quite extraordinary. Curlin, on the other hand, went from Maiden to Preakness winner to Jockey Club Gold Cup winner to Breeder’s Cup Classic winner to Bubai World Cup winner in a little over 13 months. Freakishly extraordinary.
Money is one measure of a horse’s performance, but it can’t be the only one. Look at the movie industry. For some reason movies are ranked according to the total box office receipts with no adjustment for inflation over time. I once read that if the adjustment were made, Gone With The Wind would still be the number one movie of all time. I don’t know if that is true or not, but the point is made.
I wonder first if it matters about the dollar amount, and secondly how it would stack up if adjustments were made. Curlin will most likely lay claim to the top spot Saturday afternoon when it comes to total dollars. Cigar can still boast the record tying 16 wins streak.
Somewhere Citation is working away madly at his calculator.
