Obviously, the race would need to be held on a surface that suited both athletes.  Phelps is an aquatic competitor, indeed the best the world has ever seen.  Luckily for him, 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin has competed successfully over sloppy footing at Monmouth Park in last year’s Breeder’s Cup Classic.

 

 

 

Imagine the possibilities.  The most decorated Olympian ever (well, hopefully within a few days of this writing) against the current most decorated horse in the world.  Businesses will shut down.  Church services will be cancelled.  Chinese 4-year-olds in Olympic kiddie-factories surrounding Beijing will break from their daily tumbling routines for a full 2-minutes.  Some may even speak with their parents.   It’ll be that big of an event.

 

Obviously I’ve been affected by watching the Olympics a bit this week.  As I’m prone to do and regular readers know, I tend to lose my mind from time to time and depart from the usual dryness of the horse racing picks.

 

I mean for Christ-sake, we’re talking Curlin vs. Michael Phelps here! 

 

Seriously though, as a horse racing fan, two things bother me while watching the Olympics.  Firstly, I wish our top thoroughbreds were there to compete for gold medals.  Curlin would smother the Chinese horses.  Big Brown would force their ponies to clean his stall, then defecate again for good measure while making them repeat the effort for his amusement.  Don’t get me wrong, I thought Gina Miles of the U.S. did a magnificent job in the Equestrian Eventing Individual, taking home silver.  It’s just that I want more.

 

All of this led me to issue #2.  Why can’t we bet on Olympic swimming?  I know I can’t be the only one who’s thought about keying Phelps on top of a trifecta with some longshots underneath.  Would he be 1/9 at every event here in the U.S.?  The fields are smallish, with only what – 7 competitors?  I guess that’s like your average bottom rock claimer at Pimlico. 

 

Hey, wait a minute…..that’s it!  I hadn’t thought of it until right now!  The race would have to be run at Pimlico.  I mean…it just has to!  Phelps is from Baltimore for cryin’ out loud. And Curlin came-of-age here in the Preakness.

 

Hook it up, Mr. Governor.  It’s about time the residents of Baltimore got something besides increased energy prices.  Give the people what they want.  Give them Curlin vs. Michael Phelps.