Tow things stand out to me after watching the replay of this year's Arc several times:
First, the run by Orfevre (JPN) was simply huge, no matter how you look at it. Sure, he didn't win. But to run a race like that, after spending his career running over firm ground in Japan, is simply astonishing. How often do we see great horses that can't handle specific types of ground? Whether it's turf or dirt or synthetics, most horses don't possess the (Matt's favorite word) versatility to win under vastly different circumstances. That certainly doesn't apply to Orfevre.
Second, it almost looks to me that Solemia (IRE) decided to "dig in" once she saw Orfevre go by her in deep stretch because once the Japanese colt sprinted away from the pack, Solemia seemed to dig down into every ounce of energy she had left. She was the very definition of "game" in winning this year's Arc.