Payton’s place to shine is not the exhibition season

Nothing New Orleans did during the 2006 exhibition season foreshadowed the success the Saints would have during the regular season.

In his first year as a head coach, Sean Payton didn’t seem to have interest in whether his team won or lost the games that did not count. The players obliged, losing three of four exhibition games. One of those losses was to Dallas, a team the Saints would blow out in a Sunday night game during the regular season.

This probably helps explain why New Orleans is a three-point underdog to Pittsburgh in the Hall of Fame game tonight in Canton, Ohio. The annual game between an NFC and AFC team begins the NFL exhibition season.

Coming off a disappointing 8-8 season after winning the Super Bowl the previous year, Pittsburgh could have more incentive tonight playing for new Coach Mike Tomlin.

A defensive assistant before being chosen to replace the retired Bill Cowher, Tomlin was the defensive coordinator with Minnesota last season and the Vikings were stingy during the exhibition season, giving up only 43 points in four games.

With reserves certain to play most of the game tonight, it doesn’t really matter that the Steelers won, 38-31, last Nov. 12 in Pittsburgh, a game that featured nearly 1,000 yards in offense or that Pittsburgh defeated New Orleans, 27-14, on July 30, 1983, which was the last time the teams met in the Hall of Fame game.

The day of the $1-million Haskell Invitational is usually the one time during the year that horseplayers from around the country pay much attention to Monmouth Park.

Things are different in 2007. The Haskell program will be only the second biggest day of the year at the track in Oceanport, N.J.

For the first time, Monmouth will play host to the Breeders’ Cup and it has the distinction of having the first Cup that will encompass two days. It will be held on Oct. 26-27.

The fact the Breeders’ Cup is being held in New Jersey is why Preakness winner Curlin is running in the Haskell, a Grade I at 1 1/8 miles. With the Breeders’ Cup Classic in mind, trainer Steve Asmussen wants to see how his star 3-year-old, who hasn’t raced since losing the Belmont Stakes by a nose to the filly Rags To Riches, handles the track at a place that normally favors speed.

Curlin, whose only other loss in six starts came when he was third behind Street Sense and Hard Spun in the Kentucky Derby, is the even-money favorite in the Haskell, a race that also attracted Hard Spun, Any Given Saturday and Cable Boy.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com