The good horses know, and they certainly care, about losing. Defeat isn't liked. Some horses, like some humans, detest defeat. Others win because they are better than their rivals on the day. Some struggle to understand what winning is all about - just like us.
Thoroughbreds are little different from humans.
And then there is desire. The will to win. To see the soul you peer into the eye. The eye is the window to the soul. Look at the photo of the finish between Adam and Mr Innocent and you can see the determination, the desire to win in both horses.