curlin thoroughbred racing richest horse pi54

NOrth AmericA’s richest thOrOughbredcurliN

presented by:

Oaklawn

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There’s a Derby out there with trainer Steve Asmussen’s name on it. Plenty, in fact. Alphabetically, the list already

reads: Arkansas, Borderland, Iowa, Loui-siana, Louisiana Breeders, Riley Allison, West Virginia, Woodlands, and Zia Park. The next, and obviously most important, could be Kentucky.

Curlin’s meteoric ascent to the top of the 3-year-old division has Asmussen, and an all-star collection of owners, on, potential-ly, the ride of their lives.

Next stop, Churchill Downs.“We’ve had some nice horses,” said

Asmussen, nearing 3,600 victories in his ultra-successful career. “But nice horses can’t do what he can do.”

Hardly.

In another jaw-dropping performance, 4-5 favorite Curlin overwhelmed eight challengers in the $1-million Arkansas Derby (gr. II) April 14 at Oaklawn Park to remain unbeaten, and unchallenged, in three lifetime starts.

Curlin’s whopping 101⁄2-length margin of victory was the largest in the race’s 71-year history, topping Afleet Alex’s eight-length masterpiece in 2005, and stamped the chestnut son of Smart Strike as the possible favorite for the May 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Less than three months ago, Curlin was an unstarted prospect in trainer Helen Pitts’ barn at Gulfstream Park. Now, he’s bidding to become just the seventh unde-feated Kentucky Derby winner in history.

“He’s stepped up more than you could ever imagine,” said Asmussen, whose best of five Kentucky Derby starters to date, Fifty Stars, ran ninth in 2001. “It’s Christ-mas every morning.”

On a chilly, overcast day more fitting for December, a crowd of 57,937 witnessed a late-season gift that just keeps on giving. With Robby Albarado admitting he was simply a “good passenger,” Curlin rated beautifully just off the pace, effortlessly collared dangerous-looking front- runner Deadly Dealer with his ears pricked approaching the quarter pole, and wid-ened his lead through the stretch, acceler-ating through a final eighth of a mile in a sparkling :11.91. Hand-ridden to the wire, Curlin completed 11⁄8 miles over a fast

Big StepB Y R O B E R T YAT E S

Curlin heads to the Kentucky Derby undefeated after delivering a jaw-dropping performance in the Arkansas Derby

T H E B L O O D - H O R S E ■ a p R i L 2 1 , 2 0 0 7

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Curlin turns Hot Springs into a one-horse town while pulling clear of his foes in the stretch of the Arkansas Derby

Arkansas Derby (Curlin) Count Fleet Sprint (Bordonaro)

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track in 1:50.09.The push-button performance, Albara-

do said, was more polished than Curlin’s 51⁄4-length victory in the Rebel Stakes (gr. III) March 17 at Oaklawn.

“In his last start, he looked around and drifted a bit,” Albarado said. “Today was a tremendous leap for him. He was straight (in the stretch). He did things profession-ally. He’s getting serious.”

Yet mirroring comments she made the day after the Rebel, Asmussen’s Oaklawn assistant, Kristin Crawford, said Curlin acted as if he hadn’t left his stall.

“He cooled out the same way,” Crawford said. “He’s amazing.”

Curlin capped a monster afternoon at Oaklawn for Asmussen, who pocketed four other victories, including the $99,250 Northern Spur Breeders’ Cup Stakes (with Takedown) and $95,000 Instant Racing Breeders’ Cup (Cream Only).

Curlin may not have broken a sweat, but his teacher still said he was a bundle of nerves on the eve of what would be his biggest career victory yet.

“I was wound tight all day,” said Asmus-sen, 41, who finished the meeting with 36 victories to claim his first Oaklawn title. “What an opportunity it is training him. You just don’t see the scenario in which he can get beat. But the saying is, ‘They’re so sure of the outcome, they’ll let you bet on it.’ Once the gates opened and he went by in control, that was the easy part. Until they open the gates, you’re on edge.”

Storm in May earned $200,000 and a trip to Louisville by closing along the rail to finish second, a half-length ahead of the lightly raced Deadly Dealer, among trainer Todd Pletcher’s army of Kentucky Derby hopefuls.

Delightful Kiss, Going Ballistic, Flying First Class, Officer Rocket, Slew by Slew, and Olympic Chief, a grossly overmatched first-time starter beaten 551⁄4 lengths, com-pleted the order of finish. For You Reppo, trained by Pitts, was scratched the morn-ing of the race with a bruised foot.

Curlin became the fourth consecu-tive favorite to win the Arkansas Derby, following Smarty Jones in 2004, Afleet Alex in 2005, and Lawyer Ron last year. Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex, both home-grown products, seized two-thirds of the Triple Crown.

After a year’s hiatus, Hot Springs, un-expectedly, looks like it has harvested an-other national player.

Shortly after Curlin won his career debut by 123⁄4 lengths Feb. 3 at Gulfstream Park, Midnight Cry Stables (retired Ken-tucky attorneys William Gallion and Shir-ley Cunningham Jr.) sold a majority inter-est in the colt to California wine mogul Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables, Satish and Anne Sanan’s Padua Stables, and San

Francisco businessman George Bolton for approximately $3 million.

On the advice of trainer Kenny McPeek, Midnight Cry had originally purchased Curlin for $57,000 at the Keeneland Sep-tember yearling sale. Out of the Deputy Minister mare Sherriff’s Deputy, Curlin was bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm.

Cunningham named the Kentucky-bred colt after his great-grandfather, Charlie Curlin, a slave who fought for the Confed-eracy in the Civil War.

The blockbuster seven-figure deal bro-kered by John Moynihan, a Lexington bloodstock agent and Jackson’s adviser, was finalized Feb. 4. “We got lucky,” said Moynihan, who received a rousing cheer from Curlin’s many supporters in the post-race press conference.

Transferred to Asmussen, whose win-ter roots are planted deeply in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico, Curlin was placed on a two-race crash course to try and reach the Kentucky Derby. Mission accomplished.

“It’s a lifetime dream,” Jackson said. “I saw Seabiscuit run in 1939, and this horse runs like Ghostzapper, Dr. Fager, Secretar-iat. He just takes off. He’s got extra gears and when he kicks in, it looks like he’s sprinting at the finish.”

All the way to Churchill Downs.As it turned out for the colt whose victo-

ries have been by a combined 281⁄2 lengths, wardrobe may have been his biggest ob-stacle. Curlin wore Jackson’s gold and bur-gundy colors in the Rebel, but carried the dark green and gold of Padua in the Arkan-sas Derby. A coin flip between Midnight Cry and Bolton will determine which silks Curlin wears in the Kentucky Derby.

“That’s the importance of keeping him around,” Asmussen jokingly said of Cur-lin. “We’ve got to keep everybody happy with the rotation.”

Fleet and FastHow fast is Bordonaro? Fast enough to

be entered in a stakes race in California, yet resting comfortably in a stall in Arkan-

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Million-dollar lineup: Connections of Arkansas Derby winner Curlin are all smiles

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Howard Scarberry’s Silent Pleasure captures the Fifth Season

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I n t e r n a t i o n a l T h o r o u g h b r e d B r e e d i n g a n d R a c i n g M a y 2 6 , 2 0 0 7 / N o . 2 1

HeadsUp!

united frontFive comprise ownership group; Jess Jackson the majority partner

w w w . b l o o d h o r s e . c o m

curlin (no. 4) catches street sense to win the Preakness by a head

Crafty Curlinb y s t e v e h a s k i n

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A furious late rally by Curlin catches the Derby winner at the wire

T H E B L O O D - H O R S E ■ M AY 2 6 , 2 0 0 72976

Thoroughbred racing is a sport of contrasting emotions, ranging from

euphoria to despair and laced with a heavy dose of what might have

beens. It often takes a special horse to bring all those emotions to the

surface, and after watching the 132nd Preakness Stakes (gr. I), there is no doubt

that Curlin is that kind of horse.

Never before has a Thoroughbred crammed so much into the first three-and-a-half months of his racing life, while affecting the lives of so many people. This whirlwind introduction to racing reached a glorious, yet bittersweet, climax when Curlin ended the Triple Crown dreams of Street Sense and his popular connections by dealing the winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) an agonizing head defeat in the Preakness before a record crowd of 121,263.

Many in attendance and watching on TV were crushed when Street Sense’s apparent victory was snuffed out at the wire by a resurging Curlin, who had been pretty much given up for dead after stumbling at the start, and then feeling the mighty force of Street Sense blow by him at the head of the stretch. But from the wreckage of another shattered

barbara d. livingston

Several of Curlin’s owners, from left, Satish and Anne Sanan, Barbara Banke, Shirley Cunningham, William Gallion, and Jess Jackson

The Derby winner was dealt an agonizing head defeat before 121,263

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Triple Crown attempt came what many be-lieve to be racing’s next superstar.

The son of Smart Strike, out of the Dep-uty Minister mare Sherriff’s Deputy, came to Baltimore with his own built-in fan club, consisting of a new team of owners assem-bled by bloodstock agent John Moynihan, who purchased the colt on their behalf for a reported $3.5-$3.7 million in early Febru-ary following his devastating 123⁄4-length maiden victory at Gulfstream Park.

Armed with sheer numbers, Team Cur-lin, comprised of Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables, Satish and Anne Sanan’s Padua Sta-bles, George Bolton, and the colt’s original owners Shirley Cunningham and William Gallion of Midnight Cry Stables, erupted in celebration, along with Moynihan and trainer Steve Asmussen and his family.

But in situations such as this, behind the celebration there are those left behind. As the cheers rang out for Curlin, an-other scene was being played out a short distance away. Watching the race in the hospitality tent at the end of the stakes barn was Curlin’s former trainer Helen Pitts, who had earlier seen her Midnight Cry Stables’ grass star Einstein stumble while avoiding a fallen horse in the Dixie Stakes (gr. IIT). The son of Spend a Buck

unseated his rider, Robby Albarado, who would come back to ride Curlin to victory. Einstein, second choice at 5-2, then ran loose the rest of the way, suffering a minor injury when he grabbed his quarter.

Two races later, Pitts had to watch the colt she had nurtured through a series of physical problems as a 2-year-old and whom she finally was able to get to the races at 3, become a classic winner for an-other trainer.

“I have mixed feelings,” she said after-ward. “I really don’t want to say anything. I’m just happy for Steve and Scott (Asmus-sen’s assistant Scott Blasi). Horses like this are hard to come by, and I feel honored to

have been a part of him at some point. But what can you do? It’s hard.”

Watching back home in Louisville was Curlin’s former exercise rider Hanne Jor-gensen, who had taken his departure par-ticularly hard. “I cried my eyes out when they sold him,” she said shortly after the sale. “We babied him for such a long time. He bucked his shins twice and we tried to get him through it and worked hard with him. And then, one big race and he’s gone. We felt he was something special before he even started; we really did. I remember working him and coming back and say-ing, ‘I’ve never sat on a horse like this be-fore.’ I understand it’s hard to turn down that kind of money, and they did keep a piece of him, so it wasn’t hard for them. But it’s hard for us, because you get so at-tached to them.”

On the track, emotions shifted quickly, leaving everyone stunned at the sudden turn of events. When Street Sense charged by Curlin and then Kentucky Derby run-ner-up Hard Spun, opening a clear lead at the eighth pole, people immediately began planning their trip to Belmont Park, cer-tain they’d be seeing racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 29 years.

Standing along the rail, Street Sense’s

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Jockey Calvin Borel looks back to see Curlin and jockey Robby Albarado gaining on them in deep stretch

From the wreckage of another Triple Crown attempt came what many believe to be

racing’s next superstar

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After tracking the early pace, Curlin and Street Sense stage a dramatic battle in the stretch all the way to the wire

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hotwalker Paul Rutherford, exercise rider Mark Cutler, and groom Jose Herrarte began pumping their fists in the air and jumping up and down in celebration. But, in a heartbeat, the scene changed, as Cur-lin, remarkably, came charging late, cut-ting into Street Sense’s lead with every stride. In a pulsating finish, it was Curlin who managed to stick his head in front. For the Derby winner, certain victory had somehow turned to defeat.

Blasi stared at the slow motion replay on the infield screen, still unsure of the result. Then, the number 4 was posted. “He got it!” he shouted. “The number’s up.”

Up in the boxes, Asmussen, despite en-couraging words from those around him, refused to move or even look at the tote board until he was told the numbers were posted.

For the media, a return visit to Street Sense’s affable trainer Carl Nafzger, owner James B. Tafel, and jockey Calvin Borel was


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$3.5-$3.7 MillionReported price tag for Curlin following his

maiden win Feb. 3 at Gulfstream Park

$1,602,800Earnings for Curlin after his Preakness win

$1,000,000Purse of Preakness Stakes

121,263On-site attendance

at the Preakness, a record

$57,000Cost of Curlin as a yearling on day

seven at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale

29Years since the last Triple Crown winner

(Affirmed, 1978)

10Years since the last photo-finish

in the Preakness (Silver Charm by a head over Free House, who nipped

Captain Bodgit by a head)

3Number of last four Preakness winners prepping for the classics at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas (Afleet Alex, 2005,

and Smarty Jones, 2004)

1:53.46Time of the race, matching the stakes

record of 1:532⁄5 held by Louis Quatorze (1996) and Tank’s Prospect (1985)

PrEAKnESSBY THE nuMBErS

curlin

Albarado shares his classic moment with the Pimlico faithful


abruptly canceled, and all thoughts shifted to the Curlin partnership and Asmussen.

The 41-year-old trainer had his first classic winner, coming on the heels of a six-month suspension for a medication positive, during which time Blasi became the trainer of record.

The emotion in the Asmussen fam-ily ran high following the race. “Oh, my gosh, there aren’t any words that can ex-plain the feeling and what it’s like for the kids and me,” said Asmussen’s wife, Julie, who was busy watching their three sons, Keith, 7; Darren, 6; and Erik, 4. “We’re so proud of Steve, and we’re so fortunate. It’s just a blessing and we’re very thankful.”

Erik then put things in a more simple perspective. “Mom, I’m 4 and the horse’s number is 4,” he said. “That’s right,” Julie replied. “That is a lucky number.”

Asmussen’s father, Keith, also was

beaming with pride. “Some old kid raised in Laredo, Texas. Can you believe that?” said the elder Asmussen, who, with wife, Marilyn, operates the family-owned El Primero Training Center in Laredo. “I’m so proud of that guy. I couldn’t be any-thing else. It takes a long time to get here, and most don’t, but he got here.”

He then hugged his 7-year-old name-sake and asked him, “You’re proud of your dad, right? You ought to be. It didn’t come easy, did it?”

Steve returned to the barn and imme-diately embraced his father. Reflecting on the victory, he said, “It’s beautiful. What could you ever want other than this? Ev-erything we have in life is because of rac-ing, and achieving this kind of success is never guaranteed.”

Asmussen thought back to that after-noon of Feb. 3 at Gulfstream Park. He was

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Borel meets the press after the defeat; below, Street Sense and trainer Carl Nafzger


running Leprechaun Racing’s Gunfight in the 61⁄2-furlong Swale Stakes (gr. II), which would be his only starter at the meet. He had recently lost his big Triple Crown hope, the Jess Jackson-owned Tiz Wonderful, to an injury and was wondering how he was going to replace a horse of that caliber, one who was undefeated and had already won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II).

Asmussen just happened to be stabled in Pitts’ barn that day and was able to see Curlin close up. Everything about the colt impressed him.

Pitts had been given Curlin to train by Cunningham and Gallion after the colt was picked out by her old boss, Kenny McPeek, at the Keeneland September yearling sale for $57,000. McPeek had recently retired from training to do bloodstock work, at least temporarily, turning over the major-ity of his horses and clients to Pitts. Now, he was looking to get back into training.

“I politicked very hard to get this horse, but they had already promised him to Helen, and they didn’t want to renege on their word,” McPeek said.

“He was the star of the day at the sale, but he had a veterinary issue that I felt ul-timately would be a non-issue. He had an OCD lesion removed from his left ankle as a weanling. It wasn’t what I’d call pretty when he sold, but I felt if it wasn’t for that he would have gone for $300,000. No one liked the ankle and they hemmed and hawed for several days. I offered to take the horse back and place him with another client. I just thought at that price he was a steal.”

Cunningham said he and Gallion knew right away they had something special. “We only give Kenny McPeek a modest budget, so we have to do a lot of hard work to find something that’s decent,” Cunning-ham said. “We instructed Kenny to look for a horse that had the look of a mile-and- a-quarter horse. Fortunately, he came up with this one.”

Curlin was then sent to Gail Garrison, manager of Cunningham’s Hillcrest Farm near Lexington, who began working on the colt’s physical problems. “We brought him home for about 60 days and gave him some rest, then turned him out and let him have

some grass,” Garrison recalled. “He was a big, playful kid who was full of vinegar. He just needed time to grow up. He’s got a great big stride and just doesn’t seem to be under any stress at all when he’s running.”

When the colt finally made his debut and destroyed his field by nearly 13 lengths in 1:22.25 for seven furlongs, it immedi-ately set the wheels in motion. Watching the race on simulcast while at the Ocala

curlin

TWELFTH RACE

PimlicoMAY 19, 2007

1± MILES. (1.52§) 132ND RUNNING OF THE PREAKNESS. Grade I. Purse $1,000,000 FORTHREE-YEAR-OLDS. $10,000 to pass the entry box, $10,000 additional to start, with $1,000,000guaranteed, of which 60% to the winner, 20% to second, 11% to third, 6% to fourth and 3% to fifth.Weight 126 lbs. A replica of the Woodlawn Vase will be presented to the winning owner to remain his orher personal property.

Value of Race: $1,000,000 Winner $600,000; second $200,000; third $110,000; fourth $60,000; fifth $30,000. Mutuel Pool $20,392,435.00Exacta Pool $11,499,591.00 Superfecta Pool $7,007,668.00 Trifecta Pool $14,699,667.00

Last Raced Horse M/Eqt. A.Wt PP St ² ¶ º Str Fin Jockey Odds $1

5Ü07 ¦¥CD¨ Curlin L 3 126 4 6 6Ç 7§ 6¨ 2Ç 1Ç Albarado R J 3.405Ü07 ¦¥CD¦ Street Sense L f 3 126 8 5 8§ô 8¨ 7Ç 1¦ô 2© Borel C H 1.305Ü07 ¦¥CD§ Hard Spun L 3 126 7 9 3¦ô 3§ô 1§ 3¦ô 3¦ô Pino M G 4.1028ß07 ¤Aqu§ C PWest L 3 126 9 3 5¨ 4¦ô 3§ô 4ª 4¦õ Prado E S 24.905Ü07 ¦¥CD« Circular Quay L 3 126 3 7 9 9 9 5Ç 5¨ö Velazquez J R 6.007ß07 «SA§ King of the Roxy L b 3 126 5 2 4ô 5© 5¦ 6« 6«ô Gomez G K 14.2028ß07 ¤Aqu© Mint Slewlep L bf 3 126 1 8 7¦ 6ô 8§ô 7¨ 7¤ô Garcia Alan 40.1021ß07 ¤Pim¦ Xchanger L b 3 126 2 1 1ô 1¦ 2Ç 8ª 8©õ Dominguez R A 23.0028ß07 ¦¥CD¦ Flying First Class L b 3 126 6 4 2¨ 2¨ô 4¦ 9 9 Guidry M 16.60

OFF AT6:18 StartGood. Won driving. Track fast.TIME :22©, :45¨, 1:09©, 1:34¨, 1:53§ (:22.83, :45.75, 1:09.80, 1:34.68, 1:53.46)

$2 Mutuel Prices:4 - CURLIN 8.80 3.80 2.808 - STREET SENSE 3.00 2.407 - HARD SPUN 3.00

$2 EXACTA 4-8 PAID $23.20 $1 SUPERFECTA 4-8-7-9 PAID $340.30$2 TRIFECTA 4-8-7 PAID $50.00

Ch. c, (Mar), bySmart Strike - Sherriff's Deputy , byDeputy Minister . Trainer Asmussen Steven M. Bred byFares FarmInc (Ky).

CURLIN stumbled a bit at the start and was unhurried in the early stages while moving to the inside, angled out leaving thefirst turn, was unhurried while four wide along the backstretch, closed the gap from outside leaving the far turn, circled fivewide to reach contention approaching the quarter pole, lagged slightly behind STREET SENSE in upper stretch, dug in understrong urging nearing the eighth pole then battled back gamely under right hand encouragement to get up in the final stride.STREET SENSE tucked in soon after the start, was rated well off the pace for a half, moved out a bit to launch his run at thehalf mile pole, angled back to the rail while gaining on the far turn, swung out approaching the quarter pole, split rivals whilefour wide entering the stretch, charged to the front in upper stretch, opened a clear advantage in midstretch, continued on thefront into deep stretch then yielded to the winner in the closing strides. HARD SPUN broke a bit slowly, was under a firm holdwhile ranging up in the early stages, advanced five wide into the backstretch, made a strong middle move under a strong holdfrom outside along the backstretch, opened a clear lead on the far turn, set the pace into upper stretch and weakened underpressure through the final eighth. C P WEST raced in the middle of the pack while four wide leaving the first turn, graduallygained while continuing wide along the backstretch, closed the gap from outside on the far turn, angled into the three pathwhile just behind the leaders nearing the quarter pole, dropped back a bit in upper stretch and weakened in the final eighth.CIRCULAR QUAY trailed six furlongs, angled four wide while gaining slightly at the three-sixteenths pole then closed someground with a mild late rally. KING OF THE ROXY was taken in hand while saving ground early, moved out after a half, swungfour wide on the turn and lacked a late response. MINT SLEWLEP checked after being bumped off stride at the start, raced wellback for six furlongs, swung out in upper stretch and failed to mount a serious rally. XCHANGER broke inward causingcrowding at the start, rushed up inside, set the pace along the rail to the far turn and steadily tired thereafter. FLYING FIRSTCLASS pressed the pace in the two path between rivals to the half mile pole and gave way.Owners- 1, Stonestreet Stables Padua Stables Bolton George and Midnight Cry Stables; 2, Jim Tafel LLC; 3, Fox Hill Farms Inc; 4,

LaPenta Robert V; 5, Tabor Michael B and Doreen; 6, Team Valor Stables LLC; 7, Dowell Marshall E; 8, Circle Z Stables Joseph Masone &Mark Shuman; 9, Johnston EllwoodWTrainers- 1, Asmussen Steven M; 2, Nafzger Carl A; 3, Jones J Larry; 4, Zito Nicholas P; 5, Pletcher Todd A; 6, Pletcher Todd A; 7,

Bailes W Robert; 8, ShumanMark; 9, Lukas DWayne

$2Pick Three (12-9-4) Paid $349.20 ; Pick Three Pool $430,670 .$2Pick Four (1/4/6-12-9-4) Paid $440.20 ; Pick Four Pool $1,544,672 .

$1Pick Six (2/5/8/10-2/4-1-4-6/12-9-4) 6 Correct Paid $789.50 ; Pick Six Pool $417,501 .$1Pick Six (2/5/8/10-2/4-1/4/6-12-9-4) 5 Correct Paid $15.20 .$2Daily Double (9-4) Paid $42.20 ; Daily Double Pool $474,101 .

$2Daily Double (B.E.SUSAN-PREAKNESS 2-4) Paid $34.80 ; Daily Double Pool $586,774 .

THE rESulTS

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CurlinOwn: Stonestreet Stables Padua Stables, Bo

Ch. c. 3 (Mar) KEESEP05 $57,000Sire: Smart Strike (Mr. Prospector) $75,000Dam:Sherriff's Deputy (Deputy Minister)Br: Fares Farm Inc (Ky)Tr: Asmussen Steven M(7 0 0 3 .00) 2007:(799 161 .20)

Life 5 4 0 1 $1,602,800 111

2007 5 4 0 1 $1,602,800 111

2006 0 M 0 0 $0 -

Bel 0 0 0 0 $0 -

D.Fst 5 4 0 1 $1,602,800 111

Wet(409) 0 0 0 0 $0 -Synth 0 0 0 0 $0 -Turf(340) 0 0 0 0 $0 -Dst(338) 0 0 0 0 $0 -

19Ü07=12Pim fst 1± :45¨1:09© 1:34¨1:53§ Preaknes-G1 111 4 6¤ô 7¦¨ 6«ô 2¦ô 1Ç Albarado R J L126 3.40 105= 05 Curlin126Ç Street Sense126© Hard Spun126¦ô Stumbled brk, 5wide 95Ü07=10CD fst 1² :46¦1:11 1:37 2:02 KyDerby-G1 98 2 13¦§14®ô 8©ô 6¬ö 3¤ Albarado R J L126 5.00 88= 09 Street Sense126§õ Hard Spun126ªö Curlin126ô Steady early,5w bid 2014ß07=11OP fst 1° :47©1:12¨ 1:38 1:50 ArkDerby-G2 103 2 2¦ 3¨ 2¦ô 1¨ô 1¦¥ô Albarado R J L122 *.80 91= 17 Curlin122¦¥ô Storm in May122ô Deadly Dealer118ô Effortlssly well clear 917à07=10OP fst 1Â :23§ :47¨ 1:12§1:44¨ Rebel-G3 97 8 4© 5ªô 4¦õ 1§ô 1ªõ Albarado R J L117 2.70 83= 24 Curlin117ªõ Officer Rocket119§ô Teuflesberg122¦õ Swept to fore 4-w 9Previously trained by Pitts Helen 2006: ( 210 34 31 25 0.16 )3á07= 4GP fst 7f :22¨ :45§ 1:09©1:22¦ Md SpWt 38k 101 2 6 1Ç 1§ 1¨ 1¦§ö Bejarano R L122 *2.00 94= 06 Curlin122¦§ö Winstrella122©ö Marnesia's Big Boy122É Drifted out stretch 8

WORKS: Ü14CD 4f fst :51 B 51/54 ß30CD 4f fst :48§ B 11/52 ß23Keeú5f fst 1:00© B 13/18 ß9Keeú4f fst :50© B 45/46 òß2Keeú6f fst 1:12 H 1/4 à26Keeú4f fst :49¦ B 12/26

TRAINER: 1-7Days(25 .28 $1.75)WonLastStart(370 .21 $1.66) Dirt(1661 .22 $1.67) Routes(771 .22 $1.75) Stakes(307 .18 $2.15)

Daily Racing Form curl. Belmont Park. 1 1/2 Miles. Dirt. Thoroughbred

BEL, page: 1 Copyright 2005 Daily Racing Form LLC and Equibase Company LLC. All rights reserved.


Breeders’ Sales Co.’s 2-year-old sale was Moynihan, who is Jackson’s bloodstock manager. Watching from his home in San Francisco was Bolton. Both had the same reaction: “Wow!”

Bolton then contacted someone at the Ragozin Sheets and found out that Curlin had run a “53⁄4,” an extraordinary number for a first-time starter.

Knowing that offers would immediately start pouring in for the colt, Moynihan drove down to Gulfstream to see the horse and contacted Cunningham and Gallion. The first offer to come in was from Barry Irwin, president of Team Valor, who offered $1.75 million, but was “blown out of the water,” as he put it. Cunningham and Gallion wanted to stay in for a minority interest, and the day after the race, Super Bowl Sunday, Moyni-han began negotiations, representing Jack-

son, Bolton, and Sanan. By 2 a.m. Monday morning the deal was completed.

“They had bigger offers for the whole horse, but our pitch was that we let them stay in,” Bolton said.

The only thing left to be done was for Moynihan to look at Curlin on the race-track to see how he came out of the race

and how sound he was. He had Pitts bring him to the track that morning, and after watching the colt “bucking and squeal-ing,” he finalized the deal.

“Selling him was absolutely never a thought in our minds, but after his first race we were approached by some 15 people who were interested in buying him with different scenarios,” Cunningham said. “We were interested in staying in-volved in the ownership of the horse, and this opportunity gave us the best chance to do that and take on partners we felt we could get along with.”

Asmussen feels everything that trans-pired was meant to be. “It’s ironic, because if Tiz Wonderful hadn’t gotten hurt, Jess Jackson wouldn’t have been looking for a Derby horse to replace him and I’d be try-ing to figure out how to beat this horse in-

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After Street Sense got the jump on the field coming out of the turn and into the stretch, Curlin was able to wear him down in the final strides

If Tiz Wonderful

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to beat this horse instead

of training him.st e v e as m u s s e n


stead of training him,” Asmussen said. Racing in Jackson’s colors, Curlin, bred

in Kentucky by Fares Farm, won the Rebel Stakes (gr. III) by 51⁄4 lengths. Then, racing in Sanan’s silks, he romped by 101⁄2 lengths in the Arkansas Derby (gr. II). With only three career starts and never having raced as a 2-year-old, Curlin went into the Ken-tucky Derby trying to do something that hadn’t been done since 1915 and 1882, re-spectively. But as Bolton said prior to the race, “It’s like he’s a 5-year-old who has been doing it forever. He’s like the kid who can read the entire chemistry textbook the night before a final exam.”

Despite his lack of experience, Curlin struck fear in the hearts of rival horsemen. “He explodes like it’s nothing,” said Bill Kaplan, trainer of Imawildandcrazyguy. “You don’t even know where the bottom of this horse is. It’s an amazing thing to watch an animal like this. I’d be tickled with second, because I can’t beat that horse.” Imawildandcrazyguy finished fourth in the Derby.

Seth Benzel, New York assistant to Todd Pletcher, who had five Derby start-ers, couldn’t even bring himself to watch the Arkansas Derby. “Curlin is a freak,” he said. “I didn’t even watch his race, because I knew he was going to do what he did and I didn’t want to see it.”

Hard Spun’s trainer Larry Jones said, “Six months from now, we could be look-ing at Curlin as a super horse.”

As it turned out, Curlin ran a big race to finish third in the Derby. After getting swallowed up by the 20-horse field, Al-barado went for an opening on the inside, but Liquidity came off the rail and closed up the hole, at the same time letting Street Sense through.

It was undecided whether to come back in the Preakness or wait for the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), but that indecision didn’t last very long. “Steve called me at 6:30 the morning after the Derby,” Bolton said. “Usually, when you get a call from the barn at 6:30 in the morning it’s not good news. But Steve said, ‘I can’t believe it. He’s got his ears pricked and he wants to go back and jog. The horse is doing great and I just wanted to let you know it. I think we should go to the Preakness.’ ”

So, Curlin was now headed for the sec-ond leg of the Triple Crown and another crack at Street Sense and Hard Spun. “If you’re not going to run a horse like this in the Preakness, what are you waiting on?” Asmussen said. “It’s very important to me that people see who he is.”

The Preakness drew a field of nine, with Circular Quay the only other Derby starter to return. Street Sense was made the over-whelming 6-5 favorite, with Curlin the second choice at 3-1 and Hard Spun 4-1.

At the break, Curlin stumbled, nearly

going to his knees. That would have been enough to eliminate most horses, but Cur-lin would show he is not like most horses. Federico Tesio winner Xchanger shot to the front, with the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Fly-ing First Class giving chase. The pair went at it, quickly opening three lengths on Hard Spun in third through an opening quarter in :22.83 and a half in a swift :45.75.

Curlin was able to settle in seventh, about a dozen lengths off the pace, with Street Sense saving ground in eighth. Down the backstretch, jockey Mario Pino, racing with cover behind the battling lead-ers, eased Hard Spun to the outside, and when the colt saw daylight, it put run on his mind. In a flash, Hard Spun and Pino made up four lengths, charging right on by Xchanger and Flying First Class, while running his third quarter in a testing :231⁄5. No one could understand what Pino was thinking making such a big early move through such a wicked pace.

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Trainer Larry Jones with Hard Spun

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A classic combo: trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Robby Albarado


As they came to the quarter pole, Hard Spun, as he had done in the Derby, opened up a clear lead and seemed to be cruis-ing along. The Nick Zito-trained C P West attempted to move with him and looked strong around the turn, rolling up right be-hind Hard Spun. But the Withers Stakes (gr. III) runner-up couldn’t stay with him.

Then, into the picture came the blue and black silks of Midnight Cry Stables, as Cur-lin came charging up on the outside. Just when it looked as if he would pose a seri-ous threat to Hard Spun, here came Street Sense, who had slipped to the inside and then eased out to launch what looked to be a winning move. After three-quarters in 1:09.80, he rolled right on by Curlin from the inside and took dead aim at Hard Spun. In a matter of a few strides, Street Sense again ran by Hard Spun, who was beginning to feel the effects of the rapid pace and his premature move.

The Derby winner was 11⁄2 lengths in front at the eighth pole after a mile in 1:34.68. This was it. The Preakness was a done deal, and now it was time to start thinking seriously about the Triple Crown. But, just then, the picture changed dra-matically. Curlin, with those huge strides of his, had been stuck on his left lead after failing to negotiate Pimlico’s tight turn. Albarado threw a cross on him, gave him two right-handed cracks of the whip, and then yanked him to the inside to try to get him to switch to his right lead. It worked, as Curlin switched over and began bear-ing down on Street Sense.

Thoughts of a Triple Crown sweep began to evaporate with every one of Curlin’s giant strides. Everyone knew it was going to be close. Albarado kept hitting Curlin right-handed and the chestnut stuck his head in front right on the wire. No one could believe what had happened and how quickly and unexpectedly the com-plexion of the race and the Triple Crown had changed.

“When I saw it was going to be close, I said, ‘Oh, God, please let him get there,’ ” Moynihan said. “It would have been a travesty if he had gotten beat after all that happened to him.”

Street Sense was gallant in defeat, fin-ishing four lengths ahead of Hard Spun, who was 11⁄2 lengths ahead of C P West, who ran a huge race at 24-1, suggesting big things for the future. “This was a major step forward for the horse,” owner Robert LaPenta said. “We feel like we won the race.”

The final time of 1:53.46 equaled the fastest Preaknesses ever run, with Curl-in’s final three-sixteenths in about :182⁄5 among the fastest in Preakness history. Galloping out after the race, Borel said to his close friend Albarado, “You got me. Congratulations.”

Nafzger said he was disappointed in the outcome, but not in the horse. “It was heartbreaking,” he said. “Curlin ran a hell of a race, but we had him, and we never should have let him come back and get us. I think our horse got to the lead and thought he won. But he’s still as good a horse as he ever was.”

After Nafzger went down to the track, and most of the people in the boxes began to clear out, a dazed James Tafel stood there by himself watching Curlin being led into the winner’s circle, trying to figure

out what had happened.By the next morning, it had all sunk

in, and thoughts turned to the Belmont, which could bring Curlin, Street Sense, and Hard Spun together once again.

Asmussen admits that after Curlin, “there will be no more under the radar for me.” With 210 horses in his care, and picking up where he left off before his suspension, Asmussen’s philosophy in racing and in life is, “You’re never beat unless you quit.”

Curlin was proof of that. b

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Curlin’s time of 1:53.46 equals the stakes record held by Tank’s Prospect and Louis Quatorze


Curlin received his share of praise even before his victory in the May 19

Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico. The son of Smart Strike not only was

unbeaten in three races going into the May 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum!

Brands (gr. I), but managed to finish a solid third in the Churchill Downs classic.

Now, Curlin’s got a hard-fought Preak-ness score over Derby winner Street Sense for owners George Bolton; William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr.’s Midnight Cry Stables; Satish and Anne Sanan’s Padua Stables; and Jess Jackson’s Stone-street Stables. As for Smart Strike, his reputation as a successful stallion was ce-mented years ago, but has now reached a new level.

Smart Strike, who has stood his entire career at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Farm near Versailles, Ky., has ranked among the top 15 stallions by progeny earnings the last five years, and his year-end earnings have been as high as $7.4 million. The 15-year-old stallion ranks fourth among this year’s leading sires and has a career total of 47 stakes winners.

“He’s been good statistically all along, but coming up with the really big horse has taken him longer,” said Farish’s son, Bill. “With Curlin coming along, Smart Strike is really doing it all.”

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Smart Strike, sire of the Preakness winner

SmartChoice

B Y D av i D S c h m i t z


Smart Strike had every reason to suc-ceed at stud by virtue of his race record and pedigree. He is a grade I-winning son of legendary sire of sires Mr. Prospector and was one of several major winners de-scending from Ernie Samuel’s foundation mare No Class.

The second dam of Smart Strike, No Class produced six stakes winners. Smart Strike’s dam, Classy ’n Smart, was one of them. She was a Canadian classic win-ner and champion, as well as a Canadian Broodmare of the Year for Samuel in the Sam-Son Farm name.

Classy ’n Smart’s success as a brood-mare goes far beyond Smart Strike. A daughter of Smarten, Classy ’n Smart is the dam of three other stakes winners, includ-

ing 1991 Canadian Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner Dance Smartly, who also earned an Eclipse Award as the top 3-year-old filly of 1991. Classy ’n Smart’s two other graded stakes winners, Strike Smartly and Full of Wonder, are full broth-ers to Smart Strike.

Unlike Dance Smartly, Smart Strike proved fragile throughout his career. Un-raced at 2, he started only eight times over the next two years.

“He had huge potential, but got hurt on the racetrack before we could fully see what he could do,” said Samuel’s daughter, Tammy Samuel-Balaz, who took charge of the Canadian-based Sam-Son following the death of her father in 2000.

Trainer Mark Frostad also had huge

hopes for Smart Strike. “He was from a great family and had tons of ability,” he said. “When he was 3, I thought we were going to win everything.”

Frostad might have been right the way Smart Strike handled the competition at Woodbine during the middle of 1995. Against several up-and-coming stars, Smart Strike beat Langfuhr and Mt. Sassa-fras in one allowance race, and All Firmed Up and Kiridashi in another. Unfortunate-ly, the latter was his last race of the year.

Smart Strike, who was tall and lanky at 3, returned at 4 “pretty massive and a big, strong horse,” according to Frostad.

Smart Strike started the year with an optional claiming score at seven furlongs in a quick 1:21.20 at Woodbine that got

Sam-Son has been instrumental in making Smart Strike

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SMART STRIKE, 1992Bred by Sam-Son FarmRaced 2 yrs, 8 s, SW, $337,376517 f, 47 SW, 2.65 AEI

MR. PROSPECTOR, 1970Bred by Leslie Combs IIRaced 2 yrs, 14 s, SW,

$112,1701,178 f, 181 SW, 3.99 AEI

RAISE A NATIVE, 1961Bred by Happy Hill FarmRaced 1 yr, 4 s, SW, $45,955838 f, 78 SW, 2.34 AEI

NATIVE DANCER, 1950Bred by Alfred Gwynne VanderbiltRaced 3 yrs, 22 s, SW, $785,240

POLYNESIAN, 1942

GEISHA, 1943

RAISE YOU, 1946Bred by Country Life FarmRaced 3 yrs, 24 s, SW, $37,220

CASE ACE, 1934

LADY GLORY, 1934

GOLD DIGGER, 1962Bred by Leslie Combs II/Brownell

CombsRaced 3 yrs, 35 s, SW, $127,25512 f, 7 r, 7 w, 3 SW

NASHUA, 1952Bred by Belair Stud, Inc.Raced 3 yrs, 30 s, SW, $1,288,565

NASRULLAH, 1940

SEGULA, 1942

SEQUENCE, 1946Bred by Brownell CombsRaced 2 yrs, 17 s, SW, $54,850

COUNT FLEET, 1940

MISS DOGWOOD, 1939

CLASSY 'N SMART, 1981Bred by Sam-Son FarmRaced 1 yr, 9 s, SW $303,2229 f, 5 r, 5 w, 4 SW

SMARTEN, 1976Bred by Ryehill FarmRaced 2 yrs, 27 s, SW, $716,426601 f, 49 SW, 1.71 AEI

CYANE, 1959Bred by Mrs. George L. HarrisonRaced 2 yrs, 14 s, SW, $176,367

TURN-TO, 1951

YOUR GAME, 1948

SMARTAIRE, 1962Bred by Fred W. HooperRaced 3 yrs, 35 s, wnr, $13,925

QUIBU, 1948

ART TEACHER, 1958

NO CLASS, 1974Bred by Jack Hood FarmsRaced 3 yrs, 29 s, wnr, $37,5438 f, 7 r, 7 w, 6 SW

NODOUBLE, 1965Bred by Gene GoffRaced 4 yrs, 42 s, SW, $846,749

NOHOLME II, 1956

ALBA-JAY, 1955

CLASSY QUILLO, 1969Bred by Jack Hood FarmsRaced 2 yrs, 14 s, wnr, $5,040

OUTING CLASS, 1960

QUILLOPOLY, 1958

SHERRIFF'S DEPUTY, 1994Bred by Fares Farm Unraced5 f, 5 r, 3 w, 1 SW

DEPUTY MINISTER, 1979Bred by Centurion FarmsRaced 3 yrs, 22 s, SW,

$696,9641,131 f, 87 SW, 2.72 AEI

VICE REGENT, 1967Bred by E. P. TaylorRaced 2 yrs, 5 s, wnr, $6,215672 f, 105 SW, 2.89 AEI

NORTHERN DANCER, 1961Bred by E. P. TaylorRaced 2 yrs, 18 s, SW, $580,647

NEARCTIC, 1954

NATALMA, 195

VICTORIA REGINA, 1958Bred by E. P. TaylorRaced 3 yrs, 26 s, SW, $45,480

MENETRIER, 1944

VICTORIANA, 1952

MINT COPY, 1970Bred by Mr. and Mrs. John WilsonRaced 5 yrs, 76 s, wnr, $53,9457 f, 7 r, 4 w, 1 SW

BUNTY'S FLIGHT, 1953Bred by John LoughryRaced 3 yrs, 43 s, SW, $42,300

BUNTY LAWLESS, 1935

BROOMFLIGHT, 1947

SHAKNEY, 1964Bred by Louisa D'A CarpenterRaced 1 yr, 8 s, unpl, $0

JABNEH, 1952

GRASS SHACK, 1951

BARBARIKA, 1985 Bred by Dr. Herman KossowRaced 3 yrs, 16 s, SW,

$347,25311 f, 9 r, 4 w

BATES MOTEL, 1979Bred by Mrs. George F. GettyRaced 2 yrs, 19 s, SW, $851,050579 f, 39 SW, 1.46 AEI

SIR IVOR, 1965Bred by Mrs. Reynolds W. BellRaced 2 yrs, 13 s, SW, $560,760

SIR GAYLORD, 1959

ATTICA, 1953

SUNDAY PURCHASE, 1970Bred by Dr. Robert C. Austin EstateRaced 2 yrs, 16 s, wnr, $13,683

T. V. LARK, 1957

DAME FRITCHIE, 1959

WAR EXCHANGE, 1972Bred by Dr. A. E. VerdiRaced 3 yrs, 48 s, SW, $123,07310 f, 7 r, 6 w, 2 SW

WISE EXCHANGE, 1965Bred by Bieber-Jacobs StableRaced 2 yrs, 27 s, SW, $173,867

PROMISED LAND, 1954

COASTAL TRADE, 1951

JUNGLE WAR, 1964Bred by H. F. GuggenheimRaced 1 yr, 2 s, pl, $1,050

BATTLE JOINED, 1959

JOTA JOTA, 1954

CURLIN / PEDIGREE


Frostad’s blood pumping. “It turned out to be the best race of his career,” the con-ditioner said. “He beat one of Frank Stro-nach’s top sprinters (Goldminers Gold) pretty impressively.”

After just that one start, Frostad felt Smart Strike was ready for graded stakes competition. Sent to Monmouth Park, Smart Strike won the Salvator Mile Handi-cap (gr. III), and then captured the Philip H. Iselin Handicap (gr. I) at 11⁄16 miles over Eltish, with top filly Serena’s Song finish-ing third.

By that time, Smart Strike was a hot item for stud. “We had been watching him all along because of his pedigree, but after he won the Iselin, that stamped him as a top, high-dollar stallion prospect,” Bill Far-ish said.

Smart Strike raced just once more be-fore suffering a career-ending injury. He finished fourth in the Woodward Stakes (gr. I), won by defending and subsequent Horse of the Year Cigar, at Belmont Park in mid-September. About two weeks later, Smart Strike sustained a condylar fracture to his left foreleg while exercising and was retired.

When it came time to decide where Smart Strike would stand at stud, Sam-Son near Milton, Ontario, Canada, was never really considered. “He deserved to be in

Kentucky,” said Samuel-Balaz. “There was tremendous interest in him from a number of farms, but we decided on Lane’s End. In all the years he’s been there, we’ve had a great relationship with them.”

Smart Strike, who retired with six wins from eight races and earnings of $337,376, entered stud in 1997 for $30,000. Cigar’s $75,000 fee was the highest for an incom-ing stallion. (Cigar proved sterile and failed to sire a single offspring.)

Famous CrossAlthough Curlin is Smart Strike’s first

“really big horse,” Smart Strike has sired a number of “big horses.” And not surpris-ingly, most were produced from Northern Dancer-line mares, thus helping perpetu-ate the pedigree cross of Mr. Prospector-line stallions bred to Northern Dancer-line mares and vice versa.

Curlin, who bears that cross, is out of the Deputy Minister mare Sherriff’s Dep-uty. Sired by Northern Dancer’s son Vice Regent, Deputy Minister was so good his

2-year-old season in 1981 that he was voted Canadian Horse of the Year. He went on to succeed at stud, siring 87 stakes winners.

Smart Strike’s stakes winners represent-ing that cross also include multiple grade I turf winner English Channel, Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-I) winner Fleetstreet Dancer, Saratoga grade I winner Shadow Cast, and Canadian champions Soaring Free, Eye of the Sphynx, Portcullis, and Gold Strike. Millionaire Tenpins (out of a Deputy Min-ister mare) and grade III winner High Strike Zone are some of the others.

Curlin is the seventh Preakness win-ner in the last eight years descending in male line from Mr. Prospector (see chart at left). The one not tracing to Mr. Prospec-tor was last year’s winner, Bernardini, by A.P. Indy. A son of Seattle Slew, A.P. Indy stands at Lane’s End.

Smart Strike, whose average winning distance was just short of a mile (7.92 fur-longs), fits the profile of several of the Mr. Prospector-line stallions represented by Preakness winners this decade. Our Em-blem (sire of 2002 winner War Emblem), Distorted Humor (sire of 2003 winner Funny Cide), and Elusive Quality (sire of 2004 winner Smarty Jones) were sprinter/milers. Another from the group, Northern Afleet (sire of 2005 winner Afleet Alex), won grade II stakes from seven to nine fur-longs.

The other two sires from the Mr. Pros-pector line with Preakness winners this decade, Unbridled (sire of 2000 winner Red Bullet) and Thunder Gulch (sire of

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Sherriff’s Deputy, who resides at her owner’s Fares Farm; left, Sherriff’s Deputy’s

2007 filly by Saint Liam

Polynesian (’45) Native Dancer (’53) Dan Cupid Sea-Bird Little Current (’74)

Kauai King (’66) Raise a Native Alydar Alysheba (’87)

Exclusive Native Affirmed (’78) Majestic Prince (’69) Mr. Prospector Afleet Northern Afleet Afleet Alex (’05) Fappiano Quiet American Real Quiet (’98) Unbridled Red Bullet (’00) Forty Niner Distorted Humor Funny Cide (’03) Gone West Elusive Quality Smarty Jones (’04) Gulch Thunder Gulch Point Given (’01) Our Emblem War Emblem (’02) Smart Strike Curlin (’07) Tank’s Prospect (’85) Woodman Hansel (’91) Timber Country (’95)Bold face denotes Preakness winners

MALE LINE CHART


2001 winner Point Given), were most suc-cessful around two turns. Each won the 11⁄4-mile Kentucky Derby, with Thunder Gulch also taking the 11⁄2-mile Belmont Stakes (gr. I).

Sam-Son, which increased its share total in Smart Strike from 10 to 11 this year, has achieved great success with the stal-lion. Soaring Free, Eye of the Sphynx, and Portcullis raced as Sam-Son homebreds, as did other Smart Strike offspring Shoal Water and Strike Softly. Soaring Free, who was a Canadian Horse of the Year, has been retired from racing with earnings of more than $2 million. Eye of the Sphynx currently is a Sam-Son broodmare. Strike Softly, a three-time stakes winner last year, won the May 13 Hendrie Stakes (Can-III) at Woodbine.

“Sam-Son has been instrumental in making Smart Strike,” Bill Farish said. “His early success was due to them.”

Farish also has a big reason to smile over Smart Strike’s suc-cess. Shadow Cast, whose big win came in the Personal En-sign Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga, was bred and raced by Farish and is owned by him and his father. Shadow Cast produced her first offspring, an A.P. Indy filly this year, and is in foal to Storm Cat.

Not unexpectedly, Smart Strike’s fee has risen smartly. It now is $75,000. Ironically, the only year it ever dropped was in 2003, the year Curlin was conceived. It had fallen from $30,000 to $20,000.

Family TiesCurlin, who is the first stakes

winner from unraced Sherriff’s

Deputy, received a dose of graded stakes-winning class from his second dam, Bar-barika. Bred in Kentucky by Dr. Herman Kossow, Barbarika raced for Issam Fares’ Fares Farm, which also is the breeder of Curlin.

Barbarika’s career was highlighted by a five-race win streak that included an impressive score over millionaire Fit for a Queen in the 1990 Johnnie Walker Black Classic Handicap (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park. Later that year, Barbarika won two straight, including the Turfway Park Bud-weiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap (gr. III) at 11⁄16 miles. She also was stakes-placed that year in the Louisville Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap (gr. II) at Churchill Downs.

Although Curlin is the sole stakes win-ner descending from Barbarika, he is one of several tracing from his stakes-winning third dam, War Exchange. The latter’s descendants also include Eclipse Award-

winning 2-year-old filly Countess Diana and multiple grade I winner Exogenous.

The decision to breed Smart Strike to Sherriff’s Deputy in 2003 was made with the intention of creating two viable op-tions. According to Fares Farm general manager Shannon White, Smart Strike’s offspring had proved successful at the racetrack and/or in the sale ring. The farm would decide whether to sell the resultant foal or retain it for racing purposes.

Curlin ended up going through the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale, where he was bought for $57,000 by trainer Ken-neth McPeek, agent. Eaton Sales consigned him as agent.

Curlin made his first start for Midnight Cry Stables, winning by 123⁄4 lengths at Gulfstream, after which Bolton, Stones-treet, and Padua bought an interest in the colt. Curlin then won the Rebel Stakes (gr. III) and Arkansas Derby (gr. II), both at

Oaklawn Park.Sheriff’s Deputy produced

a Saint Liam filly Feb. 7 for Fares Farm. She had been bred to Smart Strike this year, but is not in foal.

Fares Farm put Sherriff’s Deputy’s broodmare career on hold last year. “She has been bothered by a slab frac-ture, and we wanted to see how she carried the foal,” White said. “We thought about giving her a year off, but then Curlin turned up, and we re-evaluated the de-cision.”

Deputy Minister is also the broodmare sire of 2006 Belmont Stakes winner Jazil and 2002 Belmont winner Sarava. b

CURLIN / PEDIGREE

RACE RECORD AND FAMILY NOTES

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Broodmare sire Deputy Minister

CURLIN, chestnut colt, foaled March 25, 2004Bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm

CURLIN’S RACE AND (STAKES) RECORD

Year Age Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Earned2007 at 3 5 4(3) 0 1(1) $1,602,800

Lifetime 5 4(3) 0 1(1) $1,602,800

Sire: SMART STRIKE, b, 1992. Raced 2 yrs, 8 sts, 6 wins, $337,376. Won Philip H. Iselin H (gr. I), Salvator Mile H (gr. III).

Lifetime: 8 crops, 517 foals, 351 rnrs (68%), 262 wnrs (51%), 71 2yo wnrs (14%), 47 sw (9%), 2.65 AEI, 2.00 CI, 261 sale yrlgs, avg $74,746, 1.5 TNA.

In 2007: 8 sw, 87 2yos, 4 2yo rnrs, 1 2yo wnr, 3 sale yrlgs, avg $34,000.

1st dam: Sherriff’s Deputy, b, 1994. Bred by Fares Farm (Ky.). Unraced. Dam of 5 named foals, 5 rnrs, 3 wnrs, 1 sw.1998: Deputy, dkb/br f, by Hadif. Raced 4 yrs, 20 sts, 4 wins, $52,020.1999: Secret Wedge, gr/ro c, by Excellent Secret. Raced 3 yrs, 25 sts, 3 wins, $48,615.2002: Ms Deep Cover, gr/ro f, by Excellent Secret. Raced 1 yr, 1 st, 0 wins, $2,750. Died 2005.

($11,000 texaug yrlg).2003: Comic Hero, b g, by Wild Zone. Raced 2 yrs, 3 sts, 0 wins, $1,100. ($30,000 keejan yrlg;

$60,000 keesep yrlg).2004: CURLIN, ch c, by Smart Strike. ($57,000 keesep yrlg).

At 3: Won Preakness S (gr. I), Arkansas Derby (gr. II), Rebel S (gr. III); 3rd Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

2005: Barren.2006: F, by Medaglia d’Oro. Died 2006.2007: F, by Saint Liam.

Broodmare sire: DEPUTY MINISTER, dkb/br, 1979-2004. Sire of 400 dams of 1,719 foals, 1,229 rnrs (71%), 883 wnrs (51%), 260 2yo wnrs (15%), 1.86 AEI, 1.61 CI; 136 sw.

2nd dam: BARBARIKA, b, 1985. Bred by Dr. Herman Kossow (Ky.). Raced 3 yrs in Fr and NA, 16 sts, 7 wins, $347,253. Won Johnnie Walker Black Classic H (gr. II), Turfway Park Budweiser Breeders’ Cup H (gr. III); 3rd Louisville Budweiser Breeders’ Cup H (gr. II).

3rd dam: WAR EXCHANGE, gr, 1972. Bred by Dr. A.E. Verdi (Md.). Raced 3 yrs, 48 sts, 10 wins, $123,073. Won Conniver H; 2nd Heirloom S, Dogwood S, Benjamin Franklin H, Geisha H (R); 3rd Betsy Ross H, Marlboro Nursery S. Dam of LUCKY LADY LAUREN (f, Carnivalay; $307,673, Won Arlington Matron H, gr. III, Wintergreen S, Flirtation S, Forsythia S, Spring Bonnet S; 2nd Oktoberfest H, Kennard Warfield Jr. Group Maryland Oaks, All Brandy H, What a Summer S; 3rd Ak-Sar-Ben Oaks, gr. III, Heavenly Cause S; producer), Count On Kathy (f, Dancing Count; $66,884, 2nd Flirtation S, Politely S; 3rd Trevose S, Miss Delaware S, Caesar’s Wish H, Windfall H; dam of COUNT ON A CHANGE, T. V. COUNTESS). Granddam of Big Deal, Rich N Clever.

®

I n t e r n a t i o n a l T h o r o u g h b r e d B r e e d i n g a n d R a c i n g J u n e 1 6 , 2 0 0 7 / N o . 2 4

Wonder Woman

first rateTrainer Todd Pletcher gets initial classic win with Tabor/Smith-owned filly

w w w . b l o o d h o r s e . c o m

rags to riches (left) beats curlin; first filly to win belmont in 102 years

Racing fans didn’t get the Triple Crown winner they’ve been waiting for since 1978, the year Affirmed swept

the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes (all gr. I). The tough-as-nails colt was the third Triple Crown winner of the 1970s, following Secretariat in 1973 and Seattle Slew in 1977.

What fans got this year were three incredible horse races that ended with three very accomplished and deserving win-ners, punctuated by the history-making performance of Rags to Riches, the first filly winner of the Belmont since Tanya in 1905. Her heart-pounding stretch run against Preak-ness winner Curlin will go down as one of the greatest performances in the 139-year history of the Belmont.

Street Sense made history, too, with his victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands. With that win, he became the first Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner to capture the Derby, ending the 23-year-old “juvenile jinx.”

Street Sense was denied his chance at the Triple Crown when Curlin nipped him by a head at the wire in the Preak-ness. That race provided fans at Pimlico with one of the most exciting Preakness finishes in years and gave Curlin a mea-sure of revenge for what was then his only career loss, which he suffered when third to Street Sense in the Derby.

When owner James Tafel opted not to run Street Sense in the Belmont, he took more than a little heat from the media and general public for diminishing the importance of America’s oldest and, at 1½ miles, longest classic. Turns out that by avoiding a rematch with Curlin, Tafel and trainer Carl Nafzger helped convince trainer Todd Pletcher and own-ers Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith to test Rags to Riches against colts in the Belmont.

What the public wants to see now is a contest matching all three of the Triple Crown race winners. Street Sense is being pointed for the Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Aug. 25. There is no definite plan known for Curlin, who races for

Stonestreet Stables, Padua Stables, George Bolton, and Mid-night Cry Stables. Pletcher, with Tabor and Smith’s blessings, said he very well might run Rags to Riches against colts again.

Wherever and whenever Street Sense, Curlin, and Rags to Riches show up in the same starting gate, will be the race of the year. Let’s hope for racing’s benefit that it happens.

Triple Crown on The DeCline?Business was down from last year at all three Triple Crown

tracks. Belmont Park attracted just 46,870 fans for the Bel-mont Stakes, an anemic figure when you consider that Santa

Anita Park drew a crowd of 56,810 for the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I).

This is the second consecu-tive year the Triple Crown has gone without a corporate sponsor, following the deci-sion by VISA to end its affili-ation in 2005. Last year also was the first year telecasts of the three races were split be-tween NBC (Derby and Preak-ness) and ABC (Belmont)

since an entity called Triple Crown Productions was formed in 1985 to promote the series and package it for television networks and sponsors.

Chrysler came on-board as a sponsor in 1986, offering a $5-million payoff to a Triple Crown winner and $1 million to the horse with the best showing in all three races. The lat-ter bonus was dropped by the time VISA became the Triple Crown’s sponsor in 1996.

The Breeders’ Cup, working through the National Thor-oughbred Racing Association, has attracted a host of corpo-rate partners for its World Championships. The NTRA has of-fered to help sell sponsorships on behalf of the Triple Crown, but the Triple Crown host tracks have repeatedly said they don’t need any assistance.

I beg to differ. If racing can’t find a sponsor for its marquee series, it most certainly needs help from someone. b

Ray [email protected]

T H E B L O O D - H O R S E ■ J U N E 1 6 , 2 0 0 7 3321

What fans got this year were three incredible horse races with three

accomplished and deserving winners

jewels of the tRiple cRown

That Girl! b y s t e v e h a s k i n

Rags to RichesRags to Riches

mike corrado

Rags to Riches (left) is racing’s latest star off her thrilling win over Curlin

T H E B L O O D - H O R S E ■ J U N E 1 6 , 2 0 0 73324

Call it fate. Call it kismet. Whatever title you prefer, Rags to Riches seemed destined to

give trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez their first classic winner.

Although “Johnny V” has been Pletcher’s first-call rider for years, it took a last-

minute decision to run the filly and a madcap jockey scramble to bring them together for the

139th Belmont Stakes (gr. I).

Because of their longtime relationship and numerous frustrations and disappointments in the

classics, you had the feeling that when their moment did come it would be with great fanfare.

But how could that be achieved? Pletcher has never been known to evoke such fervor, espe-

cially from the New York fans. Because of his never-ending arsenal of stakes winners, his stoic

personality in the public arena, and his unprecedented domination of New York racing, he would

need a special horse to reach into people’s hearts and allow them to see the soul that lies within

Team Pletcher’s machine-like organization.

A test of heart and soul: Rags to Riches defeats Curlin by a head after a demanding stretch duel in the Belmont

Regally bred Rags to Riches gives trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez their first classic win

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3325T H E B L O O D - H O R S E ■ J U N E 1 6 , 2 0 0 7

Rags to Riches was such a horse, and when Pletcher provided the final leg of the Triple Crown with a much-needed shot in the arm by announcing his $1.9-million glamour queen would take on the mighty Curlin and other top colts in the 11⁄2-mile classic, he lit the fuse that would set off a raucous round of fireworks at Belmont Park June 9.

Four days after the decision by Pletcher and owners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith to run Rags to Riches, there she was, charging down the stretch in the Bel-mont locked in furious combat with the brilliant, tough, and determined Curlin, whose meteoric rise to stardom was one victory away from taking on legendary proportions.

The crowd of 46,870, the smallest since 1996, was on its feet as the feisty filly and the brawny colt looked each other in the eye, neither budging an inch. One of the great battles in Triple Crown history was on.

There is a saying attributed to both El-eanor Roosevelt and Carl Sandburg: “A woman is like a tea bag. It’s only when she’s in hot water that you realize how strong she is.”

Curlin put Rags to Riches in scalding water down the Belmont stretch, but it was he who got burned.

Rags to Riches, who had stumbled badly at the start and then raced wide the entire way, took the outside route, while Curlin, who had saved ground, split horses inside her with a quick burst of speed. Now, as they honed in on each other, it was time to see which one had the strongest will. It was a classic male vs. female confron-tation, something you don’t see in most other sports.

Rags to Riches’ powerful four-wide move had enabled her to outrun Curlin and establish a slight advantage turning for home. Curlin fought back, as both horses switched to their right lead on cue. Velazquez threw a wide cross on the reins to gather the filly, while Robby Albarado went to a right-handed whip, causing Curl-in to duck in, away from the filly. When Al-barado switched to a series of left-handed whips, Curlin came back out and bumped Rags to Riches. But the filly, who has been manhandling humans since she was a baby, was not about to be intimidated by the powerful chestnut. Albarado contin-ued to hit Curlin left-handed, and again he came out and bumped Rags to Riches, who again shrugged it off.

(continued on page 3328)

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Sterling Silver: From left, co-owner Michael Tabor, trainer Todd Pletcher, jockey John Velazquez, and co-owner Derrick Smith

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FiLLY WiNNeRs oF tRiPLe cRoWN Races

Year Filly Race

2007 Rags to Riches Belmont1988 Winning Colors Derby1980 Genuine Risk Derby1924 Nellie Morris Preakness1915 Regret Derby1915 Rhine Maiden Preakness1906 Whimsical Preakness1905 Tanya Belmont1903 Flocarline Preakness1867 Ruthless Belmont


Velazquez resorted to only a single left-handed whip, then switched and gave her one right-handed whip. Her blood was up, and Velazquez realized she needed little encouragement. Although Curlin kept dig-ging in and battling back, Rags to Riches refused to relinquish her head advantage. As she eased in slightly and Curlin again came out into her, the two were leaning all over each other as the wire approached.

Most horses, especially fillies, would have been intimidated by the contact from a bruiser like Curlin, but Rags to Riches seemed to relish this test of superiority. Velazquez now was just waving the whip

and leaving it all up to her. With sheer grit, determination, and tenacity, Rags to Riches kept her head advantage to the fin-ish following a sizzling final quarter-mile in :23.83.

The daughter of A.P. Indy out of Better Than Honour, by Deputy Minister, had be-come the first filly in 102 years to win the Belmont, joining Ruthless, who won the inaugural running in 1867, and Tanya, in 1905. Rags to Riches’ half-brother, Jazil, captured the Belmont last year for Pletch-er’s former colleague and close friend Kiaran McLaughlin. Both Pletcher and McLaughlin once worked as assistants to D. Wayne Lukas.

Throughout the grandstand, the disci-plined Pletcher machine unraveled in a burst of emotion during the stretch run. Burdened with an 0-for-28 record in Triple Crown races, Pletcher unleashed a flurry of eight short jabs into an invisible op-ponent, while urging on his filly: “Come on, baby; come on, baby,” he pleaded. As she crossed the finish line, he jumped up, flinging his fist in the air, and then kissed his wife Tracy, knocking her hat off.

Pletcher’s rush of adrenaline was able to briefly overpower the body aches and fever that had knocked him out for two days. So bad was his flu, he awoke five times the night before the Belmont and had to

(continued from page 3325)

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Framed by the tunnel at Belmont Park that leads from the backstretch to the paddock, Rags to Riches heads for a schooling session


change his T-shirt each time because he was sweating so profusely. His stable crew realized how sick he was when he didn’t show up at the barn Saturday morning.

Rags to Riches’ exercise rider, Lauren Robson, watched in a nearby box with Velazquez’ wife, Leona, and her family and Velazquez’ longtime friend and agent, Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero Jr.

“There were drinks flying everywhere,” Robson said. “Leona was in tears right away and she put me in tears. It was so great because Todd and Johnny have been together for so long.”

Assistant trainer Seth Benzel, who has 90 horses at Saratoga, watched the race on TV at home. “I didn’t stop shaking until 1 o’clock last night,” he said the next morn-ing. “When they came down the stretch, I was out of my seat riding her as hard as anybody.”

Watching at Churchill Downs was assis-tant Mike McCarthy, who has been with Rags to Riches for most of her career, and in fact was her trainer of record for her first two starts this year while Pletcher was serving a suspension.

“I can’t even put into words what it was like watching her,” McCarthy said. “At the three-eighths pole I kept thinking this is really going to happen. And then at the quarter pole I thought, ‘This is it. This is what we’ve been working for.’ After it was over there was a feeling of closure. We had made history, and Todd finally had his classic. That meant a lot to us.”

Cordero won his share of Triple Crown races during his career, but this one was extra special. It was Cordero who discov-ered Velazquez from a videotape of the apprentice rider in action in Puerto Rico. Cordero brought Velazquez to America and mentored the young rider, eventually taking over Velazquez’ book following his retirement as a jockey and as a train-er, and hooked him up with Pletcher as his No. 1 rider. From the time Velazquez came to this country, he has looked up to Cordero as a father figure.

Since the union of Cordero, Velazquez, and Pletcher, the three have formed a bond that goes far beyond that of agent, jockey, and trainer. It is about friendship and loy-alty. Cordero, who also exercises horses for Pletcher, needed both desperately after the tragic hit-and-run death of his wife,

Marjorie, in January 2001.“Johnny and Todd came into my life at

the right time and they both helped me deal with my loss,” Cordero said. “I love my career, but I lost half of my heart when my wife died. Other than my kids I didn’t have anything I wanted anymore. I was too old to still be a good athlete and I knew I’d never find a woman like her, so, to me,

life was over. That was the end of me. Time may help the wounds feel a little better, but it never heals them. It’s been almost seven years since she died, and I still miss her and I still cry for her. God gave me a great career and a great woman, but it was my kids and Johnny and Todd that kept my life together.”

The Pletcher organization has been perceived by most to be fueled by nothing more than wins and dollar signs, but it took a special filly to show the world that there is a passion and a love for the horse that is first and foremost behind its success.

The story of the 2007 Belmont actually began with the pop heard round the rac-ing world. When trainer Carl Nafzger and owner James Tafel stuck the proverbial pin in the Belmont balloon, withdrawing Street Sense from the race, it all but de-flated the third leg of the Triple Crown. Without the winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), the Bel-mont looked to be a mundane affair with Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Curlin tak-ing on a small group of challengers.

“I told Mr. Tafel that some people are going to love us and some people are going to hate us,” Nafzger said. “We were going to the Triple Crown, and I didn’t think they were going to beat this colt. I got cocky, but

Rags to Riches

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Pletcher and his team are able to enjoy that classic feeling

When they came down

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FiLLY PaRticiPaNts iN the tRiPLe cRoWN siNce 1950

Year Filly Race Finish

2007 Rags to Riches Belmont 1st1999 Silverbulletday Belmont 7th1999 Three Ring Derby 19th1999 Excellent Meeting Preakness Did not finish1999 Excellent Meeting Derby 5th1996 My Flag Belmont 3rd1995 Serena’s Song Derby 16th1988 Winning Colors Belmont 6th1988 Winning Colors Preakness 3rd1988 Winning Colors Derby 1st1984 Life’s Magic Derby 8th1984 Althea Derby 19th1982 Cupecoy’s Joy Derby 10th1980 Genuine Risk Belmont 2nd1980 Genuine Risk Preakness 2nd1980 Genuine Risk Derby 1st1959 Silver Spoon Derby 5th1954 Riverina Belmont 7th


when Curlin kicked my butt, and he did kick my butt, it changed things. I was so let down after the Preakness.”

Street Sense’s defection left Curlin as the sole headliner in the Belmont, much to the dismay of racing fans, the New York Rac-ing Association, and ABC, which had seen its Triple Crown storyline disappear in the closing jump of the Preakness. Then the big showdown angle evaporated as well. All that remained was Curlin, racing’s bud-ding superstar whose main competition looked to be the indefatigable Hard Spun, the only other combatant from the Derby and Preakness still looking for a fight.

When Hard Spun’s trainer, Larry Jones, and owner Rick Porter agreed to replace jockey Mario Pino, it set wheels in mo-tion in several directions. Velazquez, who had ridden Circular Quay in the Derby and Preakness, and who had never been

aboard Rags to Riches, had little hope of lining up a mount from Pletcher in the Belmont, so he signed on to ride Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) and Lone Star Derby (gr. III) winner Slew’s Tizzy.

When Rags to Riches’ regular rider, Gar-rett Gomez, had a chance to replace Pino on Hard Spun, his agent, Ron Anderson, asked Pletcher about the filly’s Belmont status.

“Ron came by and said, ‘What are you going to do with the filly?’ ” Pletcher said. “I said I really don’t think we’re going to run if Street Sense, Curlin, and Hard Spun all run. I thought Street Sense was going to run at that stage. Ron was able to buy a couple of days, but he was getting pressure to make a commitment, so I told him, ‘You’ve got to do what you have to do, and I can’t blame you. I don’t want to hold you up.’ ”

Anderson took the mount on Hard Spun, but when Street Sense was with-drawn and Rags to Riches eventually was declared a starter the day before entries were drawn, he went to Jones to survey the situation, and Jones said he intended for Gomez to ride Hard Spun as agreed upon. That opened the door for Cordero and Velazquez, but they too had made a commitment and needed to be released by Slew’s Tizzy’s trainer, Greg Fox.

“I wasn’t surprised when they came to me,” Fox said. “It’s very much a part of racing, and I told them they could ride the filly and I would make an adjustment. John Velazquez and Todd Pletcher are part of the same family as far as I’m concerned. How can you not ride for your family?”

So, Velazquez somehow had found his way aboard Rags to Riches. Des-tiny seemed to be directing Pletcher and Velazquez, who was 0-for-20 in Triple Crown races, to their first classic victory.

How appropriate it would be to have Rags to Riches get the albatross off Pletch-er’s back. When Lukas was getting ham-mered by the media for being 0-for-12 in the Kentucky Derby, despite his unprec-edented success in other races, it took a filly, Winning Colors, to break his losing streak. After that, the floodgates opened for Lukas.

Pletcher felt Rags to Riches, who was bred in Kentucky by Skara Glen Stables, was special the minute he laid eyes on her. “I saw her at the Keeneland September yearling sale and loved her then,” he said. “She had a great head and a smart eye. She was very well balanced and athletic-looking, with a great walk. You see all that and then you look down at the pedigree page and you say, ‘Wow!’ We got her in at Churchill in early April last year and start-ed breezing her Derby week. Just watch-ing her the very first time she breezed, it was obvious she was pretty special.”

Pletcher, Tabor, and Smith knew what they had right from the start from the glow-ing reports from David Scanlon, who broke the filly at his training center in Ocala, Fla. “We used to call her the runway model, because she was all legs and absolutely gorgeous,” Scanlon said. “But she had her own attitude. She was a dominant female. When you walked in the barn, she’d have her head sticking out, and when you went

ELEVENTH RACE

BelmontJUNE 9, 2007

1ô MILES. (2.24) 139TH RUNNING OF THE BELMONT. Grade I. Purse $1,000,000 FOR THREE YEAROLDS. By subscription of $600 each, to accompany the nomination, if made on or before January 21, 2007,or $6,000, if made on or before March 31, 2007. At any time prior to the closing time of entries, horses maybe nominated to The Belmont Stakes upon payment of a supplementary fee of $100,000 to the New YorkRacing Association, Inc. $10,000 to pass the entry box and $10,000 additional to start. All entrants,supplemental or otherwise, will be required to pay entry and starting fees. The purse to be divided 60%to the winner, 20% to second, 11% to third, 6% to fourth and 3% to fifth. Colts and Geldings, 126 lbs.;Fillies, 121 lbs. The winning owner will be presented with the August Belmont Memorial Cup to beretained for one year as welllas a trophy for permanent possession and trophies to the winning trainerand jockey.

Value of Race: $1,000,000 Winner $600,000; second $200,000; third $110,000; fourth $60,000; fifth $30,000. Mutuel Pool $14,293,992.00ExactaPool $7,350,521.00 Trifecta Pool $8,470,648.00 Superfecta Pool $3,546,469.00

Last Raced Horse M/Eqt. A.Wt PP ² ¶ 1 1² Str Fin Jockey Odds $1

4Ü07 ¦¥CD¦ Rags to Riches L 3 121 7 6¬ 5¦ 5¦ô 1Ç 1Ç 1Ç Velazquez J R 4.3019Ü07 ¦§Pim¦ Curlin L 3 126 3 3Ç 4ô 4ô 2Ç 2ª 2ªô Albarado R J 1.105Ü07 ¦¥CD¬ Tiago L 3 126 2 5Ç 6« 6¬ 5¤ 3§ô 3ªô Smith M E 6.8019Ü07 ¦§Pim¨ Hard Spun L 3 126 6 4¦ 3ô 3ô 3ô 4¨ô 4©õ Gomez G K 4.9019Ü07 ¦§Pim© C P West L 3 126 4 1Ç 1Ç 1Ç 4¦ 5« 5¦ö Prado E S 12.405Ü07 ¦¥CD© Imawildandcrzyguy L b 3 126 1 7 7 7 7 6¤ 6¦¬ Guidry M 9.3012Ü07 ¦¥LS¦ Slew's Tizzy L 3 126 5 2¦ô 2¦ 2ô 6ô 7 7 Bejarano R 18.30

OFF AT 6:29 Start Good For All But RAGS TO RICHES. Won driving. Track fast.TIME :24¨, :50, 1:15¦, 1:40¦, 2:04©, 2:28¨ (:24.74, :50.14, 1:15.32, 1:40.23, 2:04.91, 2:28.74)

$2 Mutuel Prices:7 - RAGS TO RICHES 10.60 4.40 3.203 - CURLIN 3.00 2.302 - TIAGO 3.70

$2 EXACTA 7-3 PAID $25.20 $2 TRIFECTA 7-3-2 PAID $131.50$2 SUPERFECTA 7-3-2-6 PAID $242.50

Ch. f, (Feb), byA.P. Indy - Better Than Honour , byDeputy Minister . Trainer Pletcher Todd A. Bred bySkara GlenStables (Ky).

RAGS TO RICHES stumbled at the start, moved up from outside and was carried out a bit leaving the first turn, settled justoutside the leaders while six wide along the backstretch, raced in hand while continuing wide to the far turn, launched her bid inthe four path midway on the turn, surged to the front approaching the quarter pole, dug in when challenged again by CURLIN inmidstretch, fought gamely while heads apart into deep stretch and prevailed under right hand urging in the final twenty yards.CURLIN was taken in hand soon after the start, settled in good position while saving ground leaving the first turn, came outslightly between horses entering the backstretch, was rated in good position through the opening mile, saved ground on the farturn, waited patiently behind horses midway on the turn, split rivals to launch his bid nearing the quarter pole, fought headsapart entering the stretch, drifted in under right hand urging at the three-sixteenths pole, fought back bravely to threaten thewinner a furlong out then exchanged mild bumps with that rival while yielding grudgingly in the late stages. TIAGO hit the sideof the gate and broke inward bumping with IMAWILDANDCRAZYGUY at the start, was unhurried in the early stages, checkedslightly when CURLIN came out entering the backstretch, raced within striking distance slightly off the rail to the far turn,checked slightly in traffic midway on the turn, came in a bit while rallying at the top of the stretch then finished willingly whileno match for the top pair. HARD SPUN raced erratically while fighting his rider and tucking in a bit in the early stages, driftedout on the first turn, stalked the leaders five wide along the backstretch, continued wide while lodging a mild bid to threatenapproaching the quarter pole then tired through the final quarter of a mile. C P WEST drifted out a bit in the early stages,moved up to gain the early advantage, set the pace well off the rail along the backstretch, set the pace in hand to the turn andsteadily tired thereafter. IMAWILDANDCRAZYGUY bumped at the start, trailed for most of the trip while saving ground.SLEW'S TIZZY pressed the pace four wide to the final turn and gave way.Owners- 1, Tabor Michael B and Smith Derrick; 2, Stonestreet Stables Padua Stables Bolton George Midnight Cry Stable; 3, Moss Mr

and Mrs Jerome S; 4, Fox Hill Farms Inc; 5, LaPenta Robert V; 6, Pell Lewis and Eigner Michael; 7, Joseph Lacombe Stable IncTrainers- 1, Pletcher Todd A; 2, Asmussen Steven M; 3, Shirreffs John; 4, Jones J Larry; 5, Zito Nicholas P; 6, Kaplan William A; 7,

Fox Gregory

$2Daily Double (7-7) Paid $53.00 ; Daily Double Pool $506,506 .$2Pick Three (4-7-7) Paid $468.00 ; Pick Three Pool $597,732 .$2Pick Four (4-4-7-7) Paid $5,472.00 ; Pick Four Pool $1,708,265 .

$2Pick Six (4-2-4-4-7-7) 6 Correct Paid $417,207.00 ; Pick Six Pool $1,312,246 .$2Pick Six (4-2-4-4-7-7) 5 Correct Paid $3,344.00 .

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to pet her she’d stomp her feet and start squealing. She had her own regimen and you did things to fit her schedule.”

After finishing an excellent fourth in her career debut, in which she broke slowly, dropped back to last, and had to go seven-wide, she was sent to Saratoga, but suffered a setback that required time, and was shipped to Ashford Stud near Ver-sailles, Ky.

When Rags to Riches returned late last year, she was ready to conquer the world. But she was still quite a handful, so Pletcher contacted Diane Volz, who has been doing physical therapy on Pletcher’s horses for years, and asked her to order an-other CHI infrasound machine, which she hooked up above Rags to Riches’ stall.

“The first time I worked on her she came at me with her mouth wide open,” Volz recalled. “But with the CHI she’s come around and mellowed. The CHI stimulates the alpha waves—or early sleep waves—and helps them settle down and relax.”

Rags to Riches broke her maiden at Santa Anita in spectacular fashion by six lengths, after which she won the Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) with an amazing wide run throughout. That was followed by easy victories in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) and Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), the latter over a sealed muddy track.

Then came her unscheduled quest for greatness in the Belmont, which drew a field of seven that also included Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Tiago; Imawild-andcrazyguy, a fast-closing fourth in the Kentucky Derby; and Preakness fourth-place finisher C P West.

Pletcher’s Belmont day wasn’t going very well, as he suffered defeats in the Birdstone Stakes with A. P. Arrow; the True North Handicap (gr. II) with Keyed Entry; the Just a Game Stakes (gr. IIT) with Wait a While; and the Woody Stephens Breeders’ Cup Stakes (gr. II) with Deadly Dealer. His fortunes changed with Cotton Blossom’s victory in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I), but he suffered another defeat when English Channel was beaten a head in the Manhattan Handicap (gr. IT).

Weak and rubber-legged, Pletcher had

one more race to go. “A Belmont victory would certainly pick my head up,” he said as he headed to the paddock.

Any thoughts of victory were dimin-ished at the start when Rags to Riches stumbled coming out of the gate. “My heart stopped,” Velazquez said. “The first thing I thought of was, hopefully, she doesn’t pull a shoe and get hurt.”

She never missed a beat, but was in danger of going extremely wide when C P West floated Slew’s Tizzy out toward the middle of the track. Velazquez was able to move in several paths, but was still some

four or five wide. Down the backstretch, C P West still led through dawdling frac-tions of :24.74, :50.14, and 1:15.32, while racing three paths off the rail. Rags to Riches, sent off at 4-1, was seven wide, with Curlin, the even-money favorite, tucked in on the inside behind C P West and Slew’s Tizzy and directly inside Hard Spun.

After a mile in a lethargic 1:40.23, Gomez made his move on Hard Spun, with Curlin still biding his time waiting for an open-ing. Rags to Riches made steady progress on the far outside and moved up to chal-lenge. Just then, Albarado, with a watch-ful eye on the filly, shot Curlin through a gap between C P West and Hard Spun and seemed to have beaten Rags to Riches to the punch. But Rags to Riches also surged and charged past Curlin by nearly a half-length. However, the Preakness winner battled back and the race for greatness was on.

With the crowd cheering wildly, Rags to Riches, in receipt of a five-pound sex

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Steve Asmussen, trainer of the runner-up, said the colt was a “throwback” and a “competitor”

The reception after the race gave Velazquez

goose bumps

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Rags to RichesOwn: Tabor Michael B. and Smith, Derrick

Ch. f. 3 (Feb) KEESEP05 $1,900,000Sire: A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) $300,000Dam:Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister)Br: Skara Glen Stables (Ky)Tr: Pletcher Todd A(52 18 8 11 .35) 2007:(476 132 .28)

Life 6 5 0 0 $1,292,528 107

2007 5 5 0 0 $1,290,028 107

2006 1 M 0 0 $2,500 62

0 0 0 0 $0 -

D.Fst 5 4 0 0 $960,100 107

Wet(434) 1 1 0 0 $332,428 104Synth 0 0 0 0 $0 -Turf(316) 0 0 0 0 $0 -Dst(0) 0 0 0 0 $0 -

9Þ07=11Bel fst 1¶ :50 1:15¦ 2:04©2:28¨ Belmont-G1 107 7 5§ 5¦ô 1Ç 1Ç 1Ç Velazquez J R L121 4.30 94= 06 Rags to Riches121Ç Curlin126ªô Tiago126ªô Stumb brk, wide trip 74Ü07=10CD myø 1° :47©1:12¨ 1:37©1:49© çKyOaks-G1 104 11 4¦ 5§ô 5§ 1§ 1©õ Gomez G K L121 *1.50 87= 14 Rags to Riches121©õ Octave121¨ô High Heels121¨õ 4w,widen,hand urging 1411à07= 9SA fst 1Â :23¦ :47 1:11¨1:42© çSAOaks-G1 96 5 5¨ 3ô 3ô 1¨ô 1ªô Gomez G K LB122 *.40 86= 12 RgstoRiches122ªô SilvrSwllow122¦ CshIncludd122§ô 3wd,strong hand ride 5Previously trained by McCarthy Michael W 2006: ( 1 0 0 0 0.00 )

10á07= 9SA fst 1 :23¦ :47§ 1:11©1:37© çLsVrgnes-G1 93 8 7ªô 7¨ö 6¨ 4§ô 1ö Gomez G K LB116 *2.70 79= 26 RgstoRiches116ö BronssThtchr120§ RunwyRosi120¦ö 5wd into lane,rallied 87â07= 2SA fst 7f :22¨ :45© 1:09©1:22§ çMd SpWt 46k 88 4 5 3¦ 3É 1§ô 1« Gomez G K LB121 2.30 88= 09 RgstoRiches121« IronButtrfly121«õ FlighttoCsh121§ô Rid out,in hand late 7Previously trained by Pletcher Todd A 2006(as of 6/10): ( 518 154 103 60 0.30 )

10Þ06= 6CD fst 5ôf :22 :45¨ :57§1:03§ çMd SpWt 48k 62 3 10 10¦¥ 10®õ 6¬ô 4«õ Blanc B L119 3.20 95= 11 Change Up119« Sheets119É High Heels119ó Slow start,7w bid 10WORKS: Þ3Bel 5f fst 1:03© B 16/18 Ü27Bel 5f fst 1:00¨ B 5/29 Ü21Bel 4f fst :48¦ B 22/70 ß29Keeú5f fst 1:00¦ B 11/28 ß22Keeú5f fst 1:00¦ B 11/32 ß15Keeú6f fst 1:13§ H 1/2

Daily Racing Form rtr. Thoroughbred



allowance, won by a head in 2:28.74, with a game Curlin finishing 51⁄2 lengths ahead of Tiago, who was compromised by a severe bumping incident with Imawildandcrazyguy at the break, the slow pace, traffic problems, and a dread-ful stay in the pre-race monitoring barn, which necessitated his having to be taken outside to graze.

The ovation for Rags to Riches swelled as Velazquez brought her up the stretch and saluted the crowd. “As a rule, we’re probably the ones everybody’s rooting

against,” Pletcher said. “But this reception was unbelievable.” Velazquez said it gave him goose bumps.

“That was unreal,” Tabor said. “What a filly. I have so much confidence in her. I always thought she could do it.”

Trainer Steve Asmussen said he was “very proud” of Curlin, calling him a throwback. “I can’t say enough about him; he’s a competitor,” he said. “And she’s a deserving classic winner. To lose one the exact same way we won one, we better learn how to take it.”

So ended one of the most memorable Triple Crowns of all time, concluding with one of the greatest Belmonts ever run. Rags to Riches had won it for the la-dies, beating a rough and tough male at his own game.

Pletcher was back at his barn the next morning well before 5 o’clock, taking care of business in his office as a bright and alert Rags to Riches was brought out to graze by her hotwalker, Isabel Escobar.

What a difference 24 hours make. The morning before, Pletcher was saying, “I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the day.”

As Benzel said, “He’s the ultimate war-rior.”

But on this day, the ultimate warrior was a courageous chestnut filly who inscribed herself, her trainer, and her jockey into the history books. b

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Velazquez responds to the crowd that heartily cheered for the filly against the boys

Rags to Riches

$1,900,000Price tag for Rags to Riches at the 2005

Keeneland September yearling sale

$1,000,000Purse of the Belmont Stakes

$300,000Stud fee of A.P. Indy, sire of Rags to Riches

46,870Attendance at this year’s Belmont

24Winning percentage in graded stakes for the trainer/jockey combo of Todd Pletcher

and John Velazquez (125 of 519)

22Number of fillies to run in the Belmont

19Years since the last filly won

a U.S. classic race (Winning Colors, Kentucky Derby, 1988)

5The weight break (126 to 121) Rags to Riches received from

her male counterparts

3Number of horses to win a Triple Crown race in 2007; second year in a row there

were three different winners

2Number of Belmont winners out of the

mare Better Than Honour (Jazil last year)

BeLMoNt Facts & FigURes

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FightClub

◀ TIAGO TESTED IN GOODWOOD■ JACKSON LAWSUIT SETTLED/5385 ■ JOE TALAMO AND MICHAEL BAZE/5422■ SEPTEMBER SALE WRAP/5428

HARD ROADHard Spun defeats Street Sense in Kentucky Cup

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CURLIN TOPS LAWyER RON IN THE GOLD CUP; 3-yEAR-OLDS SLUG IT OUT WITH THEIR ELDERS AROUND THE COUNTRy

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Satish Sanan, part owner of Curlin, picked a heck of a time to enter a “heart camp,” as his son Sasha calls

it. Heart-related problems run in Sanan’s family, so, instead of being at Belmont Park to watch his colt run in the $765,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (gr. I), he

was at the Pritikins Longevity Center and Spa in Aventura, Fla., being put through an exercise program and special diet to help change his lifestyle.

Instead of taking a stress test, all Sanan had to do Sept. 30 was watch Curlin hook up in yet another heart-pounding stretch

duel. This time it wasn’t with Street Sense in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) or Rags to Rags in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I). It was with the leading older horse in the coun-try, Lawyer Ron, who was coming off spectacular victories in the grade I Whit-ney Handicap and Woodward Stakes at

Belmont Park

Stress TestCurlin fights it out in another thrilling stretch battle,

wins the Jockey Club Gold Cup over older rival Lawyer RonB y S t e v e H a S k i n

Curlin, left, needs nearly every inch of the stretch to wear down Lawyer Ron to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup

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Saratoga. Oaklawn Park officials had to love every minute of it, as the last two run-away winners of the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) battled the length of the stretch.

Sanan’s heart and stress levels were put to quite a test during that pulsating final quarter-mile of the Gold Cup when Curlin, under jockey Robby Albarado, tried des-perately to get past his stubborn opponent. It wasn’t until the final strides that Curlin was able to wear down Lawyer Ron to win by a neck.

The son of Smart Strike, out of the Dep-uty Minister mare Sherriff’s Deputy, had barely finished pulling up when Sanan was on the phone with his son.

“I think he probably put his foot through the TV, he was so excited,” Sasha said.

This extraordinary crop of sophomores is not for the faint-hearted, as evidenced by the stirring stretch duels in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III), Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), Preakness, Belmont, Travers Stakes (gr. I), Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes (gr. II), Goodwood Handicap (gr. I), and Jockey Club Gold Cup. If it’s not Curlin involved, it’s Street Sense or Hard Spun or Tiago or Any Given Saturday, all of whom ran in the Kentucky Derby - Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

It would be an understatement to say Curlin has had a whirlwind career, as brief as it’s been. No one can recall a horse ac-complishing so much in such a short pe-riod of time. It’s hard to believe that eight months ago Curlin hadn’t even made his career debut.

John Nerud, legendary trainer, owner, and breeder, said of Curlin, “I’ve never seen a horse do what he’s done in such a short period of time without blowing up.” Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens said be-fore the Belmont, “I have never in my life seen a horse that’s done what he’s done: start running and just keep on running. If he keeps it up, he’s not one in a million; he’s one in a jillion.”

Well, Curlin has kept it up, and now you can add a victory over older horses to his already remarkable resumé.

The 10-furlong Gold Cup drew a field of seven. Among those opposing Curlin and Lawyer Ron were the Jerkens-trained Political Force, winner of the Suburban Handicap (gr. I), and the Nick Zito-trained Sun King.

Curlin had returned from a two-month layoff following his gut-wrencher in the Belmont against Rags to Riches and fin-ished an uninspiring third in the Aug. 5 Haskell Invitational Handicap (gr. I) be-hind Any Given Saturday and Hard Spun. Trainer Steve Asmussen gave him another two months off and pointed him for the Gold Cup.

Earlier in the day, Asmussen met in the tunnel with Albarado outside the jockeys’

room and told him this was a much better horse than he was in the Haskell and to ride him with confidence and be patient with him. He had been training with more energy, highlighted by a pair of sharp six-furlong works over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga.

Brother Bobby, runner-up to Lawyer Ron in the Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) and second in the Philip H. Iselin Breeders’ Cup Handicap (gr. III), set a comfortable pace of :24.26 and :47.88, with Lawyer Ron, a bit keen to go on, sitting right off his flank. Albarado had Curlin relaxed in fourth, three lengths off the lead.

Lawyer Ron challenged for the lead nearing the quarter pole, as Curlin moved up directly behind him. Lawyer Ron kicked for home under John Velazquez, with Curlin, several paths wide, closing in. It looked for a while as if the older horse would be able to hold off the challenge of his younger foe. But Albarado then steered Curlin in toward Lawyer Ron, so he could look his opponent in the eye, and that’s when Curlin finally gave that final thrust that propelled him to a neck victory.

It was four lengths back to Pol it ica l Force, who was six lengths head of Sun King. Curlin, bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm, covered the distance in 2:01.20, rattling off quarters in approximately :244⁄5, :233⁄5, :234⁄5, :241⁄5, and :244⁄5.

“We were in a great position all the way, right behind Lawyer Ron,” Albarado said. “I could see Johnny (Velazquez) was having some trouble trying to con-tain him. When Johnny made his move, I just followed him. Curlin loves to be on the outside and run horses down. His race in the Haskell was a bit dull, but he had run hard in all three Triple Crown races, and the last two were exceptionally hard races. Steve said he was training much more forwardly for this race than he did for the Haskell.”

After the race, a beaming Asmussen said to Sasha Sanan, “Pretty good horse, huh? I can’t believe I got touched with a horse like this.”

“It’s a great story,” said George Bolton, who co-owns Curlin with Sanan’s Padua Stables, Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables, and the Midnight Cry Stable of William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr. “Here is a $57,000 yearling with an OCD (lesion) who runs a freakish sprint race in his debut. We buy him for a bunch of money, he wins the Arkansas Derby and Preak-ness, and now he beats Lawyer Ron in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.”

Lawyer Ron lost nothing in defeat and battled hard all the way, despite being rank early. “I thought he ran great,” train-er Todd Pletcher said. “The only thing we were concerned about happened: He never quite settled like he did in Saratoga. He was very sharp, and he never gave up. I think there’s still room for improvement. Hopefully, 27 days from now, he’ll run just a little bit better than he ran today.”

Asmussen said Curlin will fly to Ken-tucky and train for the Breeders’ Cup Clas-sic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I) over Keene-

Jockey Club Gold Cup (Curlin)

Race Replays at BloodHorseNOW.com

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Steve Asmussen will train Curlin over Keeneland’s Polytrack for the Breeders’ Cup

Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’

RACE WINNER DIVISION

Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes Curlin Classic

Beldame Stakes Unbridled Belle Distaff

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes English Channel Turf

Vosburgh Stakes Fabulous Strike Sprint

Goodwood Stakes Tiago Classic

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land’s Polytrack surface. “I think he is an outstanding horse, and

he proved so once again today,” Asmus-sen said. “We’ll all meet again in a month’s time, probably to decide a lot of honors.”

Howdy ‘doodFunny how a name sounds a lot better

with a grade I win next to it. If anyone had trouble pronouncing the name Lahudood before the Sept. 29 Flower Bowl Invitation-al Stakes (gr. IT), they either know it now or will make sure they know it before the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

When Shadwell Stable sent Kiaran McLaughlin two classy 4-year-old fillies from Europe this spring, Lahudood and Makderah, it looked as if Makderah was

the better of the two following her impres-sive victory in the New York Stakes (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park. But Shadwell owner Sheikh Hamdan, who bred both fillies, knew better.

“Sheikh Hamdan kept telling me that on her European form, Lahudood was the better one,” McLaughlin said. “This was the first time everything went perfect. She wants to be covered up and make a run on firm ground. (Shadwell manager) Rick Nichols told me that the boss didn’t send her over here to be an allowance horse.”

So, when Lahudood came charging through along the rail to defeat a star-studded field in the 11⁄4-mile Flower Bowl in 1:59.05 at odds of 21-1, it wasn’t totally unexpected.

The homebred daughter of Singspiel, out of the Arazi mare Rahayeb, was ridden to perfection by Alan Garcia, who saved ground in third and then burst through an opening along the inside to outrun Rosin-ka, who was coming off four straight wins, and the 4-5 favorite Wait a While. Also in the beaten field were grade I winners Royal Highness, Alexander Tango, and My Ty-phoon. The $600,000 race marked Garcia’s first career grade I victory.

“I was down inside, and was watching the favorite the whole time,” Garcia said. “I knew Garrett (Gomez on Wait a While) had some horse. Around the turn, I just tried to be patient. In the stretch, there was some room to go inside, so I sent her through, and she really responded.”

After MArket tripped upThe record will show that E. Paul Rob-

sham Stables’ homebred Trippi’s Storm won the Kelso Handicap (gr. IIT) Sept. 29, but it was the 6-5 favorite, After Market, who received most of the accolades after his impressive second-place finish, in which he had to circle the field five-wide at the head of the stretch, and then closed relentlessly to get beaten a half-length in a sharp 1:32.36 for the mile.

After Market’s powerful performance in the $249,200 race did not in any way diminish the effort of Trippi’s Storm, who has been a gem of consistency but has come up short in major stakes against top-class horses. The son of Trippi, out of Pocket Beauty, by Storm Bird, had run at five different distances, ranging from 11⁄16 miles to 11⁄2 miles, since being put on the turf by trainer Stanley Hough. This was his first crack at a mile and he delivered, charging to the front under Javier Castel-lano and then holding off After Market’s late charge.

Trippi’s Storm saved ground around the turn and then swung wide, while After Market was caught wide the whole way. After Market cost himself any chance when he drifted out at a crucial point in the stretch and then was unable to run down a game Trippi’s Storm. The California in-vader, winner of four graded stakes in a row, finished 11⁄2 lengths ahead of Palace Episode. Finishing out of the money were classy grass stars English Colony, Strike a Deal, and Icy Atlantic.

“We never really knew this horse’s best distance,” Hough said of Trippi’s Storm. “A mile fits him pretty well. We would have to consider the (NetJets) Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT). Obviously, it will be very tough. We’ll see how he comes out of it. He ran back a little quick this time, and that would be a little quick again. But it worked this time. I thought the pace was good, and he seemed to settle in nice. Javier rode him great.” B

Belmont Park Flower Bowl Invitational (Lahudood) Kelso (Trippi’s Storm)

Lahudood and jockey Alan Garcia win the Flower Bowl

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Trippi’s Storm defeats heavy favorite After Market in the one-mile Kelso

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Curlin wins BrEEDErs’ CuP ClAssiC in THE slOP AT MOnMOuTH PArk

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BREEDERS’ CUP XXIV RESULTS

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Curlin crushes the competition in the Monmouth Park slop

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But Curlin’s victory could not be fully appreciated by the crowd of 41,781, who were more focused on the tragic scene that was playing out in front of them. Other than the victory celebration for Curlin

following the Classic, there was no joy in Mudville. A short distance away from the winner’s circle festivities, Ireland’s George Washington was being euthanized after breaking down on a sloppy track that had

been saturated by four days of rain.

As Curlin’s trainer Steve Asmussen, jock-ey Robby Albarado, co-owners Jess Jackson, Satish Sanan, and George Bolton, and their friends and fami-lies were hailing racing’s newest super-star, George Washington’s trainer, Aidan O’Brien, and his family were departing through the tunnel. O’Brien, refusing or unable to speak to anyone, put his arm around his wife, Anne-Marie, who was in tears. It was a sad ending to what had been an exciting and formful day of rac-ing, despite the track conditions and the precipitation that finally ended at about 3:30, giving way to glorious sunshine.

George Washington’s injury was diag-nosed by Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith as an open fracture of the cannon bone in the right front fetlock joint, as well as fractured sesamoids, an injury he called “hopeless as far as repair.”

In addition to the loss of a brilliant and talented horse, the incident dampened what should have been the joyous corona-

Prior to this year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Larry Jones, trainer of eventual runner-up Hard Spun, said of the meteoric rise of the then undefeated Curlin, “Six months from now, we could be looking at Curlin as a super horse.”

Well, it is now six months later, and Jones’ words, unfortunately for him, have become prophetic. By crushing Hard Spun with an awesome display of power in the Oct. 27 Breeders’ Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I) at Monmouth Park, Curlin has now entered the realm of superstardom.

What the son of Smart Strike, out of the Deputy Minister mare Sher-riff’s Deputy, has accomplished since his career debut Feb. 3 is unprec-edented.

As Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens said, “He’s not one in a million to have done what he’s done; he’s one in a jillion.”

Race Replays at BloodHorseNOW.comc BREEDERS’ CUPWORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

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Hard Spun (center) still has the lead in the slop of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but Curlin (left) is making a winning move on the turn

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tion of a champion, unlike any seen in a long while.

Not even longtime veterans of the sport could recall a horse accomplishing so much in such a short period of time. Unraced at 2, Curlin did not make his ca-reer debut until Feb. 3. In less than nine months he has won the grade I Breed-ers’ Cup Classic, Preakness Stakes, and Jockey Club Gold Cup, grade II Arkan-sas Derby, and grade III Rebel Stakes. He also was second in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) and third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and Haskell Invitational (gr. I).

“To accomplish what he’s accomplished in the length of time that he has, to get to this level, he’s different in many ways; he’s an amazing animal,” Asmussen said.

In the Classic, Curlin powered his way to a 41⁄2-length victory over the indefatigable Hard Spun in track-record-equaling time of 2:00.59. The previous record of 2:002⁄5 was set by Carry Back in 1962. Although Monmouth no longer cards races at 10 fur-

longs, many great horses have competed at that distance over the years. Even more impressive than the final time was Cur-lin running each of his final two quarters in :241⁄5 over a track on which horses had been closing slowly all afternoon in two-turn races.

“What I like about him is that he’s just learning to run right now,” assistant trainer Scott Blasi said back at the barn as Curlin was being bathed under the cover of dark-ness. “He’s really leveling off and finishing off his races. Even though he’s just now figuring it out, he’s already doing things

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Part of Curlin’s ownership group: clockwise from top left, Jess Jackson with Shirley

Cunningham’s wife, Patricia; Ann and Satish Sanan; thumbs up from George Bolton


we haven’t seen a horse do in 30 years.”The Classic was unique in that it at-

tracted five grade I winners from this year’s Derby—Curlin, Derby winner Street Sense, Hard Spun, Any Given Saturday, and Tiago. This remarkable quintet would be battling each other with the 3-year-old championship on the line, and only the 4-year-old Lawyer Ron standing in their way for Horse of the Year honors.

Street Sense and Hard Spun were the fan favorites, thanks in part to their con-vivial trainers Carl Nafzger and Jones, re-spectively. Curlin, through no fault of his own, has not been as warmly received due to the legal entanglements of several of his owners. As he did in the Preakness, Cur-lin wore the silks of Midnight Cry Stables, whose owners, Shirley Cunningham and William Gallion, are currently in prison awaiting trial while accused of bilking $64 million from their clients in the Fen-Phen diet drug settlement.

Most everyone is well aware by now that a majority interest in Curlin was pur-

chased by Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables, Sanan’s Padua Stables, and Bolton through bloodstock agent John Moynihan follow-ing the colt’s spectacular career debut for a price believed to be between $3.5 and $3.7 million, with Midnight Cry maintaining a minority interest.

But the story of Curlin began well before that. Purchased by trainer Kenny McPeek for $57,000 at the 2005 Keeneland Sep-tember yearling sale, the colt was sent to Helen Pitts to train after McPeek temporar-ily retired from training to concentrate on bloodstock work.

Pitts and assistant Hanne Jorgensen worked long and hard on the colt through two cases of bucked shins and other minor ailments. On July 29, 2006, the South-ern Legislative Conference convened at Churchill Downs, where the legislators were treated to a night at the races, which included three exhibition races. When Churchill Downs’ senior vice president of racing, Donnie Richardson, asked Pitts to help out and put a couple of her 2-year-olds in the races, she chose Cur-lin, who wound up finishing third behind the Bernie Flint-trained Speedway, who had already broken his maiden by three lengths, but was still green and needed more experience.

“Curlin had worked a couple of half-miles, but he was just a big ol’ 2-year-old who had never been asked to do anything at that point,” said exercise rider Mick Jen-ner, who rode Curlin that night. “Every-thing he’d done was on the bit. The race was only a quarter of a mile and he was bucking and rearing, and I was hanging on for dear life. So I not only got Curlin beat, I got him well beat.”

Flint, who had no idea he had defeated Curlin in that race, still marvels at what the colt has accomplished since then.

“He went from zip to winning the Breed-ers’ Cup Classic and Horse of the Year,” Flint said. “It’s unbelievable. That’s all I can say—unbelievable.”

Pitts and Jorgensen (who is married to Jenner) continued to nurse Curlin through his ailments and finally got him ready for his debut at Gulfstream Park. Jorgensen, who also was Curlin’s regular exercise rider, knew that he was something special and unlike any horse she’d ever been on, and wasn’t surprised when he demolished his field by nearly 13 lengths.

Asmussen had shipped into Gulfstream from Fair Grounds to run Gunfight in the Swale Stakes (gr. II) and was stabled in Pitts’ barn, so he was able to get a good close-up look at this magnificent chest-nut. It was Jorgensen who had helped him by getting on Gunfight in the mornings. When Asmussen left, Curlin went with him. Jorgensen was devastated, and still is, watching her “baby” clinch Horse of the Year honors for someone else, while increasing his bankroll to more than $5.1 million.

“He was always a physically strong horse, but I admired how mentally strong he was,” Jorgensen said. “It’s bittersweet. You take care of them and cultivate them for almost a year and then someone with more money comes in and snatches them right out from under you.”

Curlin quickly developed into a power-house for Asmussen and just kept getting better and better. He went into the Ken-tucky Derby with only three starts, but still managed to finish a solid third, de-

“He’s just learning to run right now. He’s already doing

things we haven’t seen a horse do in 30 years.”

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Trainer Steve Asmussen says Curlin is “an amazing animal”

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spite encountering traffic problems. Then came his dramatic Preakness victory over Street Sense and his courageous head de-feat in the Belmont Stakes at the hands of super filly Rags to Riches, who went into the race a much fresher horse. With Curlin having so little experience and foundation, everyone kept waiting for him to run into the proverbial brick wall after his grueling spring campaign, but he never did.

Finally, after the Belmont, he was given two months off, but returned with a dull third behind Any Given Saturday and Hard Spun in the Haskell. Did he simply crash after being on such an adrenaline high and then let down abruptly? Or with his humongous stride, did he simply not like the tight turns at Monmouth Park? Whatever the reason, Asmussen passed the Travers Stakes (gr. I), which was won by Street Sense, to point for the Classic. Street Sense’s Travers victory placed him firmly atop the contenders list for champi-

onship honors. Curlin would need a huge comeback to take it away from him.

Curlin returned after another two-month layoff to gamely defeat Lawyer Ron in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, putting him in po-sition to challenge Street Sense, who had been beaten by Hard Spun in the Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II). But he would also have to contend with Any Given Saturday, who was riding a three-race winning streak, and had a decisive victory over him on the Monmouth Park surface.

The stage was set for one of the most highly anticipated Classics ever, with Street Sense and Curlin the main contend-ers for the Eclipse Award. But Hard Spun and Any Given Saturday were only one victory away from displacing them. Curlin was 1-1 against Street Sense, 2-2 against Hard Spun, and 1-1 against Any Given Sat-urday. But he did have a victory over the nation’s leading older horse, Lawyer Ron, to his credit.

Street Sense was the first Classic horse to arrive at Monmouth, shipping in by van from Louisville Oct. 19, eight days before the Classic, with a scheduled work set for the following Tuesday.

“He’s impatient,” said Nafzger in ex-plaining why he vanned the colt so early. “He wants off, and he wants off now. I wanted to see how he handled this track and if there’s anything I needed to adjust. We got everything in this race. We got speed, we got tactical speed, and we got closers. And every horse in the race has one common denominator—class. So, that makes it really tough.”

Curlin didn’t arrive until the Tuesday be-fore the race, just after Street Sense turned in a sharp five-furlong work in 1:011⁄5, gal-loping out seven furlongs in a sensational 1:253⁄5 and pulling up a mile in 1:383⁄5.

Curlin arrived with his two personal bodyguards who work for Jess Jackson and have been monitoring his every move

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Jockey Robby Albarado, who won his first Breeders’ Cup race, says Curlin “found something extra to push off and draw away from them”

CURLIN

since Saratoga. “Our job is to make sure no one gets

close to him,” said Amy Kearns, who has a master’s degree in criminal justice and spent a year on the streets of Indianapolis interviewing gang members and felons. She shares her duties at the barn with a retired police officer from Cincinnati.

“We write down everything that hap-pens,” added Kearns, who refers to herself as Curlin’s chaperone. “Anytime someone gives him something or goes in his stall, whether it’s the vet or Scott, we record it in his diary. We record everything—when he lays down, when he gets up, when he eats hay, everything, 24 hours a day. We have volumes, starting up in Saratoga. He doesn’t like small animals; he gets agitated by them, so we have to watch for that as well. He’s such a smart horse. He’s unbe-lievable to be around.”

That eventful Tuesday was the last time anyone at Monmouth would see the sun until Saturday afternoon, as a massive front moved up from the south bringing steady rains, heavy at times, and brisk winds. The weather bureau called for flood warnings on race day, as giant waves pounded the Jersey Shore for several days.

Despite the horrible conditions, the Breeders’ Cup, which was a two-day event for the first time this year, with three ad-

ditional races carded for Friday, went smoothly and according to form. In fact, it was the most formful Breeders’ Cup ever.

All eight of Saturday’s winners, and 10 of the 11 overall winners, had previously won a grade I race in the United States, with the exception of Juvenile Turf win-ner Nownownow, and that was because there are no grade I races for juveniles on the turf in the U.S. On only three previous occasions have there been as many as six Breeders’ Cup winners who already had won a grade I race in the U.S.

A field of nine went to the post for the Classic, seven of whom were grade/group

I winners, with the remaining two—Awe-some Gem and Diamond Stripes—grade II winners and grade I-placed. European champion George Washington added a good deal of intrigue to the race, returning for a second try after a troubled sixth-place finish last year. The 2006 English Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Eng-I) winner had been retired to stud at the end of last year, but was put back in training after impreg-nating only five mares.

The Classic also would likely mark the farewell performance for Street Sense, Hard Spun, and Any Given Saturday, all of whom had been purchased by Darley earlier in the year. Of the three, only Any Given Satur-day’s status has not been announced.

For Street Sense’s rider, Calvin Borel, this has been the end of a magical journey, which brought him an invitation to the White House and a meeting with Queen Elizabeth.

“This year has been a dream come true, and it’s gonna be sad to see him go,” Borel said. “But all things must come to an end. He’s been every jock’s dream, and I don’t think he can be beat on Saturday.”

At 7:15 on the morning of the race, Todd Pletcher, trainer of Lawyer Ron and Any Given Saturday, stood outside his barn hosing off his shoes, having just come


bReedeRS’ CUp fACtSCurlin is the eighth 3-year-old to win the Classic; the last was Tiznow in 2000

Curlin’s win marks first Breeders’ Cup victories for trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Robby Albarado

European-based horses shut out of winner’s circle for first time since ’98

Trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Garrett Gomez scored two wins with Indian Blessing (Juvenile Fillies) and Midnight Lute (Sprint)

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George Washington was euthanized after suffering a fracture of the cannon bone in the right front fetlock joint as well as fractured sesamoids

CLASSIC CURLIN

from inspecting the track. What he saw was not encouraging.

“It’s not good,” Pletcher said. “Not good. It pulls your shoes off, and the scariest part is it’s very inconsistent. That’s what wor-ries me. But they haven’t brought the trac-tors out yet, so, we’ll see.”

A few barns away, Jones was contemplat-ing how a victory by Hard Spun would be perceived. “If we do win, then everybody’s gonna want to blow it off as him just doing well because of the slop,” he said. “It’s a no-win situation, but we’re gonna enjoy it any-way. Our job is to get it done, and if it does play in our favor, then good.”

The fans made Street Sense the 5-2 fa-vorite, followed by Any Given Saturday and Lawyer Ron at 7-2, and Curlin a sur-prising 4-1.

In the paddock, Bob Baffert, who was still beaming over his two Breeders’ Cup winners, Indian Blessing and Midnight Lute, called his wife, Jill, after looking over the field and gave her his assessment of the horses in one word: “Curlin.”

At the start, Hard Spun, as expected, went to the front from post 8, but had to work a bit to get there, outrunning Law-


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Curlin accelerates as they straighten away for home; below, race favorite Street Sense with trainer Carl Nafzger

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CLASSIC CURLIN

yer Ron, who had broken from the rail. Meadowlands Cup (gr. II) winner Dia-mond Stripes was right up there, with Any Given Saturday in good position in fourth. George Washington tracked him in fifth, with Curlin directly outside of Street Sense, who found his usual posi-tion on the rail.

Down the backstretch after a quarter in :23.11 and a half in a quick :45.85, Hard Spun began to open up on the field, with Curlin and Street Sense still side by side, some 10 lengths off the pace. It had not been a good day for closers in two-turn races, and both classic winners had a lot of ground to make up on Hard Spun, who was winging it out there on an uncontest-ed lead.

Approaching the far turn, Hard Spun led by three lengths, with Lawyer Ron and Any Given Saturday going nowhere. George Washington was retreating, and

would ultimately be pulled up by jockey Mick Kinane just before the wire.

“He did well to stay up,” Kinane said. “He was brave. He didn’t go down, and by staying up he saved me.”

Tiago, who was coming up to the race in great shape, was back in last and ap-parently not handling the footing at all. He managed to make slight progress late to finish fifth, 10 lengths ahead of Any Given Saturday and Lawyer Ron, neither of whom ever got hold of the track.

Around the turn, Curlin had a half-length advantage on Street Sense as the two began their moves together. As fast as Street Sense was coming along the inside, Curlin was always going better, reaching out with those massive strides of his. It

was apparent as they closed in on Hard Spun at the quarter pole that Curlin was by far the stronger of the two and was moving so well he already had the race in the bag.

Turning for home, Curlin charged past Hard Spun, as Street Sense’s move stalled abruptly. Curlin began drawing off under mild encouragement from Albarado. The race for first and second was over, and it was just a question of whether Street Sense could hang on for third. Awesome Gem, who had been back in eighth, came flying late and snatched the show spot in the final few jumps.

“After I looped Hard Spun, Curlin found something extra that we needed to push off and draw away from them,” Albarado said. “Coming back, he wasn’t stressed at


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ELEVENTH RACE

MonmouthOCTOBER 27, 2007

1õ MILES. (2.00§) 24TH RUNNING OF THE BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC- POWERED BY DODGE.Grade I. Purse $5,000,000 FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD. Northern HemisphereThree-Year-Olds, 121 lbs.; Older, 126 lbs.; Southern Hemisphere Three Year Olds, 116 lbs.; Older, 126lbs. All Fillies and Mares allowed 3 lbs. $50,000 to pre-enter, $75,000 to enter, with guaranteed $5millionpurse including nominator awards (plus Net Supplementary Fees, if any), of which 54% of all monies tothe owner of the winner, 20% to second, 10% to third, 5.1% to fourth and 2.5% to fifth; plus stallionnominator awards of 2.7% of all monies to the winner, 1% to second and 0.5% to third and foal nominatorawards of 2.7% of all monies to the winner, 1% to second and 0.5% to third. Additional nominator awardsto be paid from Breeders' Cup funds, not included in purse distribution. Stallion nominator awards of0.255% of all monies to fourth and 0.125% to fifth and foal nominator awards of 0.255% of all monies tofourth and 0.125% to fifth. Closed with 9 pre-entries.

Value of Race: $4,580,000 Winner $2,700,000; second $1,000,000; third $500,000; fourth $255,000; fifth $125,000. Mutuel Pool $9,276,636.00Exacta Pool $5,207,211.00 Trifecta Pool $4,616,057.00 Superfecta Pool $2,559,492.00

Last Raced Horse M/Eqt. A.Wt PP ² ¶ º 1 Str Fin Jockey Odds $1

30æ07 ¦¥Bel¦ Curlin L 3 121 4 6Ç 6¦ 5ô 2§ 1¦ 1©ô Albarado R J 4.4029æ07 ¦¥TP¦ Hard Spun L 3 121 8 1¦ 1¦ô 1§ô 1§ 2§ô 2©ö Pino M G 8.1029æ07 ®OSA§ Awesome Gem L b 4 126 6 8© 8§ 8§ 6§ô 4© 3¦ Flores D R 28.3029æ07 ¦¥TP§ Street Sense L f 3 121 2 7§ô 7¬ 6¦ 3§ 3ª 4¤õ Borel C H 2.5029æ07 ®OSA¦ Tiago L f 3 121 9 9 9 9 7© 5ª 5¦¥ Smith M E 12.8022æ07 ¦¥Bel¦ Any Given Saturday L 3 121 3 4ô 4§ 3¦ô 5© 6¦ô 6Ç Gomez G K 3.9030æ07 ¦¥Bel§ Lawyer Ron L 4 126 1 2ô 2¦ 2¦ô 4ô 7ª 7¤õ Velazquez J R 3.905å07 ®Med¦ Diamond Stripes L b 4 126 7 3¦ 3¦ 4¦ô 9 9 8 Velasquez C 38.809æ07 ¦¥LCH¨ GorgWshington-Ire L 4 126 5 5© 5©ô 7©ô 8§ô 8ô > Kinane M J 9.00

OFF AT 5:44 Start Good. Won driving. Track sloppy (Sealed).TIME :23, :45©, 1:10¨, 1:35©, 2:00§ (:23.11, :45.85, 1:10.67, 1:35.86, 2:00.59)

$2 Mutuel Prices:4 - CURLIN 10.80 5.20 4.208 - HARD SPUN 7.60 5.806 - AWESOME GEM 9.40

$2 EXACTA 4-8 PAID $70.80 $1 TRIFECTA 4-8-6 PAID $645.30$1 SUPERFECTA 4-8-6-2 PAID $2,146.20

Ch. c, (Mar), bySmart Strike - Sherriff's Deputy , byDeputy Minister . Trainer Asmussen Steven M. Bred byFares FarmInc (Ky).

CURLIN was unhurried for five furlongs while racing just outside STREET SENSE along the backstretch, got the jump onthat one while splitting horses to make his move on the turn, rapidly closed the gap angling three wide at the quarter pole, drewalong side HARD SPUN to challenge in upper stretch, surged to the front opening a clear advantage a furlong out then drewaway with authority under steady right hand urging to win going away. HARD SPUN sprinted clear on the first turn, set a rapidpace while saving ground along the backstretch, raced uncontested on the lead to the top of the stretch, yielded to the winnernearing the furlong marker then continued on well to clearly best the others. AWESOME GEM raced far back for seven furlongs,advanced a bit from outside midway on the turn, swung three wide at the quarter pole then closed late from outside to gain ashare. STREET SENSE tucked in along the rail in the early stages, raced in hand while saving ground along the backstretch,made his move with the winner midway on the turn, was unable to stay with that one approaching the quarter pole thenflattened out through the final eighth . TIAGO was outrun while trailing to the far turn, lodged a mild move while saving groundon the turn then lacked a strong closing response. ANY GIVEN SATURDAY chased along the inside in the early stages, movedout slightly along the backstretch, tracked the leaders to the far turn, dropped back midway on the turn and steadily tiredthereafter. LAWYER RON steadied slightly along the rail while a bit rank leaving the first turn, angled outside HARD SPUNapproaching the backstretch, pressed the pace from outside for five furlongs, lagged behind on the far turn, gave way nearingthe stretch and steadily tired thereafter. DIAMOND STRIPES bobbled a bit at the start, stalked the leaders while three wide fora half mile, dropped well back on the far turn and was never close thereafter. GEORGE WASHINGTON (IRE) moved intocontention while four wide on the first turn, raced in midpack for a half, was finished leaving the three-eighths pole then brokedown inside the furlong marker.

Owners- 1, Stonestreet Stables Padua Stables Bolton George and Midnight Cry Stables; 2, Fox Hill Farms Inc; 3, West Point PatriceArudel & Paul Blavin; 4, James B Tafel; 5, Moss Mr and Mrs Jerome S; 6, Winstar Farm LLC and Padua Stables; 7, Est Of James T Hines Jr& Stonewall Stallions Racing Division; 8, Four Roses Thoroughbreds; 9, Mrs John Magnier Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith

Trainers- 1, Asmussen Steven M; 2, Jones J Larry; 3, Dollase Craig; 4, Nafzger Carl A; 5, Shirreffs John; 6, Pletcher Todd A; 7,Pletcher Todd A; 8, Dutrow Richard E Jr; 9, O'Brien Aidan P

$2Daily Double (6-4) Paid $55.60 ; Daily Double Pool $1,522,005 .$1Pick Three (4-6-4) Paid $166.40 ; Pick Three Pool $1,353,423 .$1Pick Four (8-4-6-4) Paid $1,506.50 ; Pick Four Pool $3,166,213 .

$2Pick Six (6-2/3-8-4-6-4) 6 Correct Paid $321,813.20 ; Pick Six Pool $3,287,581 .$2Pick Six (6-2/3-8-4-6-4) 5 Correct Paid $1,536.40 .

Monmouth Park Attendance: 41,781 Mutuel Pool: $12,726,622.00 Total Mutuel Pool: $99,177,063.00

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Trainer Larry Jones with Hard Spun

Curlin and Hard Spun are rare individuals—throwbacks

to a time when horses were tough and durable and thrived on racing

CLASSIC CURLIN

all and was as calm as can be, just like the normal Curlin every day.”

Borel offered no excuses for Street Sense. “He just got outrun,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking to go out like this, but he’s one of a kind. He’s the best horse in the world to me, and I’ve had a dream come true with him. He gave me everything he had, but he just couldn’t go with Curlin. That was it.”

Jones was happy with Hard Spun’s per-formance, and with the remarkable tough-ness and durability the colt has shown all year, winning four graded stakes and finishing second in the Kentucky Derby, Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Haskell, and third in the Preakness.

“It’s sort of like kissing your mother, but we’re happy,” he said. “We’re real proud of him. Once again, the 3-year-olds showed up. I watched these horses in the holding

barn and Curlin looked the best.”It is worth noting that the only two hors-

es to compete in all three Triple Crown races—Curlin and Hard Spun—went on to finish one-two in the Classic. That fact either dispels any myths about the Triple Crown being too demanding on horses or proves that Curlin and Hard Spun are rare individuals—throwbacks to a time when horses were tough and durable and thrived on racing.

As for Curlin’s future, Bolton said, “I was so blown away. Why would we retire him? So I can go buy 10 more that can’t run? I would love to run him in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) and come back and point for the Classic at Santa Anita.”

Jackson, who owns the largest share in the colt, said the partners will get together and decide what to do. “I’m on cloud nine, so I’m not sure I’m rational right now,” he said. “With Robby on board and Steve training, I’m sure we can prove that he’s one of the best in the last half-century. This is one of the best generations I’ve ever seen and I’ve been watching racing since 1939. As a breeder, I’d love to have the American breed move upward with the distance, durability, power, and speed that Curlin represents. But I’m a racing fan and a handicapper, and I’d love to see him come back and keep racing.”

So ends the latest chapter in the amazing saga of Curlin. Bred in Ken-tucky by Fares Farms, he has earned his Horse of the Year title with two distinct campaigns. There was the spring campaign, in which he kept firing bullets race after race through the Triple Crown, despite having lit-tle foundation under him. And there was the summer and fall campaign, in which he had two eight-week lay-offs and showed he’s equally effec-tive going into his races fresh.

He has won on the lead, come from one length back to win, three lengths back, five lengths back, and 10 and 13 lengths back. He equaled the track record in the Classic and equaled the stakes record in the Preakness, each time turning in blistering final fractions. He’s won photo finishes, and he’s routed his opposition by as many as 101⁄2 and 123⁄4 lengths.

Credit must be given to Asmus-sen, who has directed Curlin’s cam-paign like a four-star general. “Steve made all the decisions regarding training and which race we go to,” said Sanan, who also is part-owner of Any Given Saturday. “He’s done a phenomenal job; no question about it.”

Asmussen was equally as prophet-ic as Jones when he commented be-fore the Kentucky Derby, “This horse has greatness in his future. You tend to want to mention him with horses whose names slide right off your tongue.”

Now, six months later, Asmussen has changed his way of thinking. He no longer cares to mention Curlin in the same breath with anyone.

“You’re looking to compare him with something else,”he said, “but there’s just not another horse to compare him with.” b


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Curlin: Power and stamina in one tightly-wound package

CLASSIC CURLIN

“Why would we retire him? So I can buy 10 more

that can’t run?”g e o r g e b o lto n

2007 Horse

of theYear

◀ Jess Jackson accepts trophies Jan. 21 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

EclipsE AwArd

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InsIde: Pedigrees, past performancesof all champions

J a n u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 0 8 / N o . 4


classic-winning curlin earns

racing’s top prize

I n t e r n a t i o n a l T h o r o u g h b r e d B r e e d i n g a n d R a c i n g

T H E B L O O D - H O R S E ■ J a n u a R y 2 6 , 2 0 0 8536 B l o o d H o r s e n O W.c o m

On Feb. 3, 2007, the proverbial snowball began its seem-ingly innocuous descent down the mountain. Growing larger and larger at an astounding rate, it soon became an avalanche that by October was an unstoppable force.

Few had seen anything like Curlin. Veteran horsemen could not recall a young horse going on such a roll following his career debut, and actually getting stronger as the year went on.

In less than 71⁄2 months after breaking his maiden, Curlin won the grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge, Preak-

ness Stakes, and Jockey Club Gold Cup, grade II Arkansas Derby, grade III Rebel Stakes, finished second by a head in the grade I Belmont Stakes and third in the grade I Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and Haskell Invitational.

Despite winning the Preakness by a

head and the Jockey Club Gold Cup by a neck, his average margin of victory still was more than 51⁄2 lengths. He could beat you in a stretch duel or he could blow you off the track. He won on the front end sprinting; came from three, four, and five lengths back in middle-distance races; and came from 10 and 13 lengths back at classic distances.

As his trainer Steve Asmussen said, “There’s nothing I can compare him to—nothing.”

Curlin’s first start was for trainer Helen Pitts. When the son of Smart Strike—Sherriff’s Deputy, by Deputy Minister, romped by 123⁄4 lengths, the offers came pouring in. The colt’s owners, Mid-night Cry Stable’s Shirley Cunningham and William Gallion, who bought the Fares Farm-bred colt for $57,000 as a Keeneland Sep-tember yearling, sold majority interest to a partnership made up of Jess Jackson, Satish Sanan, and George Bolton for a price believed to be between $3.5 and $3.7 million. Curlin was turned over to Asmussen, who had shipped to Gulfstream for a stakes run the

b y S t e v e h a S k i n

EclipseAward

WINNERS Horse of the Year and 3-Year-Old Male

1st place votes

Curlin/262Street Sense/3

Hard Spun/1

eclipse voting:

3-year-old male

Curlin

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©2008 daily racing form, inc. and equibase company llc, all rights reserved.

CurlinOwn: Stonestreet Stables Padua Stables, Bo

Ch. c. 3 (Mar) KEESEP05 $57,000Sire: Smart Strike (Mr. Prospector) $75,000Dam:Sherriff's Deputy (Deputy Minister)Br: Fares Farm Inc (Ky)Tr: Asmussen Steven M(0 0 0 0 .00) 2007:(2273 488 .21)

Life 9 6 1 2 $5,102,800 119

2007 9 6 1 2 $5,102,800 119

2006 0 M 0 0 $0 -

0 0 0 0 $0 -

D.Fst 8 5 1 2 $2,402,800 114

Wet(403) 1 1 0 0 $2,700,000 119Synth 0 0 0 0 $0 -Turf(336) 0 0 0 0 $0 -Dst(0) 0 0 0 0 $0 -

27å07=11Mth slyø 1² :45©1:10¨ 1:35©2:00§ 3ÎBCClasic-G1 119 4 6¦¥ 5¬ 2§ 1¦ 1©ô Albarado R J L121 4.40 116= 07 Curlin121©ô Hard Spun121©ö Awesome Gem126¦ Drew off powerfully 930æ07=10Bel fst 1² :47©1:11¨ 1:36¦2:01¦ 3ÎJkyClbGC-G1 114 5 4§ô 4¨ 3¦ 2ô 1É Albarado R J L122 2.10 91= 13 Curlin122É Lawyer Ron126© Political Force126« Determined outside 75Ý07=13Mth fst 1° :47 1:10¨ 1:35§1:48¦ HsklInv-G1 105 5 5ª 5©ô 4¦ô 3¦ 3©ô Albarado R J L122 *.90 92= 13 Any Given Saturday118©ô Hard Spun118Ç Curlin122¨ô 4wd,needed more 79Þ07=11Bel fst 1¶ :50 1:15¦ 2:04©2:28¨ Belmont-G1 107 3 4¦ô 4¦ 2Ç 2Ç 2Ç Albarado R J L126 *1.10 94= 06 Rags to Riches121Ç Curlin126ªô Tiago126ªô Split 1/4pl, yielded 719Ü07=12Pim fst 1± :45¨1:09© 1:34¨1:53§ Preaknes-G1 111 4 6¤ô 7¦¨ 6«ô 2¦ô 1Ç Albarado R J L126 3.40 105= 05 Curlin126Ç Street Sense126© Hard Spun126¦ô Stumbled brk, 5wide 95Ü07=10CD fst 1² :46¦1:11 1:37 2:02 KyDerby-G1 98 2 13¦§14®ô 8©ô 6¬ö 3¤ Albarado R J L126 5.00 88= 09 Street Sense126§õ Hard Spun126ªö Curlin126ô Steady early,5w bid 2014ß07=11OP fst 1° :47©1:12¨ 1:38 1:50 ArkDerby-G2 105 2 2¦ 3¨ 2¦ô 1¨ô 1¦¥ô Albarado R J L122 *.80 91= 17 Curlin122¦¥ô Storm in May122ô Deadly Dealer118ô Effortlssly well clear 917à07=10OP fst 1Â :23§ :47¨ 1:12§1:44¨ Rebel-G3 99 8 4© 5ªô 4¦õ 1§ô 1ªõ Albarado R J L117 2.70 83= 24 Curlin117ªõ Officer Rocket119§ô Teuflesberg122¦õ Swept to fore 4-w 9Previously trained by Pitts Helen 2006: ( 210 34 31 25 0.16 )

3á07= 4GP fst 7f :22¨ :45§ 1:09©1:22¦ Md SpWt 38k 102 2 6 1Ç 1§ 1¨ 1¦§ö Bejarano R L122 *2.00 94= 06 Curlin122¦§ö Winstrella122©ö Marnesia's Big Boy122É Drifted out stretch 8

Hard SpunOwn: Fox Hill Farms Inc

B. c. 3 (May)Sire: Danzig (Northern Dancer) $200,000Dam:Turkish Tryst (Turkoman)Br: Michael Moran & Brushwood Stable (Pa)Tr: Jones J. L(0 0 0 0 .00) 2007:(398 77 .19)

Life 13 7 3 1 $2,673,470 112

2007 10 4 3 1 $2,572,500 112

2006 3 3 0 0 $100,970 87

0 0 0 0 $0 -

D.Fst 9 4 2 1 $1,054,330 107

Wet(411) 2 1 1 0 $1,039,140 112Synth 2 2 0 0 $580,000 109Turf(386) 0 0 0 0 $0 -Dst(0) 0 0 0 0 $0 -

27å07=11Mth slyø 1² :45©1:10¨ 1:35©2:00§ 3ÎBCClasic-G1 112 8 1¦ô 1§ô 1§ 2¦ 2©ô Pino M G L121 8.10 111= 07 Curlin121©ô Hard Spun121©ö Awesome Gem126¦ Set pace, second best 929æ07=10TP fst 1° ú :48 1:11§ 1:35¨1:48§ 3ÎKyCpCls-G2 109 1 1¦ 1¦ 1¦ 1ô 1¦õ Pino M G L118 .90 99= 08 Hard Spun118¦õ Street Sense120¨õ Stream Cat118¦¦õ Off rail,drvng 425Ý07= 8Sar fst 7f :21© :44¦ 1:08¨1:22¦ KngsBshp-G1 107 3 6 2ô 1ô 2Ç 1¦ô Pino M G L121 *1.30 93= 13 Hard Spun121¦ô First Defence119©õ E ZWarrior119ô Bumped start, gamely 115Ý07=13Mth fst 1° :47 1:10¨ 1:35§1:48¦ HsklInv-G1 106 6 2¦ô 2¦ 2ô 2ô 2©ô Pino M G L118 4.80 92= 13 AnyGivenSaturday118©ô HardSpun118Ç Curlin122¨ô Led into lane,game 2nd 79Þ07=11Bel fst 1¶ :50 1:15¦ 2:04©2:28¨ Belmont-G1 94 6 3¦ 3ô 3É 4¬ô 4¦¦ Gomez G K L126 4.90 83= 06 Rags to Riches121Ç Curlin126ªô Tiago126ªô Wide trip, bid, tired 719Ü07=12Pim fst 1± :45¨1:09© 1:34¨1:53§ Preaknes-G1 104 7 3¨ô 3©ô 1§ 3¦ô 3© Pino M G L126 4.10 101= 05 Curlin126Ç Street Sense126© Hard Spun126¦ô 5wide move in hand 95Ü07=10CD fst 1² :46¦1:11 1:37 2:02 KyDerby-G1 107 8 1¦ 1§ 1¨ 2¦ 2§õ Pino M G L126 10.00 94= 09 Street Sense126§õ Hard Spun126ªö Curlin126ô Bobble 1/8p,2ndbest 2024à07=10TP fst 1° ú :47¦1:11¨ 1:36¨1:49§ LanesEnd-G2 101 10 3¦ô 3ô 3É 1§ô 1¨õ Pino M G L121 2.60 94= 07 Hard Spun121¨õ Sedgefield121¨õ Joe Got Even121¨õ In hand bid, driving 1219á07= 9OP fst 1 :23¨ :47© 1:12 1:38¦ Southwest250k 97 9 5¨ 5§ô 2¦ 3§ô 4¨ Pino M G L122 *.50 89= 20 Teuflesberg117¦ô Officer Rocket119¦ Forty Grams118ô Closer 4-w, hung 913â07= 9FG fst 1 :23¨ :46¨ 1:11 1:37© LeComte-G3 95 3 1¦ 1ô 1Ç 1§ô 1«ô Pino M G L122 *1.00 94= 11 Hard Spun122«ô Izzie's Halo116§õ Teuflesberg122ª Increased margin 7

Street SenseOwn: Jim Tafel LLC

Dk. b or b. c. 3 (Feb)Sire: Street Cry*Ire (Machiavellian) $30,000Dam:Bedazzle (Dixieland Band)Br: James Tafel (Ky)Tr: Nafzger Carl A(0 0 0 0 .00) 2007:(77 18 .23)

Life 13 6 4 2 $4,383,200 111

2007 8 4 3 0 $3,205,000 111

2006 5 2 1 2 $1,178,200 108

0 0 0 0 $0 -

D.Fst 8 6 2 0 $3,836,200 111

Wet(377) 2 0 0 1 $277,000 104Synth 3 0 2 1 $270,000 107Turf(316) 0 0 0 0 $0 -Dst(0) 0 0 0 0 $0 -

27å07=11Mth slyø 1² :45©1:10¨ 1:35©2:00§ 3ÎBCClasic-G1 104 2 7¦¦ 6¬ô 3© 3¨ô 4¦¥õ Borel C H L121 f *2.50 106= 07 Curlin121©ô Hard Spun121©ö Awesome Gem126¦ Inside, no winning bid 929æ07=10TP fst 1° ú :48 1:11§ 1:35¨1:48§ 3ÎKyCpCls-G2 107 3 2¦ 2¦ 2¦ 2ô 2¦õ Borel C H L120 f *.80 98= 08 HardSpun118¦õ StreetSense120¨õ StreamCat118¦¦õ Bid, gamely, 2nd best 425Ý07= 9Sar fst 1² :48 1:12§ 1:36©2:02¨ Travers-G1 108 4 3¦ô 3¦ 2Ç 1Ç 1ô Borel C H L126 f *.35 91= 09 Street Sense126ô Grasshopper126¦¥õ Helsinki126É Determined outside 729Û07= 9Sar fst 1° :47 1:11¨ 1:36¦1:48© JimDandy-G2 105 3 5¨ô 5¨ 4¦ 2Ç 1¦ô Borel C H L123 f *.35 93= 07 Street Sense123¦ô C PWest115ö Sightseeing121¦ô When roused, clear 619Ü07=12Pim fst 1± :45¨1:09© 1:34¨1:53§ Preaknes-G1 111 8 8®ô 8¦ª 7®ô 1¦ô 2Ç Borel C H L126 f *1.30 105= 05 Curlin126Ç Street Sense126© Hard Spun126¦ô Swung 4wide, yielded 95Ü07=10CD fst 1² :46¦1:11 1:37 2:02 KyDerby-G1 110 7 19¦®17¦§ 3¨ô 1¦ 1§õ Borel C H L126 f *4.90 96= 09 Street Sense126§õ Hard Spun126ªö Curlin126ô Rail to lane,split,drv 2014ß07= 9Kee fst 1° ú :51§1:16¨ 1:39©1:51¦ BlueGras-G1 93 4 4§ô 4§ô 4§ 4ö 2ó Borel C H L123 f *1.10 88= 15 Dominican123ó Street Sense123Ç Zanjero123Ç Floated out 3/16s 717à07=12Tam fst 1Â :23§ :47§ 1:12 1:43 TampaDby-G3 102 2 4«ô 4¬ 4©ô 1ô 1ó Borel C H L122 f 1.20 100= 10 StrtSns122ó AnyGivnSturdy120«õ DlghtfulKss116§ Dueled,brushd,all out 7

Daily Racing Form 3yom. Thoroughbred


2007 Past Performances

Wins in the Preakness, Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Breeders’ Cup Classic, above, earn Curlin the Horse of the Year title

537T H E B L O O D - H O R S E ■ J a n u a R y 2 6 , 2 0 0 8B l o o d H o r s e n O W.c o m

same day as Curlin’s debut and happened to be stabled in his barn. It didn’t take him long to realize this was a special horse.

“When he came into our barn and I began training him, we knew he had only run one time,” Asmussen said. “But when we took him to the Rebel, we knew he was going to win. He gave every indication he was good enough and up to it. And then from there came the Arkansas Derby. After that, we were never sur-prised when he won. We were only surprised when he got beat. He gave you that kind of confidence just from being around him. He didn’t come back from his races—even his defeats—like other horses. He was just different from the rest of them.”

Curlin’s first defeat came in the Kentucky Derby in only the fourth start of his career. He was making a big move on the turn, matching strides with the eventual winner, Street Sense. But when a horse came off the rail, it forced jockey Robby Albarado on Curlin to alter course while opening the rail up for Street Sense.

In the Preakness, Curlin stumbled at the start and dropped more than a dozen lengths off the pace. He made a big move on the turn, but with his humongous strides, he had difficulty cut-ting the corner at the top of the stretch and basically blew the turn. Street Sense charged by on Curlin’s inside and seemingly was on his way to another victory. But as soon as Curlin switched

leads and gathered himself, he leveled off and came running late to nip Street Sense on the wire, equaling the stakes record.

While Street Sense passed the

Belmont Stakes, Curlin came right back three weeks later and was involved in a gut-wrenching stretch duel with super filly Rags to Riches, who hadn’t run since her victory in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). Curlin gave his all, but fell a head short.

“It wasn’t meant to be; that’s all,” Asmussen said. “I think she benefited from a perfect setup; she was a fresh horse and had to run only a half-mile.”

Finally given some time off, Curlin came back eight weeks later to finish third in the Haskell. Rather than rush him back in the Travers (gr. I), Asmussen gave him another eight weeks off and pointed for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which Curlin won by a neck over the year’s champion older horse Lawyer Ron.

“Spacing his races the second part of the year was by design,” Asmussen said. “He needed to digest what he had done, and when he came back, he actually was on level footing as far as experience goes.”

The Breeders’ Cup Classic was payback time for Curlin, who destroyed one of the better Classic fields ever assembled, win-ning by 41⁄2 lengths over Hard Spun, with Street Sense fourth and Haskell winner Any Given Saturday and Lawyer Ron well back on the sloppy track. Curlin’s dominating victory nailed down Horse of the Year and 3-year-old champion honors.

After the race, assistant trainer Scott Blasi summed up Curlin, saying, “He’s already doing things we haven’t seen a horse do in 30 years.” B

remains in training for defense of his title.

Plans for 2008

SMART STRIKE, b, 1992

Mr. Prospector, 1970 14s, SW, $112,171 1,178 f, 181 SW, 3.99 AEI

Raise a Native, 1961 4s, SW, $45,955 838 f, 79 SW, 2.34 AEI

Native Dancer

Raise You

Gold Digger, 1962 35s, SW, $127,255 12 f, 7 r, 7 w, 3 SW

Nashua

Sequence

Classy ‘n Smart, 1981 9s, SW, $303,222 9 f, 5 r, 5 w, 4 SW

Smarten, 1976 27s, SW, $716,426 602 f, 49 SW, 1.71 AEI

Cyane

Smartaire

CURLIN ch, c March 25, 2004

No Class, 1974 29s, wnr, $37,543 8 f, 7 r, 7 w, 6 SW

Nodouble

Classy Quillo

Deputy Minister, 1979 22s, SW, $696,964 1,141 f, 89 SW, 2.67 AEI

Vice Regent, 1967 5s, wnr, $6,215 672 f, 105 SW, 2.89 AEI

Northern Dancer

Victoria Regina

SHERRIFF’S DEPUTY, b, 1994

Mint Copy, 1970 76s, wnr, $53,945 7 f, 7 r, 4 w, 1 SW

Bunty’s Flight

Shakney

Barbarika, 1985 16s, SW, $347,253 12 f, 9 r, 4 w

Bates Motel, 1979 19s, SW, $851,050 579 f, 39 SW, 1.47 AEI

Sir Ivor

Sunday Purchase

War Exchange, 1972 48s, SW, $123,073 10 f, 7 r, 6 w, 2 SW

Wise Exchange

Jungle War

CURLIN’S RACE AND (STAKES) RECORDYear Age Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Earned2007 at 3 9 6(5) 1(1) 2(2) $5,102,800 Lifetime 9 6(5) 1(1) 2(2) $5,102,800Sire: SMART STRIKE, b, 1992. Raced 2 yrs, 8 sts, 6 wins, $337,376. Won Philip H. Iselin H (gr. I),

Salvator Mile H (gr. III).Lifetime: 8 crops, 536 foals, 426 rnrs (79%), 304 wnrs (57%), 88 2yo wnrs (16%), 51 sw (10%),

2.86 AEI, 1.96 CI, 302 sale yrlgs, avg $86,658, 1.7 TNA.1st dam: Sherriff’s Deputy, b, 1994. Bred by Fares Farm (Ky.). Unraced. Dam of 5 named foals, 5

rnrs, 3 wnrs, 1 sw.1998: Deputy, dkb/br f, by Hadif. Raced 4 yrs, 20 sts, 4 wins, $52,020.1999: Secret Wedge, gr/ro c, by Excellent Secret. Raced 3 yrs, 25 sts, 3 wins, $48,615.2002: Ms Deep Cover, gr/ro f, by Excellent Secret. Raced 1 yr, 1 st, 0 wins, $2,750. Died 2005.

($11,000 texaug yrlg).2003: Comic Hero, b g, by Wild Zone. Raced 2 yrs, 3 sts, 0 wins, $1,100. ($30,000 keejan yrlg;

$60,000 keesep yrlg).2004: CURLIN, ch c, by Smart Strike. ($57,000 keesep yrlg).

At 3: Won Preakness S (gr. I), Breeders’ Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I), Jockey Club Gold Cup S (gr. I), Arkansas Derby (gr. II), Rebel S (gr. III); 2nd Belmont S (gr. I); 3rd Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Haskell Invitational S (gr. I).

2005: Barren.2006: F, by Medaglia d’Oro. Died 2006.2007: Dkb/br f, by Saint Liam.2008: Barren.



Family notes

1997 Silver Charm1998 real Quiet1999 Charismatic2000 Tiznow2001 Point Given2002 War emblem2003 Funny Cide2004 Smarty Jones2005 afleet alex2006 Bernardini2007 Curlin

1984 Swale1985 Spend a Buck1986 Snow Chief1987 alysheba1988 risen Star1989 Sunday Silence1990 unbridled1991 Hansel1992 a.P. indy1993 Prairie Bayou1994 Holy Bull1995 Thunder Gulch1996 Skip away

1971 Canonero ii1972 Key to the mint1973 Secretariat1974 little Current 1975 Wajima1976 Bold Forbes1977 Seattle Slew1978 affirmed 1979 Spectacular Bid1980 Temperence Hill1981 Pleasant Colony1982 Conquistador Cielo1983 Slew o’ Gold

Past 3-year-old male Winners

Sire: SMART STRIKE, b, 1992. Raced 2 yrs, 8 sts, 6 wins, $337,376. Won Philip H. Iselin H (gr. I), Salvator Mile H (gr. III).

Lifetime: 8 crops, 536 foals, 426 rnrs (79%), 304 wnrs (57%), 88 2yo wnrs (16%), 51 sw (10%), 2.86 AEI, 1.96 CI, 302 sale yrlgs, avg $86,658, 1.7 TNA.

1st dam: Sherriff’s Deputy, b, 1994. Bred by Fares Farm (Ky.). Unraced. Dam of 5 named foals, 5 rnrs, 3 wnrs, 1 sw.1998: Deputy, dkb/br f, by Hadif. Raced 4 yrs, 20 sts, 4 wins, $52,020.1999: Secret Wedge, gr/ro c, by Excellent Secret. Raced 3 yrs, 25 sts, 3 wins,

$48,615.2002: Ms Deep Cover, gr/ro f, by Excellent Secret. Raced 1 yr, 1 st, 0 wins, $2,750. Died

2005. ($11,000 texaug yrlg).2003: Comic Hero, b g, by Wild Zone. Raced 2 yrs, 3 sts, 0 wins, $1,100. ($30,000 keejan

yrlg; $60,000 keesep yrlg).2004: CURLIN, ch c, by Smart Strike. ($57,000 keesep yrlg).

At 3: Won Preakness S (gr. I), Breeders’ Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I), Jockey Club Gold Cup S (gr. I), Arkansas Derby (gr. II), Rebel S (gr. III); 2nd Belmont S (gr. I); 3rd Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Haskell Invitational S (gr. I).

2005: Barren.2006: F, by Medaglia d’Oro. Died 2006.2007: Dkb/br f, by Saint Liam.2008: Barren.



CURLIN’S RACE AND (STAKES) RECORD

Year Age Sts 1st 2nd 3rd Earned2007 at 3 9 6(5) 1(1) 2(2) $5,102,800

Lifetime 9 6(5) 1(1) 2(2) $5,102,800

Curlin’s crew in the Preakness winner’s circle

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■ KY. CASINO BILL DEAD/1817■ CASSE FAMILY/1850■ FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY/1854■ HAY, STRAW SHORTAGE/1856

HOT BROWN

Big Brown’s Fla. Derby romp makes for big day for Dutrow, IEAH

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CURLIN EASILY WINS THE

DUBAI WORLD CUp

T H E B L O O D - H O R S E ■ A P R I L 5 , 2 0 0 81844 B l o o d H o r s e N O W.c o m 1845T H E B L O O D - H O R S E ■ A P R I L 5 , 2 0 0 8B l o o d H o r s e N O W.c o m

America’s fragile foreign balance of trade received a $7-million boost when Horse of the Year Curlin led a charge of three U.S. victories at

the fabulous Dubai World Cup meeting. The lion’s share of the prize money ($3.6 million) and glory went to Curlin, who posted a scintillating 73⁄4-length victory in the showcase race, the Dubai World Cup - Sponsored by Emirates Airline (UAE-I). The giant son of Smart Strike bullied his 11 rivals into submission as he powered clear in the stretch, with commentator Terry Spargo calling the victory a TKO.

Certainly those in his slipstream looked punch drunk as Robby Albarado eased down on the chestnut, who easily con-quered the 80° temperature and high hu-midity. Defying the outside draw—joining Roses in May as the only previous winner to break from post 12—Curlin lay up with the early pace set by Well Armed and Asi-atic Boy. As the trio turned into the three-furlong home straight, Albarado, who has ridden Curlin, a 4-year-old colt out of the Deputy Minister mare Sherriff’s Deputy, in all but his first race, pressed the turbo, and there was an immediate response.

The 4-11 favorite pulled steadily clear, the only slight disappointment being that he failed to match the ill-fated Dubai Mil-lennium’s 2000 course record of 1:59.50 by 0.65 of a second. Nevertheless, he beat Dubai Millennium’s winning distance of six lengths impressively enough, with Albarado seemingly having a little up his sleeve.

The South African-trained Asiatic Boy stayed on well to take second place, with Well Armed a neck away third and A. P. Arrow only three-quarters of a length back in fourth place.

It was as comprehensive a win of the world’s most valuable race as you could expect to see and confirmed Curlin’s sta-tus as the world’s best Thoroughbred. However, local handicapper Melvin Day tempered enthusiasm for the performance by pointing out that none of Curlin’s rivals could be given a rating above 118. He rated the victory worthy only of his current rat-ing of 129. “The first four all ran to their ratings, which is satisfying for handicap-pers,” Day said. “But there wasn’t any-thing in the field in a position to give him a real race. You can’t knock him, but he didn’t show me the ‘wow’ factor.”

Some, it seems, are never satisfied, but

NAD AL SHEBA RACECOURSED U B A I W O R L D C U P

World ClassB y C o l i n M a c K e n z i e

the second half of the year. It will be decid-ed collectively and based on what’s in the best interest of the horse and his legacy.”

For Albarado it was the best win of his life, not to mention the most lucrative. “It was as easy as it looked; he is such a spe-cial horse,” Albarado said. “I don’t want to take anything away from the field, but he has shown he is the best horse in the world.

“He was on the outside coming down the stretch, where he likes to be, and when I called on him he was there. This is the highlight of my career. I’m sure with the team behind him he can go on. Steve (As-mussen), (his assistant) Scott Blasi, Carlos (Carmen Rosas, exercise rider), and all the team have done a fantastic job with him.”

Principal owner Jess Jackson, 78, praised Sheikh Mohammed’s stance on medication-free racing and said he was anxious to start Curlin’s 4-year-old career in this environment. “In America, we are lax in enforcing the rules that exist, not

just in ethics, but in medications,” Jackson said. “We call them medications—they are drugs.

“To avoid confrontation on the issue, we get into discussions about the amounts and how much can be tolerated. We shouldn’t tolerate anything. I’m a believer in zero tol-eration, and that’s a reason why we were racing in Dubai.

“Sheikh Mohammed and the Maktoum family have been extremely supportive of breeding and racing in America, and this was a personal way to thank him.”

Well Armed, ridden by Aaron Gryder and trained by Eoin Harty, stayed on well to be third just behind Asiatic Boy, the lat-ter capping a wonderful night for trainer Mike de Kock. A. P. Arrow gave the Paul-son family, who of course owned inaugu-ral 1996 Dubai World Cup winner Cigar, a great thrill.

The huge disappointment of the race was Godolphin’s Jalil, the $9.7-million yearling purchase at Keeneland in 2005.

He was unbeaten in three races at Nad al Sheba this year and was the second-fa-vorite under Frankie Dettori. But he just couldn’t live with Curlin’s class and faded to seventh. “Jalil was too young and inex-perienced,” Dettori said. “It was a year too early for him, and we will have to wait for next year.”

Nevertheless, the colt, campaigned with limited success on grass in England in 2006 and 2007, will remain on dirt now and could go to the U.S. later this year.

Richard Dutrow, who chose to remain in Florida, where his colt Big Brown won the Florida Derby (gr. I), making him a leading hope for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), landed a stunning dou-ble with Diamond Stripes in the Godolphin Mile - Sponsored by Etisalat (UAE-II) and Benny the Bull in the Dubai Golden Sha-heen - Sponsored by Gulf News (UAE-I), both horses ridden by Edgar Prado. Dia-mond Stripes a 5-year-old gray/roan geld-ing by Notebook—Romantic Summer, by

Day insisted the performance lagged be-hind that of Dubai Millennium, who rated 139, and inaugural winner Cigar (132). For those connected with Curlin, however, it was a performance of majesty and style, following elegantly in the shadow of the extraordinary fireworks display that bi-sected the fourth and fifth races of the night.

Curlin will ship back to Keeneland April 6, where he will eventually resume light training on the Polytrack surface. Happily, Curlin came out of his race unscathed, unlike so many previous winners of this tough race, and took his career earnings to $8,807,800.

“He was spot on,” trainer Steve Asmus-sen said. “He has spoiled us with his con-sistency. He stepped out of the stall in very good order and was handy the whole way, and we hope it continues.

“For someone from a racing family to have the best horse in the world under my care is a dream come true. We had a great amount of faith in our animal, even though we had a lot of concern about the draw.

“From Keeneland we’ll plan a course for Horse of the Year Curlin wins the Dubai World Cup

by a record marginRobby Albarado and Curlin separate them-selves from the pack down the stretch at Nad al Sheba; below, majority owner Jess

Jackson hoists the World Cup trophy

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RousingReturn

■ CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS/3157■ STATE TO TAKE OVER NYCOTB/3159■ REAL ESTATE MARKET/3176■ IEAH’S MEDICAL CENTER/3180

what a knockout

Older female rivals no match for Ginger Punch

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B l o o d H o r s e . c o m

CURLIN CRUSHES STEPHEN FOSTER FOES IN FIRST START SINCE WORLD CUP

Curlin easily wins the Stephen Foster Handicap in his first start at Churchill Downs since last year’s Kentucky Derby

Reed PalmeR Photo

Out Of the Gate

CRUISIN’

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B y C l a i r e N o va k

Reigning Horse of the Year Curlin returns to U.S. racing with a resounding victory in the Stephen Foster

‘Routine Brilliance’

ChurChill Downs

In this hard-knocking world, we are not inclined to let an athlete rest upon his laurels. Greatness must be tested…

then tested again. But hope still springs eternal, and that is Thoroughbred racing’s greatest draw—the draw that brought fans to Churchill Downs for the $1-million Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) June 14.

With memories of Big Brown’s Belmont Stakes (gr. I) loss and Eight Belles’ break-down in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) still painfully fresh, the racing industry was in desperate need of a hero. Returning to the United States after consecutive victories in Dubai, 2007

Horse of the Year Curlin was poised to fill the void. And the 4-year-old son of Smart Strike came through, delivering a riveting performance that was everything his con-nections had hoped it would be.

It is difficult to overdramatize the man-ner in which Curlin won the 11⁄8-mile affair. The facts speak for themselves. Saddled by trainer Steve Asmussen and assistant Scott Blasi and sent off as the 2-5 favorite under a 128-pound impost, the colt over-came a troubled beginning when he collid-ed with the gate at the start, then rated in tight quarters while along the rail despite his obvious preference for the outside. He

found daylight and made his move at the head of the stretch, taking just one tap from rider Robby Al-barado’s whip before drawing away to win by 41⁄4 lengths. To use Albarado’s descrip-tion, it was “routine brilliance.

“He’s so manageable now,” Albarado said. “I guided him through there, he made the lead turning for home, and he just went on and proved he’s the best horse in the world. He’s getting better and better every time, and it just scares me (to think) how good he can get. We need a superstar

Race Replays at BloodHorse.com

c NortH americaN graded stakes

Curlin, with jockey Robby Albarado easing up, crosses the finish line of the Stephen Foster Handicap

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in this business, and I think Curlin has stepped up to the plate.”

Judging by the reaction of the crowd under the Twin Spires, this colt is more than worthy of the title majority owner Jess Jackson has bestowed upon him—that of “the people’s horse.” As Curlin walked to the frontside before the Ste-phen Foster, fans and horsemen alike stopped in their tracks to admire his fluid stride and regal bearing. After the race, they greeted his return to the win-ner’s circle with a standing ovation.

“This is just an affirmation of what we felt racing needs,” Jackson said. “We need more heroes. We need more Curlins. We need more racing fans. And the industry will thrive if we get back to the golden days of early racing, when it was a family scene for the fans and for the sport, not necessarily for gaming.”

Twelve starts. Nine wins. A five-race string of victories that includes the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I). Earn-

ings of $9,396,800, just $603,015 away from Cigar’s record-setting $9,999,815 in earnings by a North American-based run-ner. Curlin is building a legacy that should only get better as the season goes on—for if he works well over Churchill’s Matt Winn

turf course in the weeks to come, his connections plan to point him toward Longchamp’s prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I).

Preparing for that Oct. 5 event would entail starting Curlin in a U.S. turf race the weekend of July 12-13. Major turf events for older horses scheduled that weekend include the $500,000 Man o’ War Stakes (gr. IT) at 13⁄8 miles at Bel-mont Park and the $200,000 Arlington Handicap (gr. IIIT) at 11⁄4 miles at Ar-lington Park. Curlin would then ship to Chantilly, France, where he would train and race in a prep before run-ning in the Arc.

“If we don’t like how he works on the turf, then we’ll change plans and that will have to be discussed,” Asmussen

said. “But right now, we’re going to plan on working him on the turf, with the pos-sibility of running him on the turf.”

“I think (the Stephen Foster win) means more for the industry and fans than it does for me,” Jackson said. “He had to overcome a lot of challenges, but he always gives us everything he has, and he always has that Curlin finish. He’s going to be one for the centuries, we hope.”

“What a special horse,” Asmussen added. “It’s just an honor and a pleasure to be involved with him. To watch him come down the stretch when Robby asked him to lengthen his stride was a tremendous feeling. I can’t tell you what a fan I am of his; I couldn’t almost believe what we just watched, and the results speak for who he is.”

Asmussen patterned Curlin’s return from the March 29 World Cup victory after the regimen of the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Street Cry, who aced the overseas test after a prep race over the Nad al Sheba Race Course, then returned to claim a 61⁄2-length score in the 2002 edition of the Stephen Foster.

That pattern paid off, as did the work of exercise rider Carmen Rosas, who had breezed the horse inside company to im-prove his rail-skimming bid. Previously, Curlin had demonstrated a preference for the outside, a slight flaw that may have cost him the Belmont to Rags to Riches last year. In the Stephen Foster, however, the colt was boxed in on the rail—tucked behind slow opening fractions of :25.01 and :49.28 established by the pacesetting Barcola—until he found running room at the head of the stretch.

“He looked very relaxed in Robby’s hands,” Asmussen said. “The first quar-ter was concerning, but Robby sensed that and moved him up to a good posi-tion about halfway around the first turn. I was very nervous until I saw his head peek through daylight at the head of the stretch. When Robby moved forward and

ChurChill Downs Stephen Foster (Curlin)

Curlin with Barbara Banke, assistant Scott Blasi, Albarado, and majority owner Jess Jackson

All-Time Leaders By EarningsHorse Starts Wins 2nd 3rd Earnings

Cigar 33 19 4 5 $9,999,815

Skip Away 38 18 10 6 $9,616,360

Curlin 12 9 1 2 $9,396,800

Fantastic Light 25 12 5 3 $8,486,957

Invasor 12 11 0 0 $7,804,070

Pleasantly Perfect 18 9 3 2 $7,789,880

Smarty Jones 9 8 1 0 $7,613,155

Silver Charm 24 12 7 2 $6,944,369

Captain Steve 25 9 3 7 $6,828,356

Alysheba 26 11 8 2 $6,672,242statistics courtesy of equibase; north american-based runners

the horse lengthened his stride, it just looked tremendous.”

After three-quarters in 1:13.41 and a mile in 1:37.39, Curlin drew away to his much-the-best score in 1:49.68 over a determined Einstein. That Helen Pitts-trained turf star made a game move from sixth to finish second by a nose over Barcola. The winner conceded 10 and 13 pounds, respectively, to the runners rounding out the trifecta. Grasshopper, Brass Hat, Jonesboro, De-lightful Kiss, Sam P., High Blues, and Red Rock Creek completed the order of finish.

Bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm out of the Deputy Minister mare Sher-riff’s Deputy, Curlin was purchased for $57,000 by trainer Kenny McPeek at the 2005 Keeneland September sale by Midnight Cry Stables, the racing entity owned by incarcerated attorneys Wil-liam Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr. Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables pur-chased an interest in the colt follow-ing his 123⁄4-length maiden romp at Gulf-stream Park in February 2007. Stonestreet currently owns an 80% interest in Curlin.

PyromaniacAsmussen sent Winchell Thorough-

breds’ Pyro out to work in company with Curlin in the days leading up to this year’s Kentucky Derby. He expected the older colt’s professionalism and focus to rub off on his younger stablemate, and while Pyro finished eighth in the Derby, the lessons he learned from Curlin apparently did not go to waste. The homebred son of Pulpit proved his career was far from extin-

guished when he delivered a victory in the $190,925 Northern Dancer Stakes (gr. III), just two races before his elder stablemate scored the Foster win.

It was gratifying for Asmussen to see a rebound from Pyro, whose promising 3-year-old campaign was doused first by a 10th-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) over Keeneland’s Polytrack, then further rained upon by his off-the-board finish in the Derby. But the colt came back with a vengeance in the 11⁄16-mile Northern Dancer, calling to mind memo-ries of his dominating victories in the Risen Star Stakes (gr. III) and Louisiana

Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds earlier this season.

“He ran a strong race,” said Asmus-sen, who was particularly pleased with Pyro’s willingness to relax and rate off a moderate pace set by frontrunners Texas Wildcatter and My Pal Charlie. “I’m just proud of how he acted. He was very confident and back to how he was over the winter. I was glad to see it. Hopefully, this is the first step to a very good second half of the year.”

Sixth at the start under Shaun Bridg-mohan, Pyro quickly pulled into third as the front two raced through early fractions of :24.88 and :48.83. Keen, but willing to settle as the leaders went three-quarters in 1:13.08, Pyro closed the gap on the final turn and made a move three wide. The time for the mile was 1:37.23, and by then Pyro was smoking his competition to win by 13⁄4 lengths in a final time of 1:43.53. My Pal Charlie hung on for second, while Visionaire closed to get third. Illinois

Derby (gr. II) winner Recapturetheglory, the post time favorite, finished fourth after a rough break.

“(Pyro) was coming off two extremely disappointing efforts for a top-class horse,” said Asmussen, who will now point the colt toward the $200,000 Dwyer Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont Park July 6 as a prep for the $1-million Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park Aug. 3. “He was a lot sharper in this race and looked comfort-able the whole time. Scott (Blasi) did a great job with him, doing a lot of schooling and getting him able to run back here. He beat a nice group of horses today.”

Pyro is out of the Wild Again mare Wild Vision. He owns a 4-2-1 record from nine starts, with earnings of $1,174,063.

Hystericalady starts Gomez sPree

Garrett Gomez was the go-to rider of the afternoon, getting in the winner’s cir-cle aboard three of his six graded stakes mounts—and the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Hystericalady provided his initial score with a dominating 71⁄2-length tri-umph in the $321,900 Fleur de Lis Handi-cap (gr. II). Sent out by owners Tom Clark of Rancho San Miguel, George Todaro, and Hollendorfer in the 11⁄8-mile dirt test for older fillies and mares, the 5-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor added yet another graded win to an already-distin-guished resumé that includes the Humana Distaff Stakes (gr. I) earned at Churchill last year.

Gomez was in the saddle aboard Hys-tericalady for the first time, who broke alertly and pressed the early pace set by Initforthekandy, going the first quarter-mile in :24.78 and the half in :49.69 before

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Northern Dancer (Pyro) Fleur de Lis (Hystericalady)

Pyro fires in the Northern Dancer

Trainer Steve Asmussen had two big winners on the day with Curlin and Pyro

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FigureEight

■ RACING’S ‘HEDGE’ FUNDS/4804■ SEPTEMBER SALE WRAP/4808■ KENTUCKY CUP/4822■ RAVEN’S PASS’ QE II MILE/4824

simply ‘z’ best

Zenyatta headlines Oak Tree’s star- studded weekend

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WITH GoLD CUP WIN,

CURLIN BECoMES THE ALL-TIME

LEADING EARNER; $10,246,800

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Ten million dollars and counting. Having established a new earnings record for North American-based

horses by winning the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) Sept. 27, will Cur-lin now head for the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I)? That is the question everyone is asking, and judging from majority owner Jess Jackson’s comments following the race, and the colt’s quick departure to California, the showdown between Curlin and Big Brown that ev-eryone has been clamoring for looks as if it just may happen.

“First we’ll have to get him adjusted,” Jackson said over the phone from Califor-nia, where he was attending a charity auc-tion at his Stonestreet winery that raises money for children’s causes in Sonoma County and the Bay Area. “But it is up to him whether he likes the track and the sur-face. So, those are concerns we still have. But we’ll consider it now that we’re past this hurdle. That’s the next prospect for us and we’ll give it every bit of attention.”

The morning after the Gold Cup, Curlin was on a plane to Santa Anita. So, the crack in the door that Jackson left following the

colt’s victory in the Aug. 30 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) is now open wide enough to get the racing world excited.

“We haven’t avoided him (Big Brown),” Jackson said. “I don’t fault them for the way they’ve handled Big Brown. But if he is truly going to the big race, we’ll have to see whether Curlin likes the track. There is al-ways the Clark (Handicap, gr. II) after that or the Japan Cup (Dirt, Jpn-I). So, we have to take them one at a time. I don’t want to

B y S t e v e H a S k i n

Belmont

Money ManCurlin’s second victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup

makes him the all-time North American leading money earner

Race Replays at BloodHorse.com

c NortH americaN graded stakes

Wanderin Boy, right, makes a race of it, but Curlin eases past to score a three-quarter-length win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup

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risk a horse of Curlin’s stature that we need in the gene pool. So, I am being very cautious and doing my due diligence first.”

With his victory, Curlin pushed his earnings to $10,246,800, eclips-ing Cigar’s mark of $9,999,815, which stood for 12 years. In his only two years of racing, Curlin earned $5,102,800 in 2007 and has earned $5,144,000 so far in 2008.

“It’s very emotional for me,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I’m excited and proud of everyone in-volved with the horse. He’s had back-to-back $5-million years. This is what I wanted, for him to be the all-time money-winning horse. What a great ring it has to it.”

The enormity of the victory didn’t hit jockey Robby Albarado until he returned after the race. “It really hit me when I realized I just rode the richest horse in America,” he said. “I’m sure the record will be broken some day, but it’ll take a helluva horse to do it.”

And the rousing ovation that greeted Curlin after the race was one worthy of North American racing’s first $10-million earner. “He’s deserving of all the applause,” Asmussen said.

All the elements seemed right for Curlin to break the record. He was back at Bel-mont, where he had won last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup; he was back on a sloppy track, over which he romped in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth Park. And his biggest threats were the hard-knocking Wanderin Boy, whom he had already defeated in the Wood-ward, and the 3-year-old Mambo in Seattle, beaten a nose in the Travers Stakes (gr. I), who had never run on a sloppy track.

All day, there was a good deal of buzz about Wanderin Boy, a stakes winner in the slop, who looked to pose a major threat on the lead, espe-cially when horses on or just off the lead turning for home won every race except the Beldame Stakes (gr. I), in which Cocoa Beach came from last in a four-horse field to wear down heav-ily favored Ginger Punch in the final strides.

Prior to the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (gr. IT), an anxious Albarado, already dressed in Jackson’s silks, stopped by the TV monitor in the tunnel. “I’m just hoping to get the Cocoa Beach trip,” he said. “That’s what I’m looking for. We’ve got a whole other race to go. I’m ready to go now.”

Not as ready as Curlin, as it turned out. Wanderin Boy, as expected, went

right to the lead and was able to set leisure-ly fractions of :24.67, :48.79, and 1:13.08. Albarado had the 2-5 Curlin in fifth, about five lengths back. Down the backstretch, Curlin seemed to lose his position, drop-ping farther back off the pace. Albarado bided his time and tucked him in behind horses. When he asked Curlin for his move nearing the half-mile pole, the son

of Smart Strike—Sherriff’s Deputy, by Deputy Minister, split horses and took off after Wanderin Boy, who had been dogged by Merchant Marine the whole way.

“I just let him find himself early and didn’t rush him off his feet,” Albarado said. “I let him take us into the race. He rated kind for me. He instills so much confidence in you when he reaches out with that long stride. He’s just an amazing athlete. He knows what he has to do to win, and he does it.”

Curlin swung to the outside and pulled to within 11⁄2 lengths of Wanderin Boy as they passed the quarter pole. Wanderin Boy still had some fight left in him, but Cur-lin was too strong for the 7-year-old. A confident Albarado never went to the whip as Curlin eased clear to win by three-quarters of a length in 2:01.93 for the 11⁄4 miles. Wanderin Boy, who has now fin-ished second in grade I stakes to champions Curlin, Invasor, Ber-nardini, and Lawyer Ron, was 33⁄4 lengths ahead of Merchant Marine, who had 71⁄4 lengths on Mambo in

Seattle.After the race, Wanderin Boy’s trainer,

Nick Zito, went looking for Asmussen. “Congratulations,” he said. “We made you run a little.”

Zito added: “Wanderin Boy ran a tre-mendous race. I was just hoping Curlin would get a little tired, but he’s in a differ-ent league.”

Jockey Club Gold Cup (Curlin)

Golden Smiles: The Jockey Club’s chairman Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps (left) presents the trophy to jockey Robby Albarado, Barbara Banke, Pat Cunningham, and trainer Steve Asmussen and family

Top 25 All-Time Leading Earners (with at least one North American start)

through Sept. 27, 2008

HORSE STARTS 1st 2nd 3rd EARNINGSCURLIN 15 11 2 2 $10,246,800Cigar 33 19 4 5 $9,999,815Skip Away 38 18 10 6 $9,616,360Fantastic Light 25 12 5 3 $8,486,957Invasor 12 11 0 0 $7,804,070Pleasantly Perfect 18 9 3 2 $7,789,880Smarty Jones 9 8 1 0 $7,613,155Silver Charm 24 12 7 2 $6,944,369Captain Steve 25 9 3 7 $6,828,356Alysheba 26 11 8 2 $6,679,242Dylan Thomas 20 10 4 1 $6,620,852John Henry 83 39 15 9 $6,591,860Tiznow 15 8 4 2 $6,427,830Ouija Board 22 10 3 5 $6,312,552Singspiel 20 9 8 0 $5,952,825Falbrav 26 13 5 5 $5,825,517Medaglia d’Oro 17 8 7 0 $5,754,720Best Pal 47 18 11 4 $5,668,245Taiki Blizzard 23 6 8 2 $5,523,549Roses in May 13 8 4 0 $5,490,187Dance in the Mood 25 6 6 1 $5,456,107Electrocutionist 12 8 3 1 $5,407,533High Chaparral 13 10 1 2 $5,331,231English Channel 23 13 4 1 $5,319,028Lava Man 46 17 8 5 $5,268,706source: equibase

curlin thoroughbred racing richest horse pi54

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