Curlin Wins In Return But Will Skip Breeders' Cup Classic

American Horse of the Year may point for famous European race

A Column by Steve Davidowitz
June 18, 2008

The reigning champion is back at full power, but he returns with a big surprise. Barely 48 hours after Curlin scored a relatively easy victory in the $1 million Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on Saturday, trainer Steve Asmussen revealed plans that have been lurking in the background ever since the classy colt won the 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic last fall.

"Curlin will not defend his title in the ($5 million Breeders' Cup) Classic," Asmussen said. "He's already won that race. . . . He is a truly great horse and we're seriously thinking about bigger game, more significant targets."

In his next breath, Asmussen said that Curlin will be put into a grass race sometime next month, to see if he handles that surface as well as he has handled dirt. If he passes the test, Curlin's primary 2008 objective will be in Paris, France - the $2 million Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, arguably the world's most prestigious race.

As a back-up plan, Asmussen privately confirmed through sources close to the horse that Curlin might yet be directed towards a race on the Breeders' Cup card - the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf, scheduled to be run at the same 1 1/2-mile distance as l'Arc. This little tidbit suggests, of course, that Asmussen has no desire at all to run Curlin on a synthetic surface, such as the unfinished hybrid synthetic surface at Santa Anita where the Breeders' Cup Classic will be run on October 25th.

The news comes barely 10 days after heavily favored Big Brown's Belmont Stakes failure sucked the air out of a balloon that was pumping up interest in American racing. Now we have the classy and highly reliable Curlin back on the scene ready to pump interest back into the game as his connections plan a most exciting international adventure.

Fact is, very few top-class American horses have ever run in l'Arc. When they've tried, they haven't fared nearly as well as European horses have in some of our top turf and dirt races through the Breeders' cup era. Obviously we'll pay close attention to this story as it develops through the summer, a story that is sure to rival media attention for the Arlington Million in Chicago on August 9th, the Travers at Saratoga on August 23rd and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on August 24th.

Enjoy the best summer horse racing action at Bodog Racebook!

In the meantime, we have some catching up to do for the five graded stakes that were run on the Belmont Stakes undercard on June 7th. I also have notes on nine interesting races that were run on Saturday, June 14th and Sunday, June 15th at Churchill Downs, Hollywood Park and Belmont Park.

Reviews of five graded stakes at Belmont Park on June 7th.

Many of the horses seen in these races will be prominent contenders in graded stakes throughout the summer, leading towards the Breeders' Cup.

* The $250,000 True North Handicap (G2), 6 furlongs for 3-year-olds and up.

Fractional Splits: 22.06. .44.98. .56.61. . .
1:09.06
Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 106

Man of Danger set a brisk pace and was caught in the final stride by a relentless Benny the Bull. The latter, making his first start since winning the $2 million Golden Shaheen in Dubai in March, is trained by Rick Dutrow and ranks as the leading older sprinter in America right now.

* The $400,000 Just a Game Stakes (G1), one mile on the turf for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.

Fractional Splits: 23.52. .46.55. .1:09.68. . .
1:32.75
- A solid pace throughout on a very fast racing surface. Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 101

Ventura, a graded stakes winner on Polytrack at Keeneland trained by Bobby Frankel and a good third in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile on Kentucky Derby Day, overcame some traffic to out-game favored Lady of Venice. The latter was caught in a pocket inside and finished fastest of all when clear too late. Every horse in this field will deserve a close look when they come back in similar and slightly longer races. The top six finished within two lengths of the winner.

* The $250,000 Acorn Stakes (G1), one mile for 3-year-old fillies.

Fractional Splits: 22.85. .45.34. .1:09.68. . .
1:34.50
- A fast pace that eventually sapped the strength of front running Indian Blessing, who prefers seven furlongs or two-turn middle distance races in which there is no pace pressure.
Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 113
- A huge number that validates the winner's standing as an emerging star.

Zaftig stalked Indian Blessing and made her winning move on the final turn to prove clearly best in her second straight stakes win around one turn at Belmont Park. Sired by Gone West out of a Cozzene mare, Zaftig should be a killer on the turf.

* The $250,000 Woody Stephens (G2), 7 furlongs for 3-year-olds.

Fractional Splits: 22.29. .44.89. .1:08.78. . .
1:21.85
- Fast fractions by a fast horse who went all the way. Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 108

J Be K, a front running second to Harlem Rocker in the one-mile Withers (G2) at Aqueduct on April 26th, has never been defeated at 7 furlongs or less in four career attempts, including this impressive front running score. If he can handle Polytrack, he figures to be one of the favorites to win the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on October 25th while he will take plenty beating in sprint stakes against his own age group this summer. Silver Edition and True Quality finished noses apart for second and third here, but weren't in the same zip code with the winner.

* The $400,000 Manhattan Handicap (G1), 1 1/4 miles on the turf for 3-year-olds and up.

Fractional Splits: 24.11. .47.94. .1:11.43. .1:35.38. . .
1:59.62
- Steady par fractions with a strong last half mile in 48.19. Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 104

Dancing Forever, Shug McGaughey-trained and winner of the Grade 2 Elkhorn at Keeneland in April, was expertly ridden from the outside by Rene Douglas to get an inside striking position and then rallied sharply to nip Out of Control in a very good race for both. Pays to Dream, a runaway winner of the Dixie on the Preakness undercard on May 17th, suffered a career-ending injury after he finished third about a half-length behind the top two. Veteran 9-year-old Better Talk Now was stopped cold while making a bold bid in mid stretch and finished a much better than looked fifth. There's plenty life in the old boy yet.

Capsule reviews of nine stakes at Churchill Downs, Hollywood Park and Belmont Park on June 14th and 15th.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 14th

* The $1 million Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), 1 1/8 miles for 3-year-olds and up.

Fractional Splits: 25.01. .49.28. .1:13.41. .1:37.39. . .
1:49.68
- Very slow pace for the level, strong finish by the winner.
Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 110
- On par for a G1 race, but at least five lengths slower than this horse's best.

Curlin raced comfortably in fourth place behind the slow fractions set by Barcola and blew past that rival when ready in the upper stretch to win comfortably under top weight of 128 pounds. The confirmed turf horse Einstein rallied for a close second over Barcola, which may give Einstein some options for the summer and fall.

* The $300,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2), 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.

Fractional Splits: 24.78. .49.69. .1:13.67. .1:37.91. . .
1:50.88
- A slow pace and a slightly above par finish.
Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 99
- Slightly below par for the level, but the winner was not asked for her best.

Heavily favored Hystericalady stalked Initforthekandy and simply romped by 7 1/2 lengths for the potent Jerry Hollendorfer / Garrett Gomez combo.

* The $175,000 Northern Dancer (G3), 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds.

Fractional Splits: 24.88. .48.83 . .1:13.08. .1:37.23. . .
1:43.53
- Below par pace with slightly above par finish.
Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 98
- About one length below par for the level.

Pyro returned to form with a stalk-and-go win over a few other horses who ran in the Kentucky Derby, including Visionaire and Recapturetheglory, who finished third and fourth here. My Pal Charlie, second to Pyro in the Louisiana Derby in March, finished second to him again. Recapturetheglory could have and probably should have gone right to the front but was heavily restrained during the first few strides by jockey E.T. Baird for no discernible reason. That took this horse completely out of his best game. I would look for Recapturetheglory to get different handling and recapture top form in a similar spot.

* The $200,000 Jefferson Cup (G3), 1 1/16 miles on the turf for 3-year-olds.

Fractional Splits: 24.48. .48.06. .1:12.31. .1:36.35. . .
1:49.15
- Par fractions all the way for the dominating front running winner,
Tizfejavu.
Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 96
- Slightly below par, but he is improving.

* The $200,000 Regret Stakes (G3), 1 1/8 miles on the turf for 3-year-old fillies.

Fractional Splits: 24.51. .49.48. .1:14.04. .1:38.04. .
1:49.86
- Below par splits, good finish by the winner, Pure Clan, but not enough to raise the rating of the race to the G3 level.
Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 90

* The $150,000 Mint Julep (G3), 1 1/16 miles on the turf for fillies and mares 3 years old up.

Fractional Splits: 24.23. .48.34. .1:12.82. .1:36.55. . .
1:42.77
- Below par pace with a par finish for top filly Dreaming of Anna, who was just coasting here.
Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 94.

Interesting note: Dreaming of Anna has won numerous graded stakes on turf but has failed to win all but one of her graded stakes attempts on dirt, the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs.

Belmont Park, Saturday, June 14th

* The $300,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap (G1), 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.

Fractional Splits: 23.53. .46.86. .1:10.90. .1:35.62. . .
1:42.37
- Slightly above par splits and par finish for this elongated one turn race. Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 103

Ginger Punch, the Champion mare of 2007, stalked the pace set by Mistical Plan and overpowered a relatively soft field here under a hand ride. Seemed in career best form and probably could have run a few ticks faster.

Hollywood Park, Saturday, June 14th

* The $75,000 Round Table Handicap, 1 3/4 miles on the turf for 3-year-olds and up.

Fractional Splits: 49.48. .1:14.19. .1:38.87. .2:04.14. .2:29.87. . .
2:53.65
- Par splits for 6 furlongs with above par final mile for a very promising long distance runner, Cedar Mountain, trained by Neil Drysdale and expertly ridden by Alonso Quinonez.
Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 100.

Belmont Park, Sunday, June 15th

* The $150,000 Jaipur Stakes (G3), 6 furlongs on the turf for 3-year-olds and up.

Fractional Splits: 21.93. .44.84. .56.77. . .
1:09.48
- Fast splits and a slow final furlong, as the fleet winner First Defence was tiring dramatically in his first turf race after meeting top-notch horses on dirt since the summer of 2007.
Winning Beyer Speed Figure: 97
- Par for the level, distance and surface.

Salute the Court finished well outside to just miss and Mohegan Sky finished very well along the rail to be only half a length behind the winner.

Added note: Plenty of support from accomplished horsemen and astute observers for my theory (spelled out here last week) that Big Brown was "not fit enough" to run his race in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes after he lost training time due to his hoof injury and also had his actual training regimen set to a lower key level than needed. Most also said that to blame jockey Kent Desormeaux for the poor performance was hardly fair or accurate.

Steve Davidowitz has written two highly acclaimed books on Thoroughbred racing---Betting Thoroughbreds and The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing. He also is a regular contributor to Daily Racing Form's Simulcast Weekly and DRF Plus and his columns appear in the Bodog Racebook each week.