| The Bitter And The Sweet | | | | Curlin was the best horse in the world bar none, and |
| No race better exemplifies the dramatic influence of | | | | he achieved that lofty status by dominating the |
| the Pro-Ride Track on the 2008 Breeders Cup than | | | | handicap division on dirt (and dirt only). During those |
| the CLASSIC. The connections of Curlin, the 2007 | | | | glorious 6 months, Curlin won the Jockey Club Gold |
| Horse of the Year and arguably the best dirt horse | | | | Cup, the Breeders Cup CLASSIC, and the Dubai |
| on the planet, strongly considered not going to | | | | World Cup. For good measure, Curlin won the |
| Breeders Cup this year until the eleventh hour | | | | Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs in June. |
| (because all the races are on either turf or synthetic | | | | These are all Group or Grade 1 races we're talking |
| tracks). That's the nature of the beast, I'm afraid, | | | | about here. Then came the turf experiment in the |
| and we have to take the bitter with the sweet. The | | | | Man O War, which was followed with a victorious |
| "bitter" is we will not get to see Big Brown attempt | | | | return (to dirt) in the G1 Woodward at Saratoga, and |
| to cement Horse of the Year honors due to his | | | | finally Curlin's most recent win in the Grade 1 Jockey |
| untimely injury. The "sweet" is we get to see Curlin | | | | Gold Cup at Belmont (his second Gold Cup in as many |
| attempt to defend his Breeders Cup CLASSIC title, | | | | years). The Curlin that won the Woodward (over |
| and we get to see Grade 1 Pacific Classic winner Go | | | | Past The Point by 1 1/4 lengths) was not the same |
| Between attempt to continue his remarkable run on | | | | Curlin who dominated the division last year. He won |
| synthetic tracks. And we may get to see some of | | | | the Woodward with a nondescript time in a less than |
| Europe's best grass runners up front and close as | | | | stellar field, further complicating the picture with |
| they try to transfer their turf prowess to the Santa | | | | regard to a possible run in the CLASSIC this year. |
| Anita Pro-Ride Track in the CLASSIC. | | | | We didn't learn much from Curlin's Grade 1 Jockey |
| The Pro-Ride Angle Of The 2008 Breeders Cup | | | | Gold Cup win on September 27, except that he can |
| What happens when the best horse in the world on | | | | handle a sloppy track and Mambo In Seattle can't. |
| dirt runs in the Breeders Cup CLASSIC on a synthetic | | | | It's In The Blood |
| track? That's what we'll find out now that Curlin's | | | | As far as Curlin's pedigree goes, as a son of Smart |
| connections entered him in the CLASSIC at Santa | | | | Strike (on his male side) with broodmare sire Deputy |
| Anita this year. In his first start ever on grass, Curlin | | | | Minster (on his female side) Curlin should be good to |
| finished second in the Grade 1 Man O War at | | | | go on the Santa Anita Pro-Ride. With the combination |
| Belmont Park (on July 12). The good news is he ran a | | | | of Mr. Prospector and Northern Dancer in his lineage, |
| creditable race against graded stakes competition on | | | | Curlin may have a slight distance limitation. It was |
| a surface he has never tried before, and he did it in a | | | | touch and go if Asmussen would even run him in the |
| respectable time at a classic distance (1 3/8 miles). | | | | CLASSIC. Steve had a terrible experience with Pyro |
| The bad news is he finished a clear second to Red | | | | on Polytrack in the Blue Grass earlier this year, but |
| Rocks and gave no sign he would reverse the | | | | Pyro is no Curlin, and Pyro's pedigree is built strictly |
| outcome if the two met again under similar | | | | for dirt racing. If I were Steve Asmussen (and I am |
| circumstances. Of course, the CLASSIC is run on a | | | | not) I'd run Curlin in the CLASSIC, and I'm glad he's |
| Pro-Ride synthetic track this year, and not on grass | | | | going to. The latest news is that Curlin's connections |
| (or traditional dirt, for that matter). | | | | have shipped the big, rangy chestnut to Santa Anita |
| Six Months To Remember | | | | Park and worked him on Pro-Ride. Curlin has been |
| For the 6 months from October 2007 to March 2008, | | | | pre-entered to run in the CLASSIC. |