Curlin-Big Brown still a possibility

Saratoga Springs, New York

The Woodward may not have been a thing of beauty, but Curlin has now won six straight races on dirt, all but one Grade 1, and is Grade 1 placed on turf. If he finishes fourth in his next start, he will become the all-time leading money winner in North American. The Big Brown debate – the most intense imagined rivalry in history – can be put to rest.

The possibility of their meeting, however remote, remains, according to Jess Jackson, who had much to say after Curlin’s workmanlike effort on Saturday that resulted in a victory in the Woodward Stakes.

Any meeting between them would be on Curlin’s schedule, Jackson said, and in a “real race, not a match race.” It will also not be in the Clark Handicap in late November, as Big Brown’s people have suggested.

How about Curlin vs. Big Brown in Tokyo?

Jackson: “It would be great for racing, great for fans and great for the industry. But my understanding is that Big Brown is going to the breeding shed after this year, so time is running out. And that may be true for Curlin. Curlin has genes that this industry needs: distance and stamina. He has no genetic short-comings. The perfect scenario would be to run in the best races, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Breeders’ Cup, and then go overseas to the Japan Cup. But that will be hard to press into a four-week schedule. We’ll wait and see. He loves Belmont and now I think he loves Saratoga.”

Jackson said the Breeders’ Cup Classic has is not off the table. Though he is skeptical about racing Curlin on the synthetic track now installed at Santa Anita, Jackson will weigh the opinions of his West Coast advisors.

For Curlin’s owner, the Woodward was especially sweet, lack of form points notwithstanding.
“Aside from the Dubai race and the Breeders’ Cup, this is the most important race we’ve won because of the historic nature of this race and its premier contribution to Curlin’s legacy. With all the superstition and the `Graveyard of Champions,’ I was glad the horse showed what he is and we won. It was very important. Good horses like Man o’War and Secretariat had problems here. That’s an honor roll of some of the famous and the greatest. I’m glad he showed he was up to it.”

Much will be made of the absence of flourish to Curlin’s Woodward victory. He ran the last three furlongs in over 38 seconds and the running time, 1:49.34, would not suggest the hot pace set by Past the Point, whose rider, Edgar Prado, took his best shot, realizing that the best chance of upsetting Curlin was on the lead.

Jockey Robby Albarado: “He hadn’t been leaving the gate real well his last couple of starts. He left a little sluggish in the Stephen Foster and the Man o’War, so today I wanted to be sure he was standing good and he got away equally with everyone, and he did. So that was the first step I needed. On the first turn I was wide and was between two horses. On the backside, he tugged a bit, let me know he was there and on the far turn, they were still far enough in front of him that I needed to get him moving. Not aggressively call on him, but just get him moving. And he did it. Like I said, he exceeds our expectations every time he runs. Today he showed his versatility running down some very nice horses.

“At the three-eighths pole, when I started squeezing on him, he really started reaching out, striding out. He was making up ground fast on the turn and I thought I had a shot at them, knowing how fast they went up front. I don’t like it, but I had to hit him a couple of times, just to get him going. He’s getting older, a little lackadaisical. I just spanked him a couple of time, he got by that horse and he eased up the last couple of strides. It was fine with me; it wasn’t a nose finish like the Travers.”