Curlin, the 2007 Horse of the Year, is now a world champion after his impressive victory in the Dubai World Cup. His story is one of the most amazing in all of horse racing’s celebrated history, and we’re living it as it happens. Just over one year ago, the previously unraced colt was breaking his maiden. In that short time he has now gone from maiden to world champoin.
It was at the Eclipse Awards ceremony on January 21st that majority owner Jess Jackson announced that Curlin would return for his 4 year old campaign. After picking up Horse of the Year honors, Jackson mentioned that the fans of horse racing needed their heroes. He vowed to give us one by bringing the wonder-colt back into racing action.
Curlin spent the opening months of his 2008 season in mysterious fashion. Folks were anxious to find out where he would enter for his first race. There was even some speculation that he would be retired to a breeding career to help pay off legal debts for some of the colts minority owners. He opened with a series of sharp workouts that have seemingly helped turn his running mate Pyro into the top colt of the 3 year old crop at the moment.
Eventually we learned that he would be headed to Dubai, where he would spend a month preparing for a run at the richest race in the world, the $6 million Dubai World Cup. Trainer Steve Asmussen gave him a preparatory run around the Nad Al Sheba racetrack in Dubai to help get him ready, sighting the way Curlin had improved in his second effort at numerous tracks, including Oaklawn, Belmont, and Monmouth. Curlin responded to his trial run by easily defeating a field that was clearly competing for place and show, with jockey Robbie Albarado only having to tap the colt once at the top of the stretch.
Heading into Saturday’s prestigious Dubai World Cup, we were finally going to see how Curlin would stack up against the top competitors from around the world. He would face off against the likes of Jalil, Asiatic Boy, Vermilion, and Premium Tap. Curlin had trained beautifully for the race and had over a month to get perfectly acclimated to the notoriously warm conditions at Dubai.
As the field began the post parade it was clear that the colt was primed for a big run. He looked absolutely regal as he went to post. A little warm, truth be told, but that could be said of the entire field. His coat was as shiny as ever, and he looked as physically sound as I’ve ever seen him.
As the race began, Curlin had to overcome an outside post position, having drawn the 12 hole. Jockey Robbie Albarado indicated before the race however that he actually preferred the outside and thought Curlin was a better runner from the outside than the inside. Contrast his runs in the Preakness and the Belmont to get an idea of what he meant.
Curlin broke well and was up towards the lead with Well Armed and Asiatic Boy for the entire race. At times it looked like he was a bit too aggressive and wanted to run away with it from gate to wire. Albarado held on to him well and kept him within about a half length of Well Armed entering the final turn.
Once in the stretch, Curlin exploded and opened up a devastating lead with about 300 meters or so to run. He ended up blowing the field away by an amazing 7 3/4 lengths to capture the World Cup, returning $2.80 as the heavy 2/5 favorite.
Jockey Robbie Albarado was modest after the race, indicating that all the credit belonged to Scott Blasi (assistant trainer), Steve Asmussen (head trainer), and Carmen Rosas (Curlin’s exercise rider).
“He’s an amazing horse,” Albarado said. “I’m just honored. He did all the work. It is an amazing feeling.”
The win vaults Curlin up the list of all-time earnings winners all the way to third overall, behind the legendary Cigar and Skip Away. Curlin has now amassed $8.8 million in just 11 lifetime starts. Cigar, the top overall earner ever, bankrolled $9.9 million over a storied career. If all goes well, Curlin could become the world’s top money-winning horse ever with his next start. I’m hoping to be there cheering him on wherever it is.
Curlin’s romp in the Dubai World Cup
He set the record for margin of victory! That’s not as good as a track record time, but at least he’s done something better than every other Cup winner has ever done. That’s what sets champions apart.
Now let’s hope they race him on the east coast so we can watch him run!
Oh god yes. I’ve made up my mind I’ll go anyhere to see him. If I don’t, I know I’ll regret it years later on my death bed. That’s kind of morbid, but yeah - that’s probably true.
Something very important happend to make this happen-I remember holding my
breath until the connections of Curlin decided to race him at 4……..
And now we are seeing something very special……….Happen right
in front of us…
Did’nt you really enjoy those final 400 yards.
Congrats———-World Champion
I can’t lie. I was welling up like a school girl I was so filled with pride for him. I’ve wanted this so badly for him from the first time I saw him.
I really feel like I always knew he could be the best. Like it was somehow just meant to be.
I got scared after he lost the Belmont, and then the Haskell - to see him come back now and win 4 in a row, including throttling the best in the U.S. (Classic), and the best in the world (World Cup)……I never dreamed it would be this convincingly.
He makes world class horses look like allowance winners…….and he was a maiden at one point last year!!!!!!! That’s beyond freakish. That’s just unearthly.
Thanks for posting the link at BC for Curlin’s race win. I loved getting to see it. What a joyful win!
Thanks Cindy! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
What a coincidence they just retired Rags. Once he comes back to the United States… don’t know about you, but I’d be screaming for a match race.
I can’t speak logically yet… but, DAMN.
If he does race on the East Coast anywhere, I’m coming w/ you Kstaff!
If you’re able to get to ESPN360.Com, the entire 4 hour program is available for replay for free.
Are you sure Curlin’s winnings are correct in this post? He had $5.2M going into this race didn’t he? adding $6M is $11.2…
He’ll probably get a decent rest since he has to ship back. No need to rush him. We know he’ll point to the Breeder’s Cup at the end of his season. I wonder when he’ll head west?
Edit: oops - didn’t see that last reply at first, Diss.
Yeah - he doesn’t get the full $6 million, just the lions share of it. I think he got abour $3.6 million for the win. 2nd and 3rd place get pretty good payouts as well. I think even 4th gets some cash.
Oh wait… that 6m gets split among all the winners. How much is the split? (win.. place..show)
I’m not seeing it on the race conditions in the DRF. $3.6 I believe is right for Curlin.
http://emiratesracing.com/era/index.cfm
Curlin is on the front page
awesome!!!!!
ESPN2 has the Florida Derby on right now - about 20 mins to post.
Elysium FIelds, Hey Byrn, Face the Cat, Majestic Warrior, Tomcito.
Lots of ways to go.
Just played:
Elysium FIelds + Hey Byrn
over
Elysium Fields + Hey Byrn + Face the Cat
over
Elysium Fields + Hey Byrn + Face the Cat + Big Brown + Tomcito
$12
Let’s roll baby - I’m felling lucky. I want to support Big Brown, but the post worries me too much. I’ll say this though - if he does win he’ll probably deserve to be right up there with Pyro. We’ll see how the race goes.
Holy shit - Big Brown is for freakin’ real!
He might be the best in the country. Pyro’s got company.
he won? I forgot about this race, I was so wrapped up in Curlin. darn it.
I’ll be looking for video!
Yep, up at NTRA. They’ll have the video up on this page too shortly.
http://www.ntra.com/races.aspx?id=29517§ion=races
He didn’t just win, Diss. It was jaw dropping. He ran ‘em out of their shoes. Ran ‘em right off the screen. It was even more impressive than Curlin’s win.
If anything could’ve possibly upstaged Curlin today - it just happened.
That’s your Derby winner. It’s over. That guy’s unstoppable if he runs like that.
Something about #12 Kstaff, Curlin broke from the same gate today
Who is his trainer? That was a million dollar purse. Worry about drug use - they might test after this race.
Richard Dutrow - just answered my own question
Nah, he’s for real. He overcame the post position like a champion. He deserved every bit of it. Lightning fast.
I stlil like Pyro, and I keep thinking we’ll get one from out west out of the Bad Cat, the Colonel, and Georgie.
It’ll be fun ranking them this weekend!
Said Dutrow about having the outside post PRIOR to the race:
“Look, I wish he was outside in a seven-horse field, but we’re going to take it. We’re not going to cry. We get to play the intimidator from out there, instead of being intimidated. We are ready, babe.”
Big Brown is the only horse to win from post 12 since the new racetrack configuration at Gulf Stream.
Since Gulfstream reconfigured its track four years ago, posts 11 (0 for 18) and 12 (0 for 11) are a combined 0 for 29 at 1 1/8 miles, the distance of the Florida Derby. Barbaro won from post 10 two years ago, but he was Barbaro.
Remember, there will be Etched in the Derby (possibly) as well. We haven’t seen him yet. He’s in Dubai.
It’s going to be a wild May. We needed this. We needed another big time contender. Now we’ve got ourselves a race shaping up.
All we need now is the Media to notice.
Go to google.com - it’s all black
8 PM everyone is going black here for “earth hour.” Why not? I’m game.
This is the Dubai World Cup Site. This link will give you the videos to all 7 races:
http://drcnewswire.com/media/dwc2008/index.php
In the 5th race Jay Peg wins; what you can’t see from the view in this video is that the Jockey (Anton Marcus) saddle slips and he almost comes completely off the horse, very close to the end of the race. It’s amazing he stayed on the horse. I hope to locate a video with a better shot; it can be seen on ESPN360 but not everyone can get that site up.
If War Pass comes back running like he used to, Pyro would benefit most. Big Brown and War Pass would both want the lead in the Derby. They know a duel would be suicide, but they also know they don’t want to be behind horses. They might think Big Brown could lay a half length off of War Pass and pass him in the stretch, but I foresee a fast pace developing nonetheless. Pyro should run a Silky Sullivan type race in the Derby as everything should be stopping badly in the stretch.
Cigar is the North American earnings leader, the worlds top earner is TM Opera O and I think Makybe Diva or Deep Impact is 2nd all are around 12-15 Million USD
Just read at the bloodhorse.com; that jockey Joe says the best is yet to
come from Curlin……….
That just gives me goosebumps—-How About You?
Goosebumps indeed. I’m anxious to see where he comes back. Asmussen said they divided his year up into two halves. So far he’s blazed through the first half. The second half keys on the Classic at Santa Anita in October.
I saw the stretch run during the Fla Dby telecast; looks like he won pretty easily. I guess he ran a little better than the BCC. I gave him a 115 for the BCC and a 116 for the DWC. Big Brown won on the lead but GP is a surface where speed carries well and horses just keep on going. My GP figs tend to be high but I gave Big Brown a 112 for the race which is comparable to War Emblems’ Illinois Dby win. I have a list of figs on a page I put up:
http://home.earthlink.net/~everswan/
Yes my “mojo” must have worked for Curlin no doub’t! If you remember I posted “Got my Mojo Workin” early Sat morning. Is the BC at Santa Anita this yr?? If so I will hope to go, I’m in northern cal. though. As far as the 3 yr olds, it’s strange that neither B Brown’s or Pyro’s styles seem like a winning style for the Derby’s length of race and large field. Pyro’s style is better than speed for the Derby, but he’s gonna have to be more tactical with a big field, no doub’t. Next two weeks will SHOW us more hahaha! (we hope hah)
Quite a race; he looked like he had plenty of gas left at the finish. They were very smart to get him over there a month ahead, because it didn’t look like the heat was a factor.
@Don Swanson - nice link. I think those figures are about right. I’m glad Curlin didn’ t have to expend more energy because I’m hoping he comes home in solid shape. Big Brown’s run really left me impressed. Loved the way he handled the first turn like a seasoned veteran. If his hoof problems don’t resurface, I personally think the sky is the limit. What a Saturday for Rick Dutrow!
@Roblejeune - Indeed - and I am eternally thankful for your assistance! Yes, the Breeder’s Cup will be at Santa Anita barring some unforseen catastrophe (which is always possible with the synthetic surface at Santa Anita). My guess is that Asmussen will get Curlin out west for a prep at some point, but he may not have to since he’s already seen Curlin train well over the synthetics before.
@Rain - Quite right. It looked like he transitioned to the climate of Dubai superbly. He might be the most versatile colt I’ve seen as he can seemingly go anywhere and win. Even the places he’s looked “bad” before (by his standards) he’s come back to look dominant at (i.e., Belmont with his defeat to Rags to Riches and then his triumph over top older horse at the time Lawyer Ron in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Monmouth where he was flat to Any Given Saturday in the Haskel and then came back to romp over the best in the U.S. in the Classic). I just hope he comes back home in good shape now.
I’d really like to see Curlin pointed to the Arlington Million at 10f on turf.
That would be interesting, Don. I think he could do it.
I just watched the video - what an amazing finish. Curlin just seemed to fly like it was no effort -not that I’d understand these things- but that’s how it seemed to me.
Ciao, Elena
That’s exactly right, Elena - nobody’s ever won the Dubai World Cup by 7 3/4 lengths before - biggest margin yet. I don’t want to take anything away from the other horses in the World Cup, but he made the world’s best look like allowance level competition, which isn’t easy to do.