The 2007 Horse of the Year, Curlin, did not disappoint as an overwhelming favorite in Saturday’s 55th running of the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes. The son of Smart Strike was asked to chase surprisingly quick early fractions, and was able to gun down pace setter Pass the Point (hat tip to Gerald) in the final yards to move to second place all-time on the North American earnings list with $9,796,800. The great Cigar is $203,015 ahead of Curlin with $9,999,815 in lifetime earnings.
Pass the Point rocketed out of the gate and took the early lead from the horse I thought would be on the lead, Wanderin Boy. Divine Park and Curlin were ahead of the second flight of horses in the early going. Pass the Point blazed to early fractions of 22.80 and 46.20 and took a full length lead that Wanderin Boy could never overcome.
As the field entered the final turn, Curlin was gobbling up ground and coming all out with his run. As we’ve seen so many times throughout the Saratoga meet, early speed on the main track can be extremely difficult to take down. It took everything Curlin had to catch a 40-1 shot in Pass the Point. Still, you never really got the feeling he was going to lose the race. He didn’t quite have his “A-game”, but he had enough to pull away in the final strides to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
The final time for the Woodward was 1:49.34. Curlin returned $2.70 for the win. Pass the Point returned a whopping $13.80 for place to complete a $41.80 exacta. Wanderin Boy hung on for third in a trifecta that paid $185.00.
Divine Park and Out of Control were major disappointments in the Woodward finishing at the back of the pack. A. P. Arrow was only mildly able to get uncorked finishing 4th. Immediately after the race, the announcers on TVG started critiquing Curlin’s run. It clearly wasn’t his best effort, but I think it’s worth noting that the official results chart denotes two separate instances of Curlin being “brushed” (on the first turn and at the five-eighths pole, respectively). Coupled with the tighter turns of the Saratoga main track, the high propensity for front runners to battle on in the stretch, and the shorter 1 1/8 mile distance, I’m satisfied with Curlin’s run. He did what he needed to do in order to get the job done.
Up next for the super-colt is anybody’s guess. The Jockey Club Gold Cup, in which he defeated top older horse Lawyer Ron in 2007, would seem to be his next goal. After that would likely be the Japan Cup. A return to the Breeder’s Cup Classic and a showdown with top 3-year-old Big Brown remains unlikely for the moment. Stranger things have happened though.
On a side note, Curlin and first defence led to a very lucrative day at Saratoga for yours truly. I hit the pick 4 for $321, and thanks to Gerald’s focus on Pass the Point, was able to hit the trifecta as well. Plus, as we speak, my beloved Alabama Crimson Tide lead #9 Clemson 31-10 early in the 4th quarter. What a way to start a weekend!
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