Owner Jess Jackson made it official today, the defending 2007 Horse of the Year will next be seen in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on September 27. The decision ended a bit of speculation as to where exactly the popular son of Smart Strike would next point. Rumors had circulated that perhaps he would head west for the Goodwin in a tuneup for a potential run in the Breeder’s Cup Classic. While the Classic still remains a possibility, it would appear to be a diminishing possibility as team Curlin is fond of giving the colt a run over new surfaces prior to his major challenges, as we saw in Dubai prior to the World Cup.
Curlin of course won the Jockey Club Gold Cup last year over the top older horse in the nation at that time, Lawyer Ron, in an exciting stretch duel. The win helped propel the colt to his victory last fall in the Breeder’s Cup Classic, which cemented his status as the 2007 Horse of the Year.
Much has been made of whether team Curlin’s decision to either run or not in the Classic over the tricky and somewhat unpredictable synthetic surface at Santa Anita would ultimately decide his fate in defending his crown as Horse of the Year. I get the argument that he “should” run in the Classic. When all is said and done, that is the “Super Bowl” of American thoroughbred racing for a horse in his division. However, I can’t find any reason to support the likely challenger, Big Brown, if that horse were to go on and win the Classic and Curlin were to take the path of the Jockey Club Gold Cup and then take his show on the road to Japan (presumably victorious in both efforts).
I get that the prestige of the races Big Brown has run in might look more solid on paper. The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, the Haskell, the Classic - it would be hard to make a case against such a resume on paper. However, I think it bears considering who exactly that horse has faced. Not all prestigious races are created equal. Last year’s Classic was considered wide open - with bettors favoring Street Sense, Hard Spun, and even Any Given Saturday over eventual winner Curlin. Likewise, the Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont all came up significantly more difficult than their 2008 versions have thus far appeared. Consider that we still don’t really know who the ‘next best’ 3-year-old is. Is it Colonel John? Is it Mambo in Seattle, who many thought had prevailed in the Travers?
My personal opinion is that if Curlin continues to prove victorious in the toughest dirt races we can muster, that it would be impossible for me (if I actually had a say in the matter) to vault someone ahead of him. I know the retort to such a statement. Why not send him to Santa Anita? Well, the opposite is also there for anyone attempting to challenge him. If Big Brown’s people want a piece of Curlin, ditch the turf race he’s currently pointed towards and meet him in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. There’s still plenty of time to prepare for a run in the Classic after that.
Of course, all of this would be academic if either colt were to slip in their next races and somehow not prevail. I know many were somewhat critical of both horses last efforts, myself included with regards to Big Brown. I wasn’t as critical of Curlin’s run as he never appeared to be in doubt as to whether he’d win, and was also not quite pressed as much as Big Brown when chasing his respective longshot in the stretch. It is worth pointing out thought that both colts were facing notoriously speed biased tracks. That’s just something to keep in mind. Still, my admittedly amateur eyes tell me that Big Brown was a good bit more desperate to win the Haskell than Curlin was to win the Woodward.
The field for the Jockey Club Gold Cup (which I really need to start abbreviating to JCGC in future posts) will take shape over the coming weeks. Three-year-olds and upward are eligible to compete and we just might get some crafty trainers entering horses thinking perhaps Curlin is vulnerable. Personally, I think he’ll be at his best distance (1 1/4 miles) and back on a track he’s done well at on both turf and dirt. Reports are that Curlin exited the Woodward in fine form and is ready for his next test. We’ll find out if anyone is up for the challenge in 23 days.
Lets discuss this old champion…
LAVA MAN IS COMING TO OLD FRIENDS!!
Press Release 9/4/08
Stakes Winning Champion Lava Man to Retire at Old Friends
GEORGETOWN, KY—SEPTEMBER 4, 2008—Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility
based in Georgetown, KY, is proud to announce that California racing legend Lava Man will be permanently pensioned at its 92-acres Dream Chase Farm. Owners the Kenly Family’s STD Racing Stables (Steve, Tracy, and Dave Kenly) and Jason Woods agreed earlier this week to send Lava Man to Old Friends, and arrangements have been made
for him to arrive in the Bluegrass on Sept. 16.
Campaigned by trainer Doug O’Neill, the 7-year-old gelding was retired from the track in July due to unfavorable front-foot x-rays. He ended his career with over $5.2 million in earnings and seven Grade 1 wins, a number unparalleled among California breds.
“From the beginning, Steve and everyone associated with this amazing athlete have done what’s best for Lava Man,” said Old Friends founder and president, Michael Blowen. “I can’t tell you how thrilled we are that they’ve entrusted the care of this unbelievably talented champion to us.”
“Michael called us about retiring Lava Man, and he was just so energetic and excited,” said Steve Kenly of STD. “I didn’t think there was that much interest in the horse outside of the West Coast, and Michael just said, ‘Are you kidding me?’”
We’re not blue-blood, we’re not the uber-wealthy,” Kenly continued. “Lava Man is a small guy’s horse and Michael is a small-guy’s farm, so we thought it was a perfect fit.”
Sporting a name that foreshadowed his volcanic rise, Lava Man has been called the “greatest of all claimers,” having erupted from the lowest of racing ranks into a stakes-winning champion in little more than a year. Throughout his career he captured 17 of 46 starts. His striking string of victories includes three consecutive wins in the Hollywood Gold Cup (equaling the presumed unmatchable record set by Native Diver in the 1960s), the 2006 Pacific Classic, the 2006 and 2007 Santa Anita Handicap, and both the Sunshine Millions Classic and the Sunshine Millions Turf.
Lava Man (Slew City Slew-L’il Ms Leonard, by Nostalgia’s Star) was bred by Lonnie Arterburn, Eve Kuhlmann, and Kim Kuhlmann at Popular Meadows Ranch near Sanger, California. A dark bay foal, he was born in March and named after the annual Lava Man Triathlon that’s held that same month in Waikoloa, Hawaii.
Originally trained by former jockey Arterburn, the horse began his career as a 2-year-old in a $12,500 maiden claiming race at the San Joaquin County Fair in 2003. A switch from dirt to grass initiated a move up the ranks, and the 3-year-old Lava Man was eventually claimed for $50,000 by O’Neill at the urging of his owners. Launching his stakes career with a win in the 2005 California Stakes, the horse soon went from claiming to Reigning King of the California circuit, inspiring the turf press to dub him a modern day Seabiscuit.
His name is now intrinsically linked with numerous racing “firsts.” He is the first horse to win a signature race at each of Southern California’s major racetracks in one year. He is the first horse to equal Native Diver’s record of winning three consecutive Hollywood Gold Cup races. He is the first horse in a generation to win a Grade 1 race on dirt and turf in the same year, and he is the only horse ever to win a North American Grade 1 race on dirt, turf, and synthetic surface.
On Sept. 16, Lava Man will be flown from California to Lexington courtesy of H.E. Tex Sutton Forwarding Co., where he will be met by Sallee Vans and driven the short distance to the Georgetown farm. There he will join the near 30 other retirees, including Eclipse winner Sunshine Forever, champion sprinter Ogygian, eight-time stakes winner Ruhlmann, and fellow California hero Special Ring. An event celebrating his arrival is currently scheduled for Oct. 7 at Old Friends.
“The attention and notice a superstar like Lava Man brings to our organization is multi-fold,” noted Blowen. “It’s the champions that attract tourism and donations; in turn that helps us care for the many geldings and mares we have also retired that are not bold type. We’re really looking forward to meeting Lava Man’s many admirers here at the farm.”
LAVA MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!
God I love that guy. Aren’t they building a statue of him at Santa Anita? Thought I remembered hearing that somewhere. That’s fantastic news for Old Friends. Glad to see the good folks there get a big-name guy like Lava Man. I know he’s got many passionate fans, especially on the west coast.
If Curlin fails to win a BC race and BB wins the BCC then it’s all settled. Otherwise BB and Curlin can meet in the Clark Hcp at CD.
I’d love to see the Clark Handicap race happen.
Good article.
I agree that Curlin is very much the better horse and in form at the moment.
Big Brown might be great…but we won’t know unless he faces Curlin. I hope the owners of everyone involved make this happen.
i posted about this on my own blog if you are interested - TripleDeadHeat