Raven’s Pass upsets Curlin in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic
Source: http://articles.tracksideview.com/2008/10/25/ravens-pass-upsets-curlin-in-trackrecord-time.aspx
The unthinkable has happened. It almost feels like the moment immortalized in Ernest Thayer’s “Casey at the Bat.”
- Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
- The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
- And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
- But there is no joy in Mudville— mighty Casey has struck out.
Curlin, the defending 2007 Horse of the Year, made his bid for eternal glory and a second consecutive Breeders’ Cup Classic win, but ultimately was gunned down by European invader Raven’s Pass, who set a new track record at 1:59.27. The mighty Curlin has struck out.
Was it the synthetic surface? Curlin’s connections seemed to think so. From trainer Steve Asmussen after the race:
“It was a turf race. It absolutely was the Pro-Ride surface (that beat him). He ran his heart out and gave it all he had. He’s a great horse. He’s made over $10 million.”
It certainly looked that way from where I was sitting as well. Two of the European shippers, the winning Raven’s Pass and Henrythenavigator both looked incredible blowing past Curlin in the stretch. Curlin had his head in front turning for home there for a moment, but he couldn’t sustain his drive or find his ground swallowing strides when he needed them.
The 4-year-old son of Smart Strike is likely headed to a stud career after the race, though no official announcement has been made. Owner Jess Jackson has commented before that he believes the breed needs Curlin’s infusion of stamina and durability.
If that was indeed the last time we’ve seen the amazing Curlin, then I tip my hat, light up a cigar (how fitting?), and pour a glass of my finest wine. It’s been an unbelievable run. Words cannot describe how rewarding it’s been to this guy’s fan. He gave it his best today and it just wasn’t his day. Even the best lose races. For the most part at least.
In other action of the day, Muhannak and Desert Code got the party started by scoring with big wins in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Albertus Maximus took the “Pro-Ride” Mile. Goldikova was as advertised in the Mile (Turf). Donativium took the Juvenile Tuf. Midshipman scored a mild upset in the Juvenile. Conduit took the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Probably the second most impressive run of the day from a visual standpoint was Midnight Lute’s impressive performance in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Midnight Lute runs away with the Breeders’ Cup Sprint
All in all it was an amazing weekend. I got burned in the Pick 4/PIck 6 on Curlin (and some other in the pick 6 to be honest), but hit a bunch of “bomber” win bets to wind up dead even for the day.
The path is now wide open for Zenyatta to win Horse of the Year honors, and I think she deserves it. She should be back next year and she’s earned the spot as racing’s biggest star.
I’m not aware of any serious injuries at the moment, so it looks like everybody (human and equine) came back safely. If so, it’s got to be seen as a successful Breeders’ Cup meet. I was looking at the pools throughout both days of racing and it looked impressive to me considering the current economic situation.
Here’s hoping Curlin well in his career as a stud if that indeed is his destination. I can’t wait to see his offspring in action If they get just a fraction of his talent they’ll be fun to watch for a long time. Thanks for the memories buddy. It’s been an honor watching you. Now go get yourself some gorgeous mares and get busy! 
It was the track surface I think.
Indian Blessing didn’t like it as much either. Venture who beat her is a turf horse also.
I think Colonel John and Curlin both didn’t like it. It seems after a certain point in the race, they just can’t run on it any longer. It is different than the old Santa Anita synthetic surface. Colonel John is 3 for 3 on the old one. Now all of a sudden he comes in 6th once it was changed.
Maybe Colonel John should race in New York again? ha. He sure did well on the dirt in the Travers getting a 106 Beyer.
Fabulous Strike also did poor on it. His only turf race he came in 5th. Seems if you like the turf you have a better chance than if you don’t.
Maybe it’s me. If so, I will just shut up! Does anybody else feel cheated about the decision to have the Breeders Cup on a synthetic surface?? Last time I checked, there are only a handful of tracks in the world running on this garbage. What is a synthetic racing surface? Glad you asked! Its a racing surface that includes polypropylene fibers, recycled rubber and sand covered in a wax coating. Anybody care to explain how they came up with great idea! Lets create a very expensive surface made of landfill waste and have some horses run on it and see what happens! This is what happens:
Ravens Pass wins the Classic. A horse who has never raced on anything other then Turf and his best win to date was a $493K stakes race. While Curlin the best horse in the World finishes 4th.
Starting today and the rest of my hopefully long life. I will not wager, watch, or even acknowledge horse races on this surface. Whats next, Football on Ice or Baseball on Mars!
I know what you mean. The new surfaces are supposed to be safter for the horses they said; less injurys. The only problem is that it’s impossible for people who do bet on races to really pick the winners now. I don’t bet really anymore anyway. I just follow it as a sport.
The side effect is that you have in the history books now horses who beat great horses only because of the track surface. So it kind of screws up the history as far as which horse is better than another.
As a Curlin fan I feel a bit cheated, yes - but overall for the sport it may be better. What I mean by that is that we had unprecedented international involvement, and actually from a handicapping standpoint once you figured out it was a turf runner’s dream - it was much easier to do.
The horses (for the most part) either had established turf or synthetic form.
Let’s look at ‘em
1. Muhannak (Marathon) - runner had won 4 straight and 5 of last 6 overseas. C’mon- you never totally discount that kind of form. That’s why I made him my “bomber” of race 1.
2. Desert Code (Turf Sprint) - another of my bomber picks. This was a race you knew would fall apart with C.Flag and Mr. Nightlinger up front. It did. Desert Code certainly fit once you tossed those two. I still thought Get Funky would win, but Desert Code wasn’t unthinkable.
3. Albertus Maximus (”Synthetic Mile”) - not sure what happened to Well Armed here, but Albertus Maximus was a consensus 2nd or 3rd choice depending on who you listened to. Was coming off his best 2 races lifetime.
4. Goldikova (Turf Mile) - Captain Obvious. Goldikova was part of that same sensational 3-year-old filly crop from Europe that produced Zarkava (Arc Winner) and Raven’s Pass (Classic winner).
5. Midshipman (Juvenile) - a mild upset, but these are juvies and there was no clear standout. Munnings could be tossed since he was an east coaster who had never been on turf or synth. Bushranger would’ve made for a historic day for the Euros, but Midshipman fit right in with Street Hero, Square Eddie, etc. We thought this one could go to any of 6 runners without a clear standout. It did. Not a huge surprise.
6. Donativum (BC Juvie Turf) - Juvies on turf. Bet the Euros!!! Donativium made an impression on me during “the works” (which is why he was my “bomber” pick in this one) and ran big. This one was also wide open on paper and an obvious “spread deep” race.
7. Midnight Lute (BC Sprint) - this was the SURPISE of the day in my opinion. I knew Midnight Lute on his best was devastating, but I figured Street Boss was the safe play here. ‘Lute didn’t have grat synthetic form in his past, but he had won at Keeneland, so you couldn’t toss him. He was 5/2 so it’s not like he was a shocker.
8. Conduit (Turf) - His form looks a lot like Muhannak (who won the marathon) in as much as he’s won 3 of 4 coming into this race. I expected more from Soldier of Fortune and Red Rocks - actually I was scared shitless that Grand Couturier was going to knock me out. This was a tough running of the turf. Look back over the form. There’s probably 6 horses you could make a case for and that doesn’t include a former BC turf winner in Better Talk Now. That’s DEEP!
9. Raven’s Pass (Classic) - part of that same class as Goldikova and Zarkava. When Munnings didn’t fire I got really worried Curlin wouldn’t show up. If you look at my picks I posted about 2 hours before post time (not the updates with the polls) - you’ll see Raven’s Pass and Henrythenavigator (along with Go Between) were the likely upset specialists. Henry looked better than the Duke, and Raven’s Pass had looked well since arriving. Plus, you knew folks would worry about the surface and the distance - but you can always give a euro shipper about an extra furlong or two coming to the states - the turf racing on the wet footing out in Europe gives them a bit more stamina, or so it seems. In other words - I thought she was logical if Curlin didn’t fire.
To me, next year should be so much easier. We were just wed to a dirt runner this year (Curlin). We won’t make that mistake again. I actually can’t wait.
What really surprised me was that horses like Go Between and Well Armed didn’t run big. You would’ve thought they would have been more comfortable, but I guess either the heat or something else got to them.
5 deaths on pro ride this year–NOT safer
Curlin would have won if race was on real dirt–we all know that
end of story.
Some qoutes from the people inside the Game!
Jimmy Jerkens
“I’m not a big fan of it, It seems ridiculous that you can’t maintain a dirt track that’s safe enough to run on it.”
Bobby Frankel
“Here’s the one stat, They ran 30% more races at Saratoga than Del Mar and they had one fatality at Saratoga in the afternoon and that was on the grass. They had five fatalities at Del Mar in the afternoon.” “When it’s 90 degrees out, the (synthetic) track surface heats up to 160 degrees”
Bob Baffert
I’m staying out of that fight because I got involved and I was villainized or whatever you want to call it,” Baffert said.
Baffert has sent many of his horses to Saratoga the last two summers to race over a conventional dirt track.
“They felt if you spoke against it, you were against it,” he said. “There is so much money. They have put so much money into it and the last thing they want is for someone to complain about it. I just decided to keep my mouth shut about it and let everyone find out as a whole.”
As for safety, Baffert, like many others in the industry realize, “Horses are always going to get hurt. I don’t think there is a safe surface. It’s not safer.”
D Wayne Lukas with the Best one!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hall of Fame trainer Wayne Lukas has kept his operation out of states that race on synthetics.
“I’m in Hot Springs (Oaklawn), Churchill, Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct,” Lukas said. “I’m on all dirt tracks. I gear our program to that.”
As for betting advice on this year’s Breeders’ Cup, Lukas offered, “If you’re a bettor, I’d box seven numbers in a superfecta and throw them out there. Synthetics are great for that.”
But are they great for anything else?
At the finish, he was a well-beaten fourth, a performance that prompted his downcast trainer Steve Asmussen to exclaim, “This was a turf race, not a dirt race. I saw early he was off the bridle and I got worried.”
Nick Zito, who has trained the winning horse in all three Triple Crown races, is a staunch supporter of racing on dirt.
“God made dirt and grass,” he said. “If you overreact, you’re taking a lot away from the sport. You’ll spin the wheel a different way.”
Andy Beyer last year!
While horseplayers are examining the effect of synthetic surfaces, leaders of the racing industry should do the same. Speed has always been the most prized quality in the sport. Racing fans love thoroughbreds who flaunt their speed. Breeders have invested billions of dollars in pedigrees designed to produce horses with speed. The people who have championed synthetic racing surfaces should take a careful look at Keeneland and decide if this bizarre, go-as-slow-as-you-can style of racing is what the sport really needs.
Ah, no argument here about what’s safer or what I’d rather run over. I said all along I wasn’t comfortable with Curlin running in the Classic. I’m just saying it’s possible to figure out synthetic racing as a bettor. That and that it did attract a large international contingent.
Peace and Love Stafford! I didn’t even bet yesterday on Breeders Cup! And will not next year since its back at SA. I just cannot stand the surface, call me a purist! I was in full Penn State mode yesterday. Later!
I think that synthetics are the downfall of racing right now, not the better option. It isn’t better for the sport when a horse like Curlin is touted as the best in the world, and possibly the best in the past quarter century, then have him lose on an atificial surface in front of an international audience. People who don’t normally even think about Horse Racing aside from the Derby tuned in to see this race, to see Curlin, and they didn’t get what was advertised. Curlin is way better than that.
Horse Of The Year should still go to Curlin. He won two international races including the Dubai World Cup, came back and won a grade 1, raced second in one of the strongest grass races of the year, then rattled off two more grade 1 wins on the dirt, and became the richest horse in North American racing history while making it a repeat in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. This horse taked everything thrown at him and just keeps throwing punches. I thought for sure he had it when he made his sweeping move around the turn.
I also think it’s time for Robby Alborado to wake up and see that Curlin doesn’t like to be so far behind in his races. He won the Dubai World Cup from right off the pace. He killed Curlin’s chances of winning the Man ‘O’ War by holding him about 15 lengths off the pace, then almost lost him another in the Woodward. Thank goodness the horse is better than the jockey!!!
I desperately hope Jess Jackson brings him back for a 2009 campaign. In my opinion Jess Jackson should be given a special award just for bringing Curin back as a four year-old. This man is the epitomy of sportsmanship, owners (like Sheik Mohammed) would do well to follow his example. Jackson was in no small part responsible for giving the industry a huge boost this year by running Curlin.
No matter what happens with Curlin, I am amazingly proud to have seen this horse race in person five times! He has been a highlight in my life.
GO CURLIN!! (-:
Kevin –it attracted a large Euro group in part because California just banned steroids and is now drug free–the euro’s have been drug free for years and knew they could come over and clean up on the US horses being weaned off drugs.
The WHO one of the greatest bands in History once sang as song that included some very appropriate lyrics “I won’t be fooled again” Thats how I feel about pissing away 100 plus years of history and changing the rules at the 2 minute warning of the 4th quarter. This just in from the NFL “A field goal just became 10 points” Deal with it. So when Europe sweeps next year this will help US racing how? Basically all the purse money will go across the Atlantic and the BIG USA owners will just stop investing big money is horse racing. SInce when did one track get back to back Breeders Cups? Anybody? I cannott express how much I dislike this surface without yelling like a madman and being taking away by the looney farm people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The scary thing, it’s Shelton that first got me jazzed about the Breeders’ Cup many years ago when we sat next to each other at the office.
I actually thought of that same line from The WHO when thinking about how to play next year’s BC.
I dislike the stuff as well, and I shudder to imagine a date when the KY Derby will be run over it, but that does seem to be the general direction things are trending.
I can’t say I buy into the “myth” about it being safer. I think there’s still a lot of analysis that should be done before we bestow that honor to the synthetics - and even then, which type? Pro-Ride? Tapetta? Polytrack? It just gets so confusing.
The Back-to-Back Breeders’ Cup hostings is more of a marketing ploy. It’s easier to sell to big Corporations if they know you’ll be back sooner than once very 5 years. Think about all the companies with tents in the infield - it’s all about the dollars. Plus, Santa Anita is one of the nicer tracks. I’d like to see it at Arlington or Saratoga in the near future personally, but I digress.
So Shelton, I take it we won’t be seeing your horse train at Fair Hill then, huh?
I am not bitter at all or anything, just hate the surface! I just won’t even look at it anymore! Doubt my horse will be making the trip to Fairhill anytime soon! Peace out!
Well folks, I will give you all my comments about the BC from my trackside viewpoint at Santa Anita. I have just returned home from So Cal so… one answer is yes, that surface runs like turf, but mainly in the stretch drive. The first part of the race it runs a little closer to dirt. Santa Anita is still a beautiful old track. Curlin’s loss derives more from the jockey and his bad positioning as per THAT track surface (he should have known). I can’t tell you how much track surface affects horse racing. He had to make his move too early, and that gave the Euro style runners the advantage in the stretch. Early in my race track/handicaping experience, I was at the track and over heard the jockeys talking after a race. They were saying, and pointing to the track surface and saying, “well its that time of day again it’s changing”. From that point on I have really paid a LOT of attention to surface. I didn’t win many bets at BC, because I didn’t realize HOW that surface would be. Next year I will clean up! Ha ha. Hummmm unless they CHANGE it again, huh… what ?? Pure good dirt is USA best, but in truth really good dirt tracks are hard to find and maintain. We have one really good one here in N. Cal, and that’s at a Fair racing track at Alameda Co Fair site. It is because of synthetic that we lost our best track here at Bay Meadows, and, partially at least that Curlin lost. That’s TWO strikes against synthetic, Three strikes and your out (I hope) ??? GO PHILLIES good luck tonight !! I can give a full answer that the discussion about what to look for in a horse in the saddling paddoc (as per that discussion you had) when I punch in here later in the week. Actually it came true on two races at the BC, that I knew by looking that the horse was READY to run/win. The only problem there is you actually have to watch them in saddling, and then in post parade and the whole time, and then it’s only 1 or 2 of ten that you could hit via that method and they have to hadicap well also.
Good to see you, Roblejeune! Hope you had a blast at BC. I’m thinking the same thing as you - we’ll clean freakin’ house next year!!!! Mwahahahahaha!!!
Of course, we have to hope at some level that the 3-year-old crop of Europeans is as good as this year’s was. That may have had “something” to do with it.
Would love to hear what you look for visually. I know the obvious stuff, like sweat, ear positioning, and checking out how they walk. Beyond that I just try and judge if they look comfortable/professional, or nervous and perhaps a bit uninterested.