NEWS
Asmussen wants to see Curlin stay in training
Posted: Sunday, October 28, 2007 5:43 PM
CURLIN
Sarah K. Andrew/Equi-Photo
Trainer Steve Asmussen wants to see Breeders’ Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1) winner Curlin race next year as a four-year-old.
“He’s an easily recognizable horse that gives you a very good effort and everybody who supports him should be proud of him,” Asmussen said on Sunday, one day after Curlin won the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth Park. “I don’t know what could sell the sport better than that.”
Asmussen said no decision has been made regarding Curlin, a Smart Strike colt who could be retired to stud by co-owners Padua Stables, Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton, and Midnight Cry Stable.
Asmussen earned his first Breeders’ Cup win after Curlin overtook Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) runner-up Hard Spun approaching the stretch and earned a 4 1/2-length victory. The win is an important one toward the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year.
Asmussen said he is looking ahead with Curlin, a third-place finisher to Street Sense and Hard Spun in the Kentucky Derby and runner-up to Rags to Riches in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 9 at Belmont Park. The chestnut colt won the Preakness stakes (G1) on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course.
“It’s just a whole new set of questions,” Asmussen said. “Our focus has been the Breeders’ Cup Classic ever since the Belmont. I think the horse came through with flying colors and put in his best performance yet. He was the best horse that he’s been [Saturday], but everything has to be evaluated from that.”
Scott Blasi, Asmussen’s assistant, said Curlin came out of the race in good shape. The chestnut colt was scheduled to be flown to Louisville on Sunday and will be stabled at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.
Asmussen chose Keeneland over Churchill Downs, where one horse was found to be infected with the highly contagious equine herpesvirus (EHV-1).
Hard Spun and fourth-place finisher Street Sense also came out of the race in good order.
The Classic was the final race for both Hard Spun and Street Sense, who will join the stallion roster at Darley in Lexington in 2008.
Hard Spun will depart for Darley on either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.
“It was a good run," trainer Larry Jones said of Hard Spun’s Classic effort. "We gave it our best and Curlin was just better.
“Those three horses [Hard Spun, Curlin, and Street Sense] have been phenomenal all year. Street Sense and Curlin took turns beating up on me. We beat Street Sense as many times as he beat us, and Curlin, out of five times, he got us three and we got him the other two. This may be one of the best crops ever. Hard Spun has been going for 12 months solid, and he never disappointed us.”
Street Sense was to begin his van ride to Darley late Sunday afternoon.
Trainer Carl Nafzger was a bit puzzled by the unplaced finish of the colt that earlier this year provided him with his second Derby victory.
"He didn’t finish off his race for whatever reason," he said. I don’t know what it was. If he had finished off his race, he’d have been third, but he just didn’t finish it off. He got in it, and that was it. Curlin and Hard Spun ran top races.
“I wish he had been third because that would mean we’d have had the 1-2-3 in the Derby, 1-2-3 in the Preakness [Stakes [G1)], and 1-2-3 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”
