by Frank Angst

In quickly becoming a prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder, outspoken Jess Jackson has made plenty of friends and adversaries in the industry.

Yet, even those who disagree with some of his ideas would have to admire Jackson’s sporting move of trying reigning Horse of the Year Curlin on turf today in the $500,000 Man o’ War Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. A good showing in the 1 3/8-mile race would result in an even bigger goal for Curlin: a trip to France to start in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) after a possible prep there.

Jackson is the majority owner of Curlin, who already has proven himself a world traveler after opening this season with a victory in a prep race at Nad al Sheba Racecourse before securing an easy victory there in the Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1). A trip to France could give Curlin the rare opportunity of winning Grade/Group 1 races on three continents in one season.

The Man o’ War is the same race two-time Horse of the Year Secretariat made his career turf debut. At age three, Secretariat won the 1973 Man o’ War before closing out his career with a victory in the Canadian International Championship Stakes (Can-G2) on the turf at Woodbine.

In 1973, the Man o’ War was contested in the fall but this year the New York Racing Association moved the race to the spring-summer Belmont meeting. Belmont is ready for Curlin. On Friday its opening web site page featured a large photo of the Smart Strike colt with the headline, “The Champ returns to Belmont Park.”

Curlin placed second in last year’s Belmont Stakes (G1), losing by a head to filly Rags to Riches. Curlin placed in all three classics, including a win in the Preakness Stakes (G1), before closing the year with victories against older horses in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Belmont and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) Powered by Dodge at Monmouth Park.

Trainer Steve Asmussen is trying to focus on today’s race, which features previous John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winners Better Talk Now and Red Rocks (Ire), before thinking about the planned trip to France.

“The perfect plan for us—for me, for Curlin, and for everybody associated with him--is to first establish his level of quality on the turf in the Man o’ War and not get ahead of ourselves,” Asmussen said.

ESPNews will televise the race at 5:15 p.m. EDT.

Frank Angst is senior writer of Thoroughbred Times

The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:

1. Better Talk Now (Talkin Man), Ramon A. Dominguez, 120, H. Graham Motion;

2. Grand Couturier [GB] (Grand Lodge), Calvin H. Borel, 120, Robert Ribaudo;

3. Mission Approved (With Approval), David Cohen, 116, Gary C. Contessa;

4. True Cause (Storm Cat), Rajiv Maragh, 116, Saeed bin Suroor;

5. Sudan [IRE] (Peintre Celebre), John R. Velazquez, 120, Robert J. Frankel;

6. Red Rocks [IRE] (Galileo [IRE]), Javier Castellano, 116, Brian Meehan; and

7. Curlin (Smart Strike), Robby Albarado, 116, Steven M. Asmussen.