NEWS
Future plans still uncertain for Curlin
Posted: Monday, July 28, 2008 2:25 PM
CURLIN
Photo by Z
by Phil Janack
Horse of the Year Curlin returned to the track on Monday morning, breezing five furlongs on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course.
The four-year-old Smart Strike colt was clocked in an easy 1:03.09 on a dirt track labeled fast, ranking ninth of 11 horses at the distance. It was his second breeze at Saratoga since finishing second to Red Rocks (Ire) in the Man o' War Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park in his turf debut. He covered a half-mile in :51.47 on July 21.
"He looked the same as he always does. He's easily recognizable," trainer Steve Asmussen said. "I thought that he went very well.
"The fabulous thing about Curlin is, you watch him come back and he doesn't give you any indication whether he worked or walked or jogged or galloped. He's got that air about him that really separates him."
Majority owner Jess Jackson and his wife were on hand for the work. Jackson and Asmussen remain non-committal on where or upon what surface Curlin will run next other than saying that all options remain open.
"I think them coming here today indicates [they are] thinking about where we're at," Asmussen said. "We've just got to worry about what we have control over, and that's Curlin; his physical condition, how he's doing, and how he feels."
Two possible spots at Saratoga are the Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap (G1) on turf on August 16, and the Woodward Stakes (G1) on dirt on August 30.
The Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) on August 24 at Del Mar is another option.
"There's four or five that he's nominated to now," Asmussen said. "We haven't let any pass."
As he did last year, when Curlin worked over the training track throughout the summer and fall prior to victories in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1), Asmussen prefers to keep the horse with his string in Saratoga.
"It's the comfort level," he said. "This time of year, with the cool mornings, it’s how comfortable I am with the training track and just a feeling of how good he did last year. He put in serious training, put his head in the game, and got down to business after the Haskell and shipped from here the week of the Jockey Club.
"He stamped his readiness that day as far as who he is and what was to come. We were able to get that accomplished here, so that's obviously what we're looking for—that feeling you had walking over knowing what you felt like he was thinking about and what he had done."
Asmussen said multiple graded stakes winner Pyro came out of his runner-up finish to Macho Again on Sunday in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) well and could be on course for a rematch in the $1-million Travers Stakes on August 23.
"Obviously, that's what we're assessing right now," he said. "We're 26 days away today, and we'll see how he bounces out of that race and how he does. I definitely think he's on the `considering it’ list."
Phil Janack is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent
