by Mike Curry
Curlin moved one step closer to overhauling Racing Hall of Famer Cigar as the all-time leading North American-based earner with a clear win in the $500,000 Woodward Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.
Reigning Horse of the Year Curlin steadily reeled in pacesetter Past the Point in the stretch and edged away to a 1 1/4-length win, which boosted his career earnings past 2004 Racing Hall of Fame inductee Skip Away ($9,616,360) to $9,796,800.
Cigar, who reeled off 16 consecutive victories from 1994 through ’96, tops the list of leading North American-based earners at $9,999,815.
“With all the superstition and the ‘Graveyard of Champions,’ I was glad the horse showed what he is and we won,” said Jess Jackson, Curlin’s owner. “It was very important. Good horses like Man o’ War and Secretariat had problems [at Saratoga]. That’s an honor roll of some of the famous and the greatest. I’m glad he showed he was up to it.”
Trained by Steve Asmussen for Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables, Curlin entered the Woodward off a runner-up finish in his turf debut on July 12 in the Man o’ War Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. The four-year-old Smart Strike colt regained his winning stride in the Woodward, but the 1 1/8-mile race was no cakewalk.
Past the Point challenged multiple graded stakes winner Wanderin Boy for the early lead and set the pace through an opening quarter in :22.89 and a half-mile in :46.20.
Curlin stalked the blistering pace from fourth as the 0.35-to-1 favorite under regular rider Robby Albarado. Metropolitan Handicap (G1) winner Divine Park, sent off as the 4.60-to-1 second choice in the seven-horse field, was rated in third on the inside of Curlin
Curlin surged into contention with a bold, sweeping move on the far turn and gradually closed in on Past the Point. He overtook that foe inside the eighth pole and powered clear to prevail in 1:49.34.
“He was great! He is a consummate professional now,” Albarado said. “It was great for the people to see Curlin in New York.”
Past the Point held on determinedly in the stretch to finish second at 40.50-to-1 odds. Wanderin Boy finished another 2 1/2 length back in third. Divine Park never fired while finishing sixth.
Curlin, who wrapped up the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year with a win in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Powered by Dodge (G1), improved to ten wins in 14 career starts. Out of the unraced Deputy Minister mare Sherriff’s Deputy, Curlin won the Preakness Stakes (G1) last season and finished on the board in each of the three United States classic races.
He won the Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 29 at Nad al Sheba Racecourse and the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) on June 14 at Churchill Downs.
“Aside from the Dubai race and the Breeders’ Cup, this is the most important race we’ve won because of the historic nature of this race and its premier contribution to Curlin’s legacy,” Jackson said.
Jackson said the Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) on September 27 is the next target for Curlin with the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on October 25 and Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-G1) on December 7 among the possible future races for Curlin.
“The perfect scenario would be to run in the best races, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Breeders’ Cup, and then go overseas to the Japan Cup,” Jackson said. “But that will be hard to press into a four-week schedule. We’ll wait and see.”
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor