Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Curlin Could Make Horse Racing History In the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park September 27
Posted on Sunday, September 21st, 2008
In Saturday’s 90th running of the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (G1) at Belmont Park, Stonestreet Stable’s reigning Horse of the Year Curlin could become the first American Thoroughbred to reach $10 million in earnings.
The 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin has earned $9,796,800 and trails only Cigar, who earned $9,999,815, as horse racing’s top money-earner. The winner’s share of the Jockey Club Gold Cup purse is $450,000, and that would vault Curlin to the top of the money pile. Second ($150,000), third ($75,000) or fourth ($37,000) would leave Curlin short of Cigar’s mark.
Curlin, however, has proven that he is more than up to the task. He won the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup last year as a 3-year-old by a neck over Lawyer Ron. A win on Saturday not only gives him the money title, it may also nail down a second consecutive Horse of the Year title and it moves him into an elite class in horse racing history, as only Mad Hatter (1921-22), Dark Secret (1933-34), Nashua (1955-56), Kelso (1960-64), the mare Shuvee (1970-71), Slew o’Gold (1983-84), Cr?me Fraiche (1986-87) and Skip Away (1996-97) have won consecutive runnings of the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Firethorn won it in 1935 and as a five-year-old in 1937.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational is a weight-for-age race, with 3-year-olds carrying 122 pounds and older horses carrying 126 pounds. The only horse to get this advantage will be Mrs. William Kilroy’s Mambo in Seattle, who suffered one of the toughest beats in the history of Saratoga Race Course when he lost the Travers Stakes (G1) by a nose to Colonel John on August 23. Mambo in Seattle is trained by Neil Howard, who won the Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2003 with Mineshaft.
Also likely Jockey Club Gold Cup entries are Frost Giant, winner of Belmont Park’s Suburban Handicap (G1) in June, Wanderin Boy, who was third to Curlin in Saratoga’s Woodward Stakes (G1), Timber Reserve, Angliana and either A.P. Arrow or Ravel.
The biggest weekend of Belmont Park’s Fall Championship Meet continues on Sunday, September 28, with a card featuring 3 graded stakes races. And, as with Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup Day card, those races are certain to have an impact on the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita on October 24-25.
Sunday’s main attraction will be the 28th running of the $250,000 Kelso Handicap (G2) for 3-year-olds and up at a mile on the Widener Turf Course. Expected Kelso Handicap entries are Forefathers, Giant Wrecker, Hellvelyn (GB), Media Play, Midwatch, Stalingrad and Tam Lin (GB).
The winner of the 30th running of the $150,000-added Pilgrim Stakes (G3) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the Widener Turf Course will automatically qualify for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf under the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” format. Possible Pilgrim Stakes entries are Bittel Road, Dueling Alex, Duke of Homberg (GB), Herr Mozart, Relatively Ready and Show Me the Cash.
Likewise, the winner of the 29th running of the $150,000-added Miss Grillo Stakes (G3) for juvenile fillies will automatically qualify for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Probable Miss Grillo Stakes entries are Ancient Future, Bambolina, Casanova Move, Consequence, Freedom Rings, Maram, Megachurch, Miss Bodine, Our Golden Dream, Pumpkin Shell and Sugar Mom.
Horse racing news edited from www.nyra.com.
Horse racing tags: A.P. Arrow, Ancient Future, Angliana, Bambolina, Bittel Road, Casanova Move, Consequence, Curlin, Dueling Alex, Duke of Homberg, Forefathers, Freedom Rings, Frost Giant, Giant Wrecker, Hellvelyn, Herr Mozart, Mambo in Seattle, Maram, Media Play, Megachurch, Midwatch, Miss Bodine, Our Golden Dream, Pumpkin Shell, Ravel, Relatively Ready, Show Me the Cash, Stalingrad, Sugar Mom, Tam Lin, Timber Reserve, Wanderin Boy
"Curlin Could Make Horse Racing History In the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park September 27" was posted on Sunday, September 21st, 2008 at 10:14 pm and is filed under Belmont Park, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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