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 Draws Post Position 7 In Turf Debut at Man O’War Stakes
Posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008
Curlin, the reigning Horse of the Year and 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, will make his turf debut in Saturday’s 49th running of the $500,000 Man o’War Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.
Horses racing in the 11-furlong Man O’War Stakes with jockeys and weight line up as follows:
- Better Talk Now under jockey Ramon Dominguez carries 120 lbs.
- Grand Couturier under jockey Calvin Borel, 120 lbs.
- Mission Approved under jockey David Cohen, 116 lbs.
- True Cause under jockey Rajiv Maragh, 116 lbs.
- Sudan under jockey John Velazquez, 120 lbs.
- Red Rocks under jockey Javier Castellano, 116 lbs.
- Curlin under jockey Robby Albarado, 116 lbs.
Beaten a head by the filly Rags to Riches in last year’s Belmont Stakes and then third in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, Curlin has since reeled off 5 straight victories, four of which were Grade 1 or Group 1 wins. Since his victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup here last fall, Curlin has won the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth Park; the Jaguar Trophy and Dubai World Cup at Nad al Sheba in the United Arab Emirates and the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.
Those races, however, were all on dirt and now the 4-year-old Smart Strike colt, Curlin, is using the Man o’War Stakes as a springboard to a season on the turf, which includes the Prix Foy on September 14 as a prep to the ultimate goal, the Prix de L’arc de Triomphe on Sunday, October 5. Both races will be run at Longchamps Racecourse in Paris.
The Man o’War Stakes does not figure to be a walk in the park for Curlin, who will face seasoned and successful turf stars such as Breeders’ Cup Turf winners Red Rocks and Better Talk Now, as well as Grand Couturier, winner of the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga last summer.
“I think that’s the question we want answered this weekend–whether Curlin is of the caliber to be considered for the Arc on the turf,” race horse trainer Steve Asmussen said. “Two previous Breeders’ Cup Turf winners should definitely give us that measure.”
“I think the Arc is one of the greatest races in the world, and we’re hoping to prove Curlin is one of the greatest horses in the world,” Asmussen continues. “If we can establish a Grade 1 form on him this Saturday at Belmont in the Man o’War, we will make arrangements from there to get him to Chantilly and start our preparations with him to be comfortable going right [clockwise]. Liking the turf is one thing, going right-handed is another.”
Grand Couturier
Marc Keller’s Grand Couturier (GB) will be re-united with jockey Calvin Borel Saturday in the Man o’War Stakes.
A narrow third in the overnight Academy Award here on June 19 in his seasonal debut, the 5-year-old Grand Lodge horse was ridden that day by jockey Garrett Gomez. Gomez, however, is committed to ride Colonel John in Saturday’s Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park.
During the course of an outstanding year in 2007, one that included a Kentucky Derby victory over Curlin while aboard Street Sense, Borel had an especially strong Saratoga meet. He won the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes aboard Street Sense, the Alabama aboard Lady Joanne and the Sword Dancer with Grand Couturier.
“Calvin and his agent called to wish us well when we brought back Grand Couturier last month, and that opened the lines of communication,” said trainer Bobby Ribaudo, who got his first Grade 1 victory in last year’s Sword Dancer. “We’re happy to have Calvin back on this horse. He’s one of the few jockeys that have beaten Curlin.”
Red Rocks
Meanwhile on Wednesday, J. Paul Reddam’s Irish-bred Red Rocks arrived without incident and entered quarantine at Aqueduct.
Winner of the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs and third in the Turf last October at Monmouth Park, the 5-year-old Red Rocks will be released from quarantine after 24 hours at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Better Talk Now
The Man o’War was moved from Belmont Park’s Fall Championship Meet to the spring this year to create better spacing among the Grade 1 turf races in New York through the summer and fall.
Race horse trainer H. Graham Motion, who will saddle Bushwood Stable’s 9-year-old Better Talk Now on Saturday, is a big fan of the move.
“By now, we pretty much know what makes Better Talk Now tick,” Motion said. “So, we map out a schedule and try to stick to it. This year, we felt that the United Nations came up a bit too soon, but the Man o’War was ideal. And, we felt that, if Better Talk Now is up to it, there is proper spacing to races like the Sword Dancer (August 16) and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (Belmont Park, September 27).
“But we are very excited about this race on Saturday. It is shaping up to be a race for the ages.”
Better Talk Now will ship into Belmont Park from Fair Hill, Md. on Saturday morning, and will again be ridden by jockey Ramon Dominguez. Better Talk Now won the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Lone Star Park in 2004 and was beaten a half-length in the 2006 Turf by Red Rocks. He won the Man o’War in 2005 and will attempt to become the oldest horse to win this race. Yankee Affair (1989), Val’s Prince (1997) and two-time Man o’War winner With Anticipation (2002) all won the Man o’War as 7-year-olds.
The Man O’War Stakes is race 9 of 1o horse races at Belmont Park on Saturday, July 12. Man O’War Stakes post time is 5:15 EDT.
Horse racing news edited from www.nyra.com.
Tags: Better Talk Now, Curlin, Grand Couturier, Mission Approved, Red Rocks, Sudan, True Cause
"Curlin Draws Post Position 7 In Turf Debut at Man O’War Stakes" was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 at 4:09 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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