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 Has Final Work For Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park September 27
Posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008
Reigning Horse of the Year Curlin had a “perfect” workout Monday morning in his final move before attempting to become the first American race horse to break the $10 million mark in Saturday’s 90th running of the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (G1) at Belmont Park.
Under regular exercise rider Carlos Rosas, the 4-year-old Stonestreet Stable colt covered a half-mile in an easy 51.85 on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga. Curlin went in fractions of 13 and 25.70 while galloping out five furlongs in 1:06.15 over the fast training track.
“Perfect,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to race horse trainer Steve Asmussen. “It was his normal work before he runs. He got over the ground really well and we are all excited about Saturday.”
The 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin, who enters the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup with earnings of $9,796,800, is on the verge of breaking the legendary Cigar’s money-earning record of $9,999,815, which has stood for 12 years. The Jockey Club Gold Cup winner’s share of $450,000 would vault him past Cigar with a total bankroll of $10,246,800.
Along with Steve Asmussen’s stable pony, Pancho, and stablemate J Be K, who is running in Saturday’s $400,000 Vosburgh (G1) — J Be K worked a half mile in 49.88, breezing, on Monday morning — Curlin is scheduled to depart Saratoga Race Course on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. and arrive at Belmont Park between 1:30 and 2 p.m.
According to assistant race horse trainer Scott Blasi, Curlin will gallop Wednesday morning over the main track, school in the paddock during the second race on Thursday afternoon and gallop again on Friday.
Expected to challenge Curlin as he goes for a repeat victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup are Mambo in Seattle, who suffered the narrowest of losses in the Travers Stakes (G1) on August 23, Suburban Handicap (G1) winner Frost Giant, Timber Reserve, Angliana, either A. P. Arrow or Ravel, and Wanderin Boy, who was third behind Curlin in the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on August 30.
Mambo In Seattle
Mrs. William S. Kilroy’s Mambo in Seattle, the tough-luck runner-up to Colonel John in the Travers, worked a half-mile in 49.64, breezing at Belmont Park on Monday morning in his preparation for the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
The 3-year-old Kingmambo colt Mambo in Seattle will carry 122 pounds on Saturday and get a 4-pound break in the weights from the older horses under the weight-for-age conditions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
With jockey Robby Albarado committed to ride Curlin, Howard will go with Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado aboard Mambo in Seattle.
“We understand what a tall order it is to go against a champion like Curlin,” said race horse trainer Neil Howard, who also trained the 2003 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Mineshaft. “And it is always a big step up when a three-year-old goes up against older horses. We had the Super Derby in Louisiana as an option, but we had a feeling that Mambo in Seattle would love Belmont Park and would love to train here. Plus, it gave us another week after a tough race like the Travers.”
“After the Travers, we brought Mambo in Seattle to Belmont Park and he proved us right,” Neil Howard said. “He loves it here. We felt that by running in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, we took shipping out of the equation; we get a mile and a quarter, which is a distance we know he can negotiate, and on top of that, we get a break in the weights. Curlin is a great champion, but this is the perfect spot to take a shot.”
Ravel, A.P. Arrow & Bittel Road
Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Ravel breezed a half-mile in 49.92 on Monday morning for the Jockey Club Gold Cup. The 4-year-old son of Fusaichi Pegasus is 0-for-2 this year and winless in three starts since last October.
Race horse trainer Todd Pletcher has another invitee to the Jockey Club Gold Cup in A.P. Arrow.
Todd Pletcher also sent out James T. Scatuorchio and John Iracane’s Bittel Road on Monday morning, and he worked a half-mile in 50.02, breezing.
The undefeated Stormy Atlantic colt, Bittel Road, winner of Saratoga’s With Anticipation Stakes on August 29, will run in Sunday’s $150,000-added Pilgrim Stakes (G3) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
The Pilgrim winner automatically qualifies to be one of the Breeders’ Cup horses for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Park on October 25 as part of the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win & You’re In” series.
Horse racing news edited from www.nyra.com.
Tags: A.P. Arrow, Angliana, Bittel Road, Curlin, Frost Giant, Mambo in Seattle, Ravel, Timber Reserve
"Curlin Has Final Work For Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park September 27" was posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 11:31 pm and is filed under Belmont Park, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Jockeys, Kentucky Derby, Race Tracks News, Santa Anita Track, Stakes Races, Trainers, 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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