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 May Race In The Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational September 27 at Belmont Park
Posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year Curlin could be making his final New York appearance in the biggest race of Belmont Park‘s 38-day Fall Championship Meet, the 90th running of the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (G1) on Saturday, September 27.
Curlin’s majority owner, Jess Jackson, has said that no decision will be made until Curlin works again at Saratoga Race Course in a week or so, and that he has several options for the 4-year-old Smart Strike colt.
Jess Jackson, however, is also on a mission to secure Curlin’s place in racing history and to that end, the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup seems an ideal fit. The distance fits Curlin, and past victors of this race include five-time Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Kelso, Gallant Fox, Whirlaway, Citation, Gallant Man, Sword Dancer, Roman Brother, Buckpasser, Damascus, Arts and Letters, Exceller, Affirmed, John Henry, Easy Goer, Mineshaft, Funny Cide and Bernardini.
By winning the Woodward Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on August 30, Curlin moved ahead of Skip Away and into second place behind two-time Horse of the Year Cigar as racing’s all-time leading money-earner. Cigar, the 1995 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, earned $9,999,815, and with Curlin at $9,796,800, a Jockey Club Gold Cup win would make him racing’s first $10 million earner.
Should Curlin win the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Curlin could also nail down Horse of the Year honors, and join Mad Hatter (1921-22), Dark Secret (1933-34), Nashua (1955-56), Kelso (1960-64), the mare Shuvee (1970-71), Slew o’Gold (1983-84), Creme Fraiche (1986-87) and Skip Away (1996-97) as the only repeat winners of the Jockey Club Gold Cup. (Firethorn won it in 1935 and as a five-year-old in 1937).
The Jockey Club Gold Cup would be Curlin’s second Belmont Park appearance this year. Back in July, he ran second by two lengths in his first try on turf to classy Breeders’ Cup Turf champion Red Rocks in the Man O’War Stakes (G1). Curlin has won 4 of 5 starts this year, including a resounding 7 3/4-length victory in the March 29 Dubai World Cup.
Belmont Park’s Fall Championship Meet will begin on Friday, September 5 with a first-race post of 1 p.m.
Many horses competing at Belmont Park’s Fall Championship Meet will be heading out to Santa Anita Park for the October 24-25 2008 Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Horse racing fans will be able to wager on those races on both days, and on Saturday, October 25, Belmont Park will offer its own live horse racing card featuring the $100,000 Knickerbocker Handicap (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at 9 furlongs on the turf, and the $150,000 Sport Page Handicap (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at 7 furlongs.
Closing Day of Belmont Park’s Fall Championship Meet is Sunday, October 26 and the featured race will be the $100,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3) for fillies and mares at 9 furlongs.
Horse racing news edited from www.nyra.com.
Tags: Curlin
"Curlin May Race In The Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational September 27 at Belmont Park" was posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 at 10:32 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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