Preakness Stakes winner Curlin wins the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic

Posted on Saturday, October 27th, 2007

Curlin, 2007 Preakness Stakes winner, dominated Monmouth Park Saturday, October 27th to win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

2007 Breeders’ Cup World Championship Race Results

OCEANPORT, NEW JERSEY (TICKER) — Curlin answered any questions of who should be Horse of the Year.

Putting an exclamation point on a sensational year, Curlin pulled away to win Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth Park.

In a race billed as the “War at the Shore,” Curlin won the battle, roaring past Hard Spun and Lawyer Ron around the final turn en route to reaching the the winner’s circle by 4 1/2 lengths in North America’s richest race.

“It’s incredible (training my first Breeders’ Cup winner),” Curlin trainer Steve Asmussen said. “It’s all about Curlin. He’s the one who did it. (The track) was a huge concern. I was extremely nervous about it, extremely nervous.

“Robby (Albarado) gave him the chance. He got him on his feet. First time by (the stands), he was carrying Robby nicely and he ran extremely well from there. He is an incredible horse.”

Much of the focus entering the race was on the final battle between to Curlin and Street Sense. After Street Sense won the Kentucky Derby in May, Curlin returned the favor by taking the Preakness Stakes.

The rubber match proved to be no match. Once Curlin disposed of Hard Spun and Lawyer Ron, the 3-year-old superstar never was challenged by Street Sense, who in his final race before retiring to stud, finished fourth.

Ridden by Robby Albarado, Curlin won for the sixth time in nine career starts and paid $10.80, $5.20 and $4.20.

“It was truly awesome,” Albarado said. “Everything went perfectly starting with all the speed up front. It unfolded just the way we wanted, but it also takes a hell of a horse to get this done. Curlin was there for us every step of the way.”

Being named Horse of the Year now seems like a lock for the amazing Curlin, who was unraced as 2-year-old.

Curlin also made up for a disappointing showing at Monmouth over the summer when he finished third in the Haskell Stakes.

This time, the disappointment went to Street Sense, who looked like he was set to make a charge as the field turned for home. But he never made that run under jockey Calvin Borel for trainer Carl Nafzger.

“We just got outrun today. Curlin ran a beautiful race,” Borel said. “At the quarter-pole, I thought I would go with him, but he just kicked away. I couldn’t have had a better trip. He tried hard with me.

“Curlin is the genuine article and I just couldn’t go with him. He handled the track OK, but Curlin had to run on it, too. When I got to the quarter-pole, I really thought it was going to come down to me and him (Curlin), but we couldn’t go with him.”

Hard Spun, second in the Derby and third in the Preakness, carried the pace but again had to settle for second. With Mario Pino aboard, Hard Spun paid $7.60 and $5.80 for trainer Larry Jones.

“He ran an awesome race. He cruised to the lead easy,” Pino said. “Lawyer Ron had some speed and I wanted to stay in front of him. I tried to go as slow as possible. When we shook off Lawyer Ron, I said ‘great, we still have a chance,’ Then Curlin powered on by, but my horse fought to the very end. It was just an awesome race.”

Awesome Gem rallied for third, paying $9.40. The 4-year-old, trained by Craig Dollase, was ridden by David Flores.

Lawyer Ron, the 4-year-old who was considered the nation’s top older horse, finished seventh in the nine-horse field.

Tragedy did strike following the race as Irish-bred George Washington suffered a fractured right front ankle and had to be euthanized on the track at the request of trainer Aidan O’Brien. The 4-year-old, who ran sixth in last year’s Classic, was making his 14th career start.

“Typically these injuries occur in the last part of the race,” Dr. C Wayne McIlwraith said. “They are more fatigued so they have got less support to the joint. And that’s when the injuries normally occur.”

"Preakness Stakes winner Curlin wins the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic" was posted on Saturday, October 27th, 2007 at 2:22 pm and is filed under Breeders' Cup, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Jockeys, Monmouth Park, Owners & Breeders, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, Trainers. 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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