Curlin wins 2007 Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes next

Posted on Sunday, May 20th, 2007

2007 Preakness Stakes Winners, Results and Payouts
Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland

Off: 6:18 | 1 3/16 Miles | 3 Year Olds | Purse: $1,000,000

#	Horse		Jockey		Weight		Win	Place	Show
4	Curlin		Albarado R J	126		8.80	3.80	2.80
8	Street Sense	Borel C H	126			3.00	2.40
7	Hard Spun	Pino M G	126				  3.00

Times in 5ths: :224 :453 1:094 1:343 1:532

Times in 100ths: :22.83 :45.75 1:09.80 1:34.68 1:53.46

Also ran: C P West, Circular Quay, King of the Roxy, Mint Slewlep, Xchanger and Flying First Class

Winning Trainer: Asmussen Steven M – Owner: Stonestreet Stables, Padua Stables, Bolton, George and Midnight Cry Stables

$2 Pick 3 (12-9-4) 3 Correct Paid $349.20 Pick 3 Pool $430,670

$2 Pick 4 (1/4/6-12-9-4) 4 Correct Paid $440.20 Pick 4 Pool $1,544,672

$1 Pick 6 (2/5/8/10-2/4-1-4-6/12-9-4) 6 Correct Paid $789.50 Pick 6 Pool $417,501

$1 Pick 6 (2/5/8/10-2/4-1/4/6-12-9-4) 5 Correct Paid $15.20 Pick 6 Pool

$2 Daily Double (9-4) Paid $42.20 Daily Double Pool $474,101

$2 Daily Double (B.E.SUSAN-PREAKNESS 2-4) Paid $34.80 Daily Double Pool $586,774

$2 Exacta (4-8) Paid $23.20

$1 Superfecta (4-8-7-9) Paid $340.30

$2 Trifecta (4-8-7) Paid $50.00

Curlin catches Street Sense in last jump to win Preakness Stakes

By JAY PRIVMAN DRF

Curlin
Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos
Curlin

BALTIMORE – Inexperience may have betrayed Curlin when he suffered the first loss of his career with a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, but the experience gleaned from that race paid off two weeks later when he rallied boldly in the stretch to catch Derby winner Street Sense and capture the 132nd Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico.

Curlin ($8.80), the second choice, stumbled slightly at the start, settled near the back of the pack, and was passed by Street Sense as the field came around the far turn and into the stretch. But he resolutely kept to his task and wore down Street Sense in the final yards to win by a head.

Hard Spun, the Derby runner-up, was another four lengths back in third. C P West was fourth and was followed, in order, by Circular Quay, King of the Roxy, Mint Slewlep, Xchanger, and Flying First Class.

Curlin completed 1 3/16 miles, the shortest of the Triple Crown races, in 1:53.46 on a track rated fast despite rain showers that fell sporadically, beginning a little more than an hour before the start of the race. His time is the equivalent of the Preakness record, 1:53 2/5, shared by Tank’s Prospect (1985) and Louis Quatorze (1996), when the race was timed in fifths of a second instead of hundredths.

Curlin earned $600,000 from a total purse of $1 million.

Robby Albarado, who rode Curlin, bounced back to compete after being thrown from Einstein during an accident in the Dixie Handicap earlier on the card. He scored his first victory in a Triple Crown race, as did Curlin’s trainer, Steve Asmussen.

Preakness Day began with gorgeous weather – just a few random clouds, blue skies, and temperatures in the mid-60s. As the day progressed, however, storm clouds began to accumulate near the track, and it began to rain about 80 minutes before post time for the Preakness.

The rain came down harder, and the temperature started to fall, just as the nine horses were being led over to be saddled. Usually at the Preakness, most horses are saddled in the infield, but this day, seven of the nine were taken to the inside paddock by their trainers. Only Flying First Class and C P West remained in the infield to be saddled before being joined later by the others.

But when the horses came on the track to the strains of “Maryland, My Maryland,” the sun began to peek through the clouds.

Throughout the day, the main track tended to favor horses who were on or near the lead. It was extremely difficult to make up appreciable ground. But the rain may have tightened up the track, which yielded swift fractions in the Preakness.

Street Sense won the Derby two weeks ago at Churchill Downs as the tepid 9-2 favorite against 19 rivals, but was sent off at 6-5 on Saturday against eight opponents. His loss means that the Triple Crown will go unclaimed yet again. It has not been swept since Affirmed in 1978. The current drought is the longest since the Triple Crown was first won by Sir Barton in 1919.

The final leg of the Triple Crown is the 2007 Belmont Stakes on June 9 in New York. Carl Nafzger, the trainer of Street Sense, said he would not go on to the Belmont Stakes. Asmussen said he would consider the 2007 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park for Curlin.
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"Curlin wins 2007 Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes next" was posted on Sunday, May 20th, 2007 at 8:40 am and is filed under Horses, Pimlico Track, Preakness Stakes, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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