Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) hero CURLIN (Smart Strike) was doing well
“He looked faster on the replay than he did in real life,” trainer
Asmussen said that no decision has been made on whether the colt, who
“In the next day or two we’ll discuss that,” he said. “It’s just a
“It’s the first time that we weren’t thinking about tomorrow with
Curlin was a gutsy winner of the Preakness S. (G1) in just his fifth
“Yes, I don’t see any replacements for him,” Asmussen laughed when
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Asmussen’s assistant Scott Blasi said that Curlin’s stablemates, PYRO
(Pulpit) and KODIAK KOWBOY (Posse), the second- and third-place finishers in the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), respectively, came out of their race in great
shape.
“They ran great,” Blasi said. “Not to pick one over the other, but we thought
two turns and stretching out would definitely help Pyro. That was a good horse
(War Pass [Cherokee Run]) that won.”
Blasi said he was looking forward to watching Pyro move forward.
“I think our horse is going to develop,” he explained. “I think in March what
he’s going to look like compared to what he looks like right now is he’s really
going to mature and develop. Even in the last two months he’s really grown up.
He needs to work on some things mentally, like standing in the gate better,
stuff like that. Those are the things that will cost you races on big days.
“That horse is really tough and works hard every time you put him in the
gate,” he added about Kodiak Kowboy. “His Saratoga Special ([G2] win) was
brilliant and his last two races were, too. He’s a strong horse. He does
anything everybody asks.”
Curlin, Pyro and Kodiak Kowboy were scheduled to be flown to Louisville,
Kentucky, Sunday afternoon.
Set to van back to Kentucky on Sunday afternoon are STREET SENSE (Street Cry
[Ire]), fourth as the favorite in the Classic, and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1)
fourth-placer LADY JOANNE (Orientate). The Carl Nafzger trainees both came out
of their respective races fine, with Street Sense now headed for his new career
at stud.
“Street Sense will go to Darley and then the van will bring Lady Joanne to
Churchill Downs,” their conditioner said. “She is done for the year and if
everything is fine with her, she will be pointed to races at Gulfstream the
first of next year.
“They both tried hard yesterday. Lady Joanne ran real good. Street Sense
didn’t finish off his race for whatever reason. I don’t know what it was. If he
had finished off his race, he’d have been third, but he just didn’t finish it
off. He got in it, and that was it. Curlin and Hard Spun (Danzig) ran top races.
I wish he had been third because that would mean we’d have had the 1-2-3 in the
Derby, 1-2-3 in the Preakness and 1-2-3 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”
Street Sense will be joined at Darley by Classic pacesetter and runner-up
HARD SPUN, whom trainer Larry Jones said exited his game effort in good
condition.
“It was a good run,” Jones reflected. “We gave it our best and Curlin was
just better. Those three horses (Hard Spun, Curlin and Street Sense) have been
phenomenal all year. Street Sense and Curlin took turns beating up on me. We
beat Street Sense as many times as he beat us, and Curlin, out of five times, he
got us three and we got him the other two. This may be one of the best crops
ever. Hard Spun has been going for 12 months solid, and he never disappointed
us.”
Hard Spun and fellow Jones trainee PROUD SPELL (Proud Citizen), second in the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), headed back to their home base Sunday.
“They came out of their races fine and are off to Delaware Park this
morning,” Jones said. “Hard Spun will leave for Darley either Tuesday afternoon
or Wednesday morning. Proud Spell is going to Airdrie (Farm near Midway,
Kentucky) at the end of the week and be turned out for 30 to 45 days and then
join us at the Fair Grounds.”
Classic third-placer AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again) was on his way back to
California on Sunday, according to trainer Craig Dollase.
“We’ll give him an extended vacation and decide where to campaign him next
year,” Dollase said, before adding, “It felt like a win. West Point
(Thoroughbreds) had a tough day, and Awesome Gem lifted everybody’s heads up.”
Dollase already circled a 2008 date for his chestnut’s primary objective.
“We will try to win the Classic next year (on October 25) at Santa Anita,”
Dollase said of the home date.
From his Hollywood Park headquarters, trainer John Shirreffs was waiting for
his Classic contender, fifth-placer TIAGO (Pleasant Tap), to arrive by plane
Sunday morning from Monmouth Park.
“He cooled out well and looked great,” the conditioner commented. “He didn’t
like the track conditions; it was obvious from the start he was struggling.
We’ll look at the Strub series at Santa Anita for him this winter.”