On Thursday, Suffolk Downs announced that the purse for this year’s
Massachusetts H. will be $5 million if BIG BROWN (Boundary) wins the Triple
Crown and both he and 2007 Horse of the Year CURLIN (Smart Strike) remain
unbeaten in 2008 and go on to start in the Mass Cap against one another. The $5
million would include a $1 million participation bonus for each.
The 66th Mass Cap, scheduled for September 20, and contested at 1 1/8 miles,
currently carries a purse of $500,000 and is one of five races in the Breeders’
Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” Classic Division. The additional purse money
would be funded by Coastal Development LLC, a company controlled by Richard T.
Fields, the largest shareholder of Suffolk Downs.
“Big Brown and Curlin are regarded as the two best Thoroughbreds in the
world, and racing fans would like nothing more than to see them go head to
head,” Fields said. “If they are to square off, we feel that a $5 million purse
is a great incentive and what better place than at Suffolk Downs in the city of
Boston, the sports capital of the world.”
The purse would be $3 million if Big Brown wins the Triple Crown and both he
and Curlin start the race, but with one or both horses having suffered a defeat
in 2008. The $3 million would include a $500,000 participation bonus for each.
Fields, the Chairman of Coastal Development who purchased his interest in
Suffolk Downs in March of last year, was responsible for reviving the Mass Cap
last September after a two-year absence. The race was won by Brass Hat (Prized).
The Mass Cap, first held in 1935 when the track opened, has a rich history.
The list of Mass Cap winning horses includes Hall of Famers Seabiscuit,
Whirlaway, Riva Ridge, Cigar and Skip Away. Jockeys George Woolf, Eddie Arcaro,
Chris McCarron and Jerry Bailey, among other Hall of Fame riders, have all
piloted Mass Cap winners.