Curlin breezes at Spa; next start will be revealed Tuesday

Horse of the Year Curlin, an earner of more than $9.4 million, was well within himself on Monday morning while working in Saratoga Springs  (NYRA Photos)

Just before 6 a.m. (EDT) on a spectacular Monday morning, 2007 Horse of the
Year CURLIN (Smart Strike) stepped onto the fast Oklahoma training track for his
final work before owner Jess Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen decide whether
his future is on the dirt or on turf. Both Jackson and his wife, Barbara Parke,
were on hand for the work, in which the big chestnut breezed five furlongs in an
easy 1:02 3/5 under regular exercise rider Carmen Rosas.

“He’s in a beautiful rhythm, he’s very comfortable,” Asmussen said. “He’s
very loose. It amazes me how he jogs off afterward. For me, it’s like Christmas
morning — I get giddy when I see him.”

Jackson is scheduled to announce Curlin’s next start in an NTRA
Communications national media teleconference Tuesday at 1 p.m.

“We’re going to sit down, take all the information, and make a decision,”
Asmussen explained. “I’m just excited to see him run.”