presented by: NORTH AMERICA’S CURLIN RICHEST THOROUGHBRED O AKLAWN Big Step Curlin heads to the Kentucky Derby undefeated after delivering a jaw-dropping performance in the Arkansas Derby B Y R O B E RT YAT E S here’s a Derby out there with trainer In another jaw-dropping performance, “He’s stepped up more than you could Steve Asmussen’s name on it. Plenty, 4-5 favorite Curlin overwhelmed eight ever imagine,ne,” said Asmussen, whose best Tin fact. Alphabetically, the list already challengers in the $1-million Arkansas of five Kentucky Derby starters to date, reads: Arkansas, Borderland, Iowa, Loui- Derby (gr. II) April 14 at Oaklawn Park to Fifty Stars, ran ninth in 2001. “It’s Christ- siana, Louisiana Breeders, Riley Allison, remain unbeaten, and unchallenged, in mas every morning.” West Virginia, Woodlands, and Zia Park. three lifetime starts. On a chilly, overcast day more fitting for 11 The next, and obviously most important, Curlin’n’s whopping 1010 ⁄ ⁄ 22-length margin December, a crowd of 57,937 witnessed a could be Kentucky. of victory was the largest in the race’s 71-- late-season gift that just keeps on giving. Curlin’n’s meteoric ascent to the top of the year history, topping Afleet Alex’s eight- With Robby Albarado admitting he was 3-year-old division has Asmussen, and an length masterpiece in 2005, and stamped simply a “good passenger,” Curlin rated all-star collection of owners, on, potential- the chestnut son of Smart Strike as the beautifully just off the pace, effortlessly lyly, the ride of their lives. possible favorite for the May 5 Kentucky collared dangerous-looking front-runner Next stop, Churchill Downs. Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Deadly Dealer with his ears pricked “We’ve had some nice horses,” said Less than three months ago, Curlin was approaching the quarter pole, and wid- Asmussen, nearing 3,600 victories in his an unstarted prospect in trainer Helen ened his lead through the stretch, acceler- ultra-successful career. “But nice horses Pitts’ barn at Gulfstream Park. Now, he’s ating through a final eighth of a mile in a can’t do what he can do.” bidding to become just the seventh unde- sparkling :11.91. Hand-ridden to the wire, 11 Hardly. feated Kentucky Derby winner in history. Curlin completed 1 ⁄ ⁄ 88 miles over a fast S S O O T T O O H H P P Y Y D D A A O O C C / / Y Y D D A A O O C C F F E E J J Curlin turns Hot Springs into a one-horse town while pulling clear of his foes in the stretch of the Arkansas Derby 2320 THE BLOOD-HORSE ■ APRIL 21, 2007 Arkansas Derby (Curlin) Count Fleet Sprint (Bordonaro) track in 1:50.09.. The push-button performance, Albara- do said, was more polished than Curlin’s 11 55 ⁄ ⁄ 44-length victory in the Rebel Stakes (gr. III) March 17 at Oaklawn. “In his last start, he looked around and ddrriifted a bit,” Albarado said. “Today was a tremendous leap for him. He was straight (in the stretch). He did things profession- ally. He’s getting serious.”” Yet mirroring comments she made the day after the Rebel, Asmussen’s Oaklawn SS OO TT OO assistant, Kristin Crawford, said Curlin HH PP YY DD acted as if he hadn’t left his stall.l. AA OO CC “He cooled out the same way,” Crawford // YY DD AA said. “He’s amazing.g.”” OO CC FF Curlin capped a monster afternoon at EE JJ Oaklawn for Asmussen, who pocketed Million-dollar lineup: Connections of Arkansas Derby winner Curlin are all smiles four other victories, including the $99,25500 Northern Spur Breeders’ Cup Stakes (with Francisco businessman George Bolton for ““IItt’’s a lifetime dream,” Jackson said. “I Takedown) and $95,000 Instant Racing approximately $3 million. saw Seabiscuit run in 1939, and this horse Breeders’ Cup (Cream Only). On the advice of trainer Kenny McPeek, runs like Ghostzapper, Dr. Fager, Secretar- Curlin may not have broken a sweat, Midnight Cry had originally purchased iat. He just takes off. He’s got extra gears but his teacher still said he was a bundle Curlin for $57,000 at the Keeneland Sep- and when he kicks in, it looks like he’ss of nerves on the eve of what would be his tember yearling sale. Out of the Deputy sprinting at the finish.” biggest career victory yet. Minister mare Sherriff’’s Deputy, Curlin All the way to Churchill Downs. “I was wound tight all day,” said Asmus- was bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm. As it turned out for the colt whose victo- 11 sen, 41, who finished the meeting with 36 Cunningham named the Kentucky-bred ries have been by a combined 28 ⁄ ⁄ 22 lengths, victories to claim his first Oaklawn title. colt after his great-grandfather, Charlie wardrobe may have been his biggest ob- “What an opportunity it is training him. Curlin, a slave who fought for the Confed- stacle. Curlin wore Jackson’s gold and bur- YYoou just don’t see the scenario in which eracy in the Civil War. gundy colors in the Rebel, but carried the he can get beat. But the saying is, ‘They’re The blockbuster seven-figure deal bro- dark green and gold of Padua in the Arkan-n- so sure of the outcome, they’ll let you bet kered by John Moynihan, a Lexington sas Derby. A coin flip between Midnight on it.’ Once the gates opened and he went bloodstock agent and Jackson’s adviser, Cry and Bolton will determine which silks by in control, that was the easy part. Until was finalized Feb. 4. “We got lucky,” said Curlin wears in the Kentucky Derby. they open the gates, you’re on edge.”” Moynihan, who received a rousing cheer “That’s the importance of keeping him Storm in May earned $200,000 and a from Curlin’n’s many supporters in the post- around,” Asmussen jokingly said of Cur- trip to Louisville by closing along the rail race press conference. lin. “We’ve got to keep everybody happy to finish second, a half-length ahead of the Transferred to Asmussen, whose win- with the rotation.” lightly raced Deadly Dealer, among trainer ter roots are planted deeply in Arkansas, Todd Pletcher’s army of Kentucky Derby Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico, Curlinn FLEET AND FAST hopefuls. was placed on a two-race crash course to How fast is Bordonaro? Fast enough to Delightful Kiss, Going Ballistic, Flying trtry and reach the Kentucky Derby. Mission be entered in a stakes race in California, First Class, Officer Rocket, Slew by Slew, accomplished. yet resting comfortably in a stall in Arkan- and Olympic Chief, a grossly overmatched 11 first-time starter beaten 555 ⁄ ⁄ 44 lengths, com- pleted the order of finish. For You Reppo, trained by Pitts, was scratched the morn- ing of the race with a bruised foot. Curlin became the fourth consecu- tive favorite to win the Arkansas Derbbyy,, following Smarty Jones in 2004, Afleet Alex in 2005, and Lawyer Ron last year.r. Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex, both home- grown products, seized two-thirds of the Triple Crown. After a year’s hiatus, Hot Springs, un- expectedly, looks like it has harvested an- other national player. Shortly after Curlin won his career SS OO 33 TT debut by 12 ⁄ ⁄ 44 lengths Feb. 3 at Gulfstream OO HH PP YY Park, Midnight Cry Stables (retired Ken- DD AA OO tucky attorneys William Gallion and Shir- CC // RR EE ley Cunningham Jr.) sold a majority inter- SS NN EE KK est in the colt to California wine mogul LL II LL Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables, Satish WW and Anne Sanan’s Padua Stables, and San Howard Scarberry’s Silent Pleasure captures the Fifth Season THE BLOOD-HORSE ■ APRIL 21, 2007 2321 UNITED FRONT Five comprise ownership group; Jess Jackson the majority partner www.bloodhorse.com ®® I I nn tt ee rr nn aa tt ii oo nn aa l TT hh oo rr oo uu gg hh bb rr ee d BB rr ee ee dd ii nn g aa nn d RR aa cc ii nn g MM aa y 22 66 , 22 00 00 77 // NN oo .. 22 11 Heads Up! CURLIN (NO. 4) CATCHES STREET SENSE TO WIN THE PREAKNESS BY A HEAD Crafty Curlin BY STEVE HASKIN A furious late rally by Curlin catches the Derby winner at the wire RICK SAMUELS horoughbred racing is a sport of contrasting emotions, ranging from Teuphoria to despair and laced with a heavy dose of what might have beens. It often takes a special horse to bring all those emotions to the surface, and after watching the 132nd Preakness Stakes (gr. I), there is no doubt that Curlin is that kind of horse. Never before has a Thoroughbred crammed so much into the first three-and-a-half months of his racing life, while affecting the lives of so many people. This whirlwind introduction to racing reached a glorious, yet bittersweet, climax when Curlin ended the Triple Crown dreams of Street Sense and his popular connections by dealing the winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) an agonizing head defeat in the Preakness before a record crowd of 121,263. Many in attendance and watching on TV were crushed when Street Sense’s apparent victory was snuffed out at the wire by a resurging Curlin, who had been pretty much given up for dead after stumbling at the start, and then feeling the mighty force of Street Sense blow by him at the head of the stretch.