Horse of the World -- Curlin

Curlin

2007 Champion 3-Year Old Colt
2007 Horse of the Year
2008 Champion Older Horse
2008 Horse of the Year



Foaled: March 25, 2004
Sire: Smart Strike
Dam: Sherriff's Deputy

Career Earnings: $10,501,800 (1st All-Time in North America)

Race Record: 16 Starts (11-2-2)

Click here to see a chart of Curlin's lifetime past performances from the Daily Racing Form. Also includes are lifetime stats for the champion Cigar.

Big Red...My Hero!

Mentioning another horse's name in the same breath as Secretariat is not something I take lightly.

Secretariat is my all-time favorite racehorse -- bar none. The fact that no horse to this day has come within 2 seconds of his 1 1/2 mile World Record time of 2:24 in the Belmont still astounds me.

The Greatest Race of All Time


Secretariat's Belmont

Visit the following link to visit the official homepage of Secretariat, where you can buy awesome limited edition memorabilia and learn about all things Secretariat!
Secretariat.com

Whether Secretariat ran on dirt, turf, or broken glass, it did not matter. He accomplished so much more during his short career, I could go on and on.

However, the purpose of my writing today is to discuss Curlin.

Curlin has much more to accomplish before being placed into Big Red's Category, but it's not too early to notice that he is reminiscent of Secretariat in many ways.

Curlin

Secretariat

Too Big for Most Britches

Secretariat was a massive chestnut with a huge girth, and Curlin shares those traits. Both horses were born with a star and a stripe for facial markings, too.

Another comparison to Secretariat is Curlin's running style. After watching Curlin race, I've commented to myself, "Why do I feel like I've seen this before?"

Curlin, like Secretariat, has such a big, powerful stride that centrifugal force typically carries him wide around the turn. When he finally straightens for home, he looks like a freight train, his big, muscular behind propelling him forward. Watch replays of both horses (scroll down to view) and you'll see what I mean.

Curlin's Stride

Secretariat's Stride

Princequillo is Secretariat's dam sire -- or mother's father. Princequillo's heart was one of the largest ever recorded in any thoroughbred. Secretariat's heart was THE largest ever recorded at 22 pounds. Without getting too complicated, Princequillo's large heart trait has been passed along from generation to generation.

If you look at Curlin's pedigree, you'll find Princequillo on both his sire and dam side.

Granted, Princequillo appears over 5 generations back, but could it be that he passed on the same courage, heart, and stamina to Curlin that he gave Secretariat?

Read about how some horses are born with "Superhearts" in this article. Heart of the Matter by Marianna Haun

Unfortunately for Curlin, he didn't make it to the races until he turned three years old, but it was worth the wait.

Despite a lack of seasoning that would hamper most young horses, he went on to win 6 of 9 races at age three, winning at 5 different racetracks, on fast and sloppy surfaces.



He never ran off the board, and equaled the Preakness Stakes record of 1:53 2/5 (also Secretariat's disputed time in the Preakness) in only his fifth lifetime start.

Curlin's win in the Breeder's Cup Classic solidified his status as the best horse in the country.

If Curlin's career had begun sooner, many more comparisons to Secretariat may have been possible. Still, Curlin evokes the same spine-tingling sensation I get when watching my all-time favorite. They seem eerily similar to me.



A Welcome Change

I would like to thank Jess Jackson, one of Curlin's owners, and the rest of the ownership for deciding to keep such a magnificent creature in training for our viewing pleasure.

Most owners would take the breeding money and run. Instead, we now have the privilege of witnessing history in the making.

The origin of the thoroughbred traces back to the Middle East, and that is where Curlin has kicked off his 2008 campaign and his run at history.


The legendary Cigar.

So the next time Curlin races, pay close attention. You might see what I have seen. You may, for a moment, feel the same chill up your back and forget that you're not watching Secretariat thundering down the stretch. You're watching Curlin! Enjoy the greatness...it may be a long time until another horse like him comes around.

It was evident after Curlin's first start that he was something special. His next start would be in the Grade III Rebel Stakes, a race in which he didn't disappoint.

Curlin's victory in the Rebel Stakes put him on the map of Kentucky Derby prospects. His next start would be April 14, 2007 in the Grade I $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby -- a major prep race for the Kentucky Derby.

The devastating fashion in which Curlin won the Arkansas Derby catapulted him to favortite-status for the Kentucky Derby.

Unfortunately for Curlin, he hadn't run as a two-year old, and his lack of seasoning caught up to him in the Derby.

A full field of 20 horses entered, and Curlin was steadied some early on. He made a gallant run to finish third, but he was soundly beaten by Street Sense and Hard Spun.

I was absolutely thrilled when the top three finishers from the Kentucky Derby would again face each other in the Preakness Stakes. I wanted Curlin to show what he was really made of -- and boy did he ever!

Curlin equaled the Preakness Stakes record of 1:53 2/5 (also Secretariat's time in the Preakness) in only his fifth lifetime start!

The next race for Curlin would be the third jewel of the Triple Crown - The Belmont Stakes. The Belmont is the longest and most grueling of any dirt races run in America today. He would lose by a head to the Champion filly Rags to Riches.

Nearly two months after his narrow Belmont loss, Curlin was entered in the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park. His motor was not fully cranked, and he finished a lackluster third.

Curlin's loss in the Haskell would be his last.

In his next start, the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup, Curlin was pitted against Lawyer Ron, last year's top older Handicap horse. Lawyer Ron had recently broken the track record at Saratoga for 1 1/8 mile, and racing fans knew this was going to be a great matchup.

The two horses battled to the wire, with Curlin edging Lawyer Ron in the shadow of the wire.

The last race of 2007 for Curlin was the Breeder's Cup Classic.

Curlin faced the likes of Lawyer Ron, Street Sense, and Hard Spun, among others, in the Breeder's Cup Classic. He didn't just win, he crushed the field by 4 1/2 lengths!

He was voted Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year Old Colt!

Curlin's first start of his 4-year old campaign was in the Jaguar Trophy Handicap at Nad al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai. This was to be his prep race for the $6 Million Dubai World Cup.

That's right!! $6,000,000!

He was the easiest kind of winner. Robby Albarado, his jockey, never had to ask Curlin for any effort.

Curlin defeated 11 other rivals on March 29, 2008 in the $6,000,000 Dubai World Cup by a record margin of 7 3/4 lengths.

His lifetime earnings were increased by $3.6 million for a total of $8,807,800, making him third on the all-time North American earnings list behind Cigar and Skip Away. The good news is...Curlin is just getting started.

After the race, his trainer and jockey reported that Curlin wasn't even tired.

Despite a troubled trip and a 128 pound weight assignment, Curlin displayed complete supremacy in winning the Stephen Foster Handicap by 4 1/4 lengths on June 14, 2008.

The win increased his lifetime earnings to $9,396,800, moving him closer to Cigar's North American earnings record of $9,999,813.

Curlin's first attempt on grass certainly came in an inauspicious spot. He was being asked to run 1 3/8 miles versus two previous Breeder's Cup Turf Champions.

Curlin has treated racing fans to great performance after great performance, which is why even his gallant second-place finish is slightly diappointing. However, a closer look at how the race unfolded does provide some explanation as to why he may have lost.

According to the official Equibase chart of the race, Curlin hit the gate and broke slowly. For most of the race, he was very far back. Rounding the far turn, Curlin was still some 14 lengths off the hotly contested pace.

The only horse Curlin could not pass was 2006 Breeder's Cup Turf Champion Red Rocks, who got first jump on the leaders after enjoying the perfect trip.

In my opinion, Curlin deserves another shot on the turf. Too many things about the Man O' War leave doubt as to why Curlin suffered defeat. The whole race was so odd, I don't think it's fair to assume the turf was necessarily to blame. It may just be that Curlin's performance was an aberration. Now, we fans must wait to see what Curlin's owners decide. Stay tuned...

Curlin's respectable second-place finish on the turf could have been attributed to many factors, but in the end, his connections decided to switch him back to his favorite surface - the dirt. His return would come in the prestigious Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Saratoga, known as "The Graveyard of Favorites," was not enough to stop this freight train. Despite the fact that Curlin won the race, and propelled himself closer to the North American earnings record, many racing analysts were quick to knock his slow final eight time of 14 seconds. Honestly, sometimes I wish they would just shut up and give this horse his due. Curlin knows how to win. In the end, what matters more? A horse's split times...or a horse's ability to get the job done against the best in the world? Hmmmm...that's a tough one.

Okay folks...I must admit that tears are streaming down my face as I type this. Witnessing greatness can have that effect on a person.

In winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup -- for the second year in a row -- Curlin surpassed Cigar on the all-time North American earnings list for a new record of $10,246,800. Cigar was an amazing horse...one who brought me much joy as a racing fan. I loved Cigar so much that I never envisioned being happy when his record was finally broken, but the torch has been passed on to a most deserving champion in Curlin.

Money earnings are relative to the era in which horses run. It's true that purses have increased over the years, especially for the biggest events. Cigar raced 33 times before setting his record in the mid 1990's, which included a record 16 straight victories! Curlin has raced just 15 times to break the record, but keep in mind he still had to show up and win. He danced every big dance while never finishing off the board!

Money records are wonderful -- don't get me wrong -- but a champion's legacy is defined by much more than any one record or race. To win consistently and dominantly, over a long period of time, against the best horses in the world, and to do it in such fashion that spectators flock hoping to catch a mere glimpse...that defines a champion to me. Champions bring tears to our eyes.

Both Cigar and Curlin are throwbacks to a time when iron horses existed...to a time when the public had the chance to develop bonds with elite horses...to a time when horse racing ruled the country. Cigar and Curlin brought back "the romance of the turf" for those of us who know, appreciate, and love this "Sport of Kings." I, for one, am savoring this moment for all it's worth -- $10,246,800 to be exact!

In a much anticipated announcement by Jess Jackson, Curlin's majority owner, it was revealed that Curlin will point for a repeat victory in the $5,000,000 Breeder's Cup Classic October 25 at Santa Anita!

Earlier in the year, the door was all but shut on Curlin's chances of even running in the Classic, due to the untested "ProRide" synthetic surface. However, after hearing positive feedback about the surface, and based on Curlin's victory in the Gold Cup, Curlin's connections have now decided to try and cap off his extraordinary career with a $5 million dollar exclamation point!

My advice...watch out Big Brown!