(Monday, July 14) The 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin made his much-anticipated turf debut on Saturday in the $500,000 Man o' War Stakes (G1) and ran a solid second, but was no match for Red Rocks.
Curlin was off a step slow when hitting the side of the gate, stalked the pace while four wide heading down the backstretch, made a steady run to get into the mix midstretch but could not sustain his run, settling for second.
Red Rocks got a perfect trip, tracking a fast early pace set by Mission Approved and Sudan, who battled hard in the early stages of the race. The 2006 Breeders'' Cup Turf (G1) champion surged by the tiring pacesetters in the stretch and held off Curlin to prevail by two lengths.
The winner, owned by J. Paul Reddam and trained by Brian Meehan returned $14.40 for the victory. Under jockey Javier Castellano, the five-year-old son of Sadler's Wells stopped the timer in 2:12.60 for the 1 3/8 miles over the firm turf course.
The $2 exacta returned $32.00
Better Talk Now, the 2004 Breeders' Cup Turf winner, checked in third with the $2 trifecta paying $76.00.
The question now is what path Curlin will take. The colt won his last five starts on dirt and he could return to dirt to beat up on a weak handicap division and take over the top spot on the all time earnings list.
Owner Jess Jackson may want to stick with another turf race.
"We just didn't see that late kick from him today," Jackson said. "I don't know if that was because he is still getting used to the turf or what. These are some of the things I will have to talk to Steve (Asmussen) about. My feeling right now is that he needs another turf test. We know what he can do on dirt, and that is always an option."
For the short term, Curlin will ship to Saratoga while Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen map out a plan for the colt.
Red Rocks may end up getting a third trip in the Breeders' Cup Turf. After winning in 2006, the son of Galileo ran third in last year's Turf at Monmouth Park.
The five year old made just two previous starts this year before his victory on Saturday. He won an allowance race at Lingfield and followed that win up with a fifth place finish in the Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom.
On Sunday at Belmont Park, another Breeders' Cup winner was in action.
Kip Deville, the Mile winner last year, rolled over four overmatched foes to win the $106,000 Poker Handicap (G3) going a mile.
The Richard Dutrow trainee won by 2 ¾ lengths and returned $2.80 as the overwhelming favorite.
"'Kip' likes to set off; that's his game," said trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. "He found himself on the lead, and then Cornelio was able to keep him right in striking distance. His next race will be in Canada and it looks like what we have to do is keep him where he is at."
That race in Canada is the Woodbine Mile (G1), the same race the horse used last year as his final prep for the Breeders' Cup Mile.
In last year's running of the Woodbine Mile, the then four-year-old was second behind Shakespeare before rebounding with his win in the Breeders' Cup Mile.