Jockey Robby Albarado admitted he was nervous as he guided reigning Horse of the Year Curlin out to the turf course at Churchill Downs for arguably the most important training session of the four-year-old colt's career.
If Curlin had jitters running over the grass for the first time, it didn't show. Zipping along under Albarado, Curlin covered seven furlongs in 1:31.20, easily passing the first test as he attempts to make the transition from dirt to turf.
"He's as fluid as always," Albarado said. "His initial steps on the turf were like he knew where he was the whole time."
Running alongside stablemate Hawaii Calls, Curlin hardly seemed taxed as he galloped out, his tail swishing playfully as Albarado led him back to trainer Steve Asmussen's barn.
"For all the things that could have jeopardised what we were thinking, it went perfectly and he did his part as well," Asmussen said.
Curlin, the winner of the 2007 Preakness and Breeders' Cup Classic, is coming off an easy victory in the Stephen Foster Handicap on June 14 at Churchill - his first start since winning the Dubai World Cup in March.
All those races were on dirt. This workout was the initial step in making Curlin the top turf horse in the world, too. The plan includes running a prep race in either New York or Illinois Saturday week. If all goes well, Asmussen hopes to race Curlin in the Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris on October 5. "If he can compete at his level on the turf, then if we get him in the race we expect, we will map out how to win the Arc," Asmussen said.
Curlin has nine wins from 12 starts, with earnings over US$9.3 million, third on the all-time list behind Cigar and Skip Away. A solid summer and fall would make him the first US$10 million horse in history, a welcome development for racing following a Triple Crown season that saw the death of Eight Belles and controversy surrounding Big Brown and trainer Rick Dutrow.
"I think he's a breath of fresh air for everyone in horse racing," Albarado said.
Curlin could run in the US$500,000 Man O' War Stakes at Belmont Park or the US$200,000 Arlington Handicap at Arlington Park Saturday week. Those plans, however, depend on whether the minority owners of the horse - Midnight Cry Stable - are able to obtain a racing license in each state.
Lawyers William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jnr, the owners of the stable, are on trial in Kentucky after being accused of conspiring to defraud clients out of US$65 million in a settlement involving the diet drug Fen-phen.
A third lawyer named in the suit, Melbourne Mills, was cleared on Tuesday while a judge ordered the jury to continue to deliberate the fates of Gallion and Cunningham.
If Gallion and Cunningham are convicted, it could be problematic for Curlin's future. Under Illinois Racing Board regulations, it may refuse to grant a license to anyone convicted of a crime. The New York State Racing & Wagering Board reviews applications on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the applicant's character and general fitness, according to a spokesman.
"It's frustrating, but it's an issue I think we can resolve," said Barbara Banke, wife of Stonestreet Stable owner Jess Jackson. "He deserves to run and the fans deserve to get a chance to see him, so I hope it will work out."
