Curlin repeats in Jockey Club Gold Cup to become racing’s richest

09/27/08

Fares Farms-bred Curlin added to his legacy in a big way on Sept. 27th, as the brilliant 4-year-old colt won his second consecutive $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont Park, and in doing so passed the legendary Cigar to become racing’s all-time leading money earner in North America with $10,246,800 and counting in earnings.

The setting in this year’s renewal of the Jockey Club Gold Cup was similar to Curlin’s big win in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth. The weather and track conditions were dreary and sloppy – but the magnitude of the race was tremendous and a thing of beauty.

In his historical run, Curlin broke under regular pilot Robby Albarado and found himself in his usual position off the early pace. As a matter of fact, Curlin was dead last in the field of eight as pacesetter Wanderin Boy splashed down the backstretch through moderate early fractions of :24.67, :48.79 and three-quarters in 1:13.08.
 
But a confident Albarado guided the champ through traffic and into striking range on the far turn of the 10-furlong race, and when the field straightened for home Curlin was rallying powerfully at leader Wanderin Boy. As the racing world has come to expect of a typical Curlin stretch run, the strapping chestnut took command and coasted home under moderate urging to capture a big piece of history.

The final time was 2:01.93, but it was the final tally of $450,000 that was most significant in this race. That amount – the winner’s share of the purse – boosted Curlin’s career earnings to $10,246,800, surpassing Cigar’s earnings mark and making him racing’s first horse to earn eight figures in the history of North American Thoroughbred racing.

“I’m sure it’s not going to hit me for a while,” said Albarado, who has been aboard for all but one of Curlin’s starts. “It’s really amazing. He just ran his race again and gave me that big Curlin move on the turn. It was tremendous, and very emotional.”

Overshadowed a bit by the earnings record was the fact it was Curlin’s second consecutive win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, making him the first back-to-back winner of that celebrated race in more than a decade since Skip Away won the 1996-97 runnings. It was also Curlin’s sixth Grade 1 win and eighth graded stakes victory from just 15 starts for trainer Steve Asmussen.

“I am very excited and very proud of everybody involved,” Asmussen said. “Fifteen races and he’s won more than $10 million. We had two back-to-back $5 million years. I can’t say how proud I am to be part of what has just happened. To make history – the all-time money-winning horse in North America – is very special.”

Curlin is owned in majority by Jess Jackson, who after the race contemplated Curlin’s options for closing out the year - and likely the superstar’s amazing career.

“We’ll have to see whether Curlin likes the track,” said Jackson in reference to whether or not Curlin would defend his championship in next month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic over Santa Anita’s new and unproven Pro-Ride surface. “We’re not trying to avoid (Big Brown) and there is always the Clark Handicap (Grade 2, Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs) or the Japan Cup (Group 1 on dirt, Dec. 7 in Japan) after that. So, we have to take them one at a time.”

One at a time indeed, because every time Curlin races these days he is rewriting the record books.