Curlin in the Breeders' Cup

At every intersection, Curlin’s connections have turned down the road that’s best for racing and for their horse. And they'll probably make the same turn again, this time in the direction of the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Why would they do anything else at this intersection they’re approaching? Despite all their hesitation, which is nothing more than an exacta of prudence and caution, a look at the connections’ past performances strongly suggests Curlin will run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. And Tuesday's comments by Jess Jackson, Curlin's principal owner, in a national teleconference only reinforce that impression.

First up, of course, is Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, where Curlin could surpass $10 million and Cigar in earnings. And while acknowledging that nothing in racing can ever be certain, I think it’s only reasonable to anticipate a Curlin victory.

As Todd Pletcher said, “it would be foolish to predict” Curlin isn’t going to win Saturday. And Pletcher will send out two, Ravel and A.P. Arrow, against the champion. But in terms of Curlin’s Classic status, the races being run 2,765 miles from Belmont Park, in Arcadia, Calif., may be nearly as important as the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Santa Anita’s Oak Tree season begins tomorrow – that is, horses for the first time will race over the new Pro-Ride surface. Forget all the preseason comments, the fatuous flattery and the made-for-the-media encomia, about Pro-Ride: Starting tomorrow, the test will be the formfulness of the races. That, if safety is a given, will be the only test matters.

Starting tomorrow, Curlin’s connections, you can be sure, will be watching. And they’ll watch even more closely this weekend, when Santa Anita will be host to a bevy of BCup preps.

“We don’t know until they start running, and if they run true to form,” Jackson said when asked about his impression of Santa Anita’s new track.

As he has in the past, Jackson again expressed prudent caution about the new synthetic surface. He said he probably wouldn’t reach a decision about Curlin’s next start until five to 10 days following the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He also mentioned the Clark Handicap (Nov. 28) at Churchill Downs and the Japan Cup Dirt (Dec. 7) at Hanshin Racecourse as possibilities, and he said Curlin could even have three more races this year, including Saturday’s.

But if Curlin wins Saturday and comes out of the race healthy and if the stakes races on the fauxdirt at Santa Anita are formful, the reigning Horse of the Year will go to the Classic. Or at least there’s no reason to expect anything else.

After Curlin’s 3-year-old campaign, which, of course, included a Classic victory and concluded with the golden Eclipse, Jackson didn’t insult the media, the fans and the sport with that effete, frazzled line about having nothing left to prove. Nor did he invent some dubious physical injury that would force the colt’s retirement. Nor did Jackson succumb to money-grabbing greed and then try to rationalize it by saying the financial structure of the game makes it impossible to race a great horse at 4. Instead Jackson turned his champion down the path that’s best for the sport and for a great horse’s legacy: He decided to race Curlin as a 4-year-old.

“Older horses should run,” Jackson said Tuesday, explaining that one of the reasons he decided to race his champion was to encourage other owners to do the same with their horses and to stimulate interest in creating a league for older horses, with a series of major stakes.

And after Curlin finished second in the Man o’ War with an admirable performance that nevertheless wasn’t up to his usual standards, Jackson didn’t persist with his Arc plans. He instead put his ego and his plans aside and turned Curlin down the path that led to Saratoga. On the path, in other words, that was best for racing.

So why would Jackson turn in any other direction this time? If the races are formful and the horse healthy, Curlin will race in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

As Jackson said, this Classic could be the perfect stage for a great racehorse simply because of the level of competition. Big Brown will be there, but, Jackson said, running against the Kentucky Derby winner isn’t the attraction. Despite some taunting comments from the Big Brownies, Jackson said he wouldn’t allow this to become personal. No, it’s about horses and racing. And it’s not Big Brown who makes the Classic such an inviting challenge, Jackson said, but Duke of Marmalade and Henrythenavigator and all the other standouts that could line up in the gate on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita.

Yes, it could be the perfect place for another statement about greatness. Curlin’s going to Santa Anita for the Classic, in other words, is the best thing for racing and for the horse’s legacy. That’s the path Curlin’s connections have chosen consistently, and they’ll probably choose it again.