Horse racing

Curlin, the Classic and the Crackerjacks

Soon, Curlin will be on his way to Santa Anita. And soon, the carping crackerjacks will look that way, too.

After Curlin won today’s $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park and pushed his earnings to $10,246,800, a record for a horse based in North America, his connections announced he would leave Sunday for California, according to the New York Racing Association. And at Santa Anita he’ll get a feel for the new Pro-Ride synthetic surface, with the idea, and indeed the hope, being that he’ll take to it and move on to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 25.

And so now, in the weeks leading up to the Classic, pundits and pseudo-pundits – and there are far more of the latter – will question whether Curlin is quite as good as he once was. After all, they’ll say, he won the Gold Cup by only three-quarters of a length over Wanderin Boy. And he won the Woodward by only 1 1/4 lengths over Past The Point.

Those performances don’t quite compare, they’ll say, to Curlin’s domination in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he won by 4 1/2 lengths over Hard Spun. Since then, or, to be more specific, since making the journey to Dubai, he hasn’t quite been, they’ll say, the same horse.

In that assessment there may be some validity. He’s not the same horse. As a 4-year-old Curlin has become more mature and professional. As for the implication that he may not be as good, that’s pure flapdoodle.

He overcame trouble to win the Gold Cup, just as he overcame trouble in the Woodward, and in both he ran down a horse who had been cruising on the lead. Curlin’s winning time today – 2:01.93 for the 1 1/4 miles– was actually quite good given the sloppy conditions. I would even suggest that his victory today was better than his performance in last year’s Gold Cup.

Last year, of course, Curlin closed with determination to get up in the final strides and beat Lawyer Ron by a neck. This year, he closed strongly again, without feeling the whip, to win with authority, if not necessarily the éclat some might prefer. But the fourth quarter-mile of today’s race sets it apart. Curlin ran that fourth quarter in 23.22. And, keep in mind, that was around a turn. He covered today’s final half-mile in 48.15. Last year, he ran the final half in 48.94.

His final quarter wasn’t quite as fast this year, but that’s only because he had control of the race by mid-stretch. When he had to deliver a punch, in that fourth quarter, he delivered it with overwhelming power. No, he’s not quite the same horse -- he has learned that the purpose of all this running in circles is simply to finish ahead of the opposition, not run away from them – but he’s just as good.

His maturity and professionalism are evident, too, in his workouts. At the end of a five-eighths move in the company of a stablemate with modest talent, Curlin will finish with an advantage of only a length or so.

Alysheba was the same. As I’ve pointed out before, he finished first in 12 races (including the Blue Grass, where he was disqualified) in his career, but he won by more than a length only twice. And he won his last four, including the Classic, by a combined margin of 1 3/4 lengths.

Buckpasser was like that, too. He won 25 races in his career – 15 by less than a length. Although he was one of the most talented horses in the history of the sport, only three times in his career did he win by more than two lengths. He understood the goal, the objective, the purpose of all this running in circles: It’s winning.

Curlin understands it so well that today he became the first North American horse to surpass $10 million in earnings.

Mr. Nightlinger's going to the Breeders' Cup

So where’s Mr. Nightlinger, you may be wondering. The opening-day feature at Santa Anita’s Oak Tree season is the Morvich Handicap, a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Mr. Nightlinger, who’s aimed at the Turf Sprint, was going to use this race as preparation. But he isn’t among the 12 horses entered.

Well, don’t be alarmed. Logistics intervened. His trainer, Bret Calhoun, explained that he couldn’t leave Mr.  Nightlinger out in California after the Morvich. And he worried that it would be too stressful to ship the horse west and then back to Kentucky and then back to California. And so, Calhoun said, he’ll probably train Mr. Nightlinger up to the race, although he said the Woodford, on Oct. 5 at Keeneland, remained a possibility.

“He’s run hard and he’s run fast,” Calhoun said, “and we don’t want to get to the Breeders’ Cup and come up empty.”

Mr. Nightlinger has won five consecutive races, including four stakes, the most recent being the Arlington Sprint Handicap. Owned by Carl Moore of Fort Worth and Bill Martin of Dallas, Mr. Lightlinger could be one of the favorites for the Turf Sprint.

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.

Playing Super

Super Derby Day at Louisiana Downs: It’s the best day of racing this year at the Bossier City racetrack, and it’s arguably the best card of racing anywhere on this particular Saturday. Six stakes worth $1.25 million, and trainers have responded by bringing horses here from various corners. Anyway, here’s a look at Saturday’s Louisiana Downs stakes.

The $150,000 Happy Ticket: Run Don’t Stroll is an amazingly fast filly. She just won the Laurel Lane Stakes on the main track, and here she returns to the turf, where, yes, she lost for the only time in her brief career. But she should be able to control the pace, and the LaDowns turf has been very kind to speed the last two days. I like her as much as any horse on the card, and even at 2-1 I think she’s very playable. Abbott Hall is the 9-5 favorite, and her only turf outing suggests she could be formidable. But others in here are capable and more potentially rewarding. I’m going to use Run Don’t Scroll with Meaux Speed, My Spanx and Splash Of Roses. Picks: Run Don’t Scroll, My Spanx, Meaux Speed, Abbot Hall.

The $150,000 Tiznow Handicap: Jonesboro is obviously the one to beat here. The stakes winner of $746,575 won his only outing at LaDowns, and he could enjoy a favorable pace scenario. But he’s 6-5 in the morning line, and Smokeyjonessutton is 3-1. Smokeyjonessutton isn’t quite as accomplished, but he’s in top form, having just finished close to Past The Post at Saratoga. For a long shot possibility, Got The Last Laugh is intriguing. He has run on turf, fauxdirt and wetdirt, but his best race on a fast track suggests he has the talent to be competitive And he has enough speed to control the pace if they choose to send him. Picks: Smokeyjonessutton, Jonesboro, Got The Last Laugh, Longley.

The $150,000 Sunday Silence: I confess to considerable uncertainty. By spreading broadly, I’ll include this race in some multi-race investments, but otherwise, I’ll probably just watch. Unless, of course, some odds reach out and grab me by the lapels and say, “How can you pass this opportunity?”

Ever since I first saw him at Lone Star, I’ve had a high opinion of Marquee Event, who’s a half-brother to Gayego. But I don’t know if this is his game, racing on the turf. Valid Message, on the other hand, is unbeaten in two turf outings, and he shaved 23 seconds for the last quarter-mile in his last, which is extraordinary for a 2-year-old. Western Fable looks like he has some talent, and Chilliness comes here from Ohio, where he flashed ability. Picks: Valid Message, Chilliness, Marquee Event, Western Fable.

The $100,000 River Cities: Brownie Points is closing in on $1 million in earnings, and her trainer, Donnie Von Hemel, said she’s doing well and training well and ready to give a big effort, which, of course, is what she always gives. She just beat the “boys” at Remington Park despite having to rally into a dawdling pace, and so she should be very tough to beat here. But she’s 7-5, and so the question becomes how to play the race profitably. Alpha Charmer, who’s 12-1, could be a rewarding complement. Owned by Joe Straus Jr. and Andrew Novak of San Antonio, Alpha Charmer had a nightmarish trip in her last outing at Calder, where she got bumped at the start and then had to be checked repeatedly when trying to rally in the second turn. But she’s improving, and her best recent race on the turf suggests she could be a threat here. Picks: Brownie Points, Alpha Charmer, Candy Ball, Song Cat.

The $500,000 Super Derby: If Macho Again hadn’t clipped heels, he probably would have finished third in the Travers. And then he’d be the 6-5, rather than the 5-2, favorite. Having faced the best in the division, he has proven himself to be a quality racehorse. And he’s the only horse in this field who can make such a claim. Still, he has had a long campaign, and so I have to wonder when he’s going to take a step backwards. At 5-2, he may be playable, but if you’re like me and you like to swing for the fences, some others in here might be more appealing.

Forest Command could be any kind of horse. He just defeated his elders at Saratoga, John Ward loves him, and he could improve in his first race around two turns. I  wouldn’t be surprised if he wins by many. Nor would I be surprised if he takes a step in the other direction. He’s a mystery, and if his odds drift upwards from 3-1, he could be a bet.

Mambo Meister  is a good looking colt who, I’m confident, is ready to fire his best shot. I don’t know if that’s good enough to win, but I believe he’ll be a player here. He hopped out of the gate and didn’t like the slop in his last, but just look at his best races, tossing out turf and slop and Gulfstream Park, which, I admit, approaches a maternal level of forgiveness, and he has won three of his four races.

Golden Yank is intriguing. He raced four-wide and got carried wider in deep stretch when third in the Prelude. He might have been best that day. And Stunbythestorm – I know on paper he doesn’t look like he has a chance – could be a surprise. He’s a good looking colt who trains as if he’s a good horse.

Picks: Mambo Meister, Macho Again, Forest Command, Stungbythestorm.

The $200,000 Unbridled Handicap: Knockout Artist comes here from Del Mar, where he ran second in a minor stakes. The Louisiana Downs is very similar to the grass at Southern California tracks, and I would expect Knockout Artist to duplicate his recent performances, and that’ll probably suffice to put him in the winner’s circle. Steve’s Double returned from a brief layoff to run fifth at Saratoga on Aug. 28. But the course that day in New York played heavily against horses whose styled put them close to the lead. Minister’s Joy, for example, who won the Steve’s Double race, rallied from last. Steve’s Double stalked in second and finished only two lengths behind the winner in an effort that’s probably better than it at first appears. Louisiana Downs’ course, on the other hand, is very kind to speedsters and stalkers, and Steve’s Double should be very dangerous here.

Air Lord is interesting, if only because he looks to be more suited for the Tiznow on the dirt. But he has run one on the turf, and it was a solid effort. Autobeacat has won three of his lat four and is obviously in the best form of his life. Three months ago, he was running for a tag ($20,000), but he could be a factor, and Tricky Causeway, who couldn’t win despite getting away with comfortable fractions in his last, appears to be returning to form. And Ernesto, like Autobeacat, is in top form; he probably should have finished closer in the DeBartolo Handicap, but lacked room in deep stretch. Picks: Knockout Artist, Steve’s Double, Ernesto, Air Lord.

Either a Super line or no morning line at all

After somebody realized 3-1 wouldn’t work, Macho Again was made the 5-2 favorite in the morning line for Saturday’s Super Derby at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City. Ten were entered in the $500,000 event. Here’s a complete rundown:

1. Stungbythestorm, 20-1
2. My Pal Charlie, 6-1
3. Macho Again, 5-2
4. Mambo Meister, 10-1
5. King Darius, 30-1
6. Numismatist, 15-1
7. Star Production, 9-2
8. Real Appeal, 12-1
9. Golden Yank, 8-1
10. Forest Command, 3-1   

Macho Again, of course, won the Jim Dandy at Saratoga. Real Appeal won the Alysheba Stakes at Lone Star Park, and Star Production the Prelude at Louisiana Downs. My Pal Charlie, Golden Yank and Numismatist have proven themselves in stakes company. Forest Command, however, is the second choice in the morning line at 3-1. But only after somebody realized 7-2 wouldn’t quite work.

When the Super Derby entries and morning line first went out to the media, Macho Again was the 3-1 favorite, with Forest Command at 7-2 and My Pal Charlie at 8-1. But the odds just didn’t add up.

Odds, of course, are determined by betting: the larger share of the pool a horse has, the lower his odds. But, of course, when the morning line is made, there’s nothing bet, no money in the pool. And so the morning line is, in effect, a projection of what the betting will be and the relative distribution of the wagers. The morning line odds, or actually the percentages they represent, should add up to 100 percent of the projected betting plus the takeout.

Well, the original Super Derby morning line simply didn’t add up – unless Louisiana Downs has lowered its takeout. Apparently somebody pointed this out, and so the odds were adjusted.

Yes, the original morning line for track’s showcase event didn’t add up. The problem was minor, and it was corrected, but it points to a larger problem. This isn’t intended to toss criticism at Louisiana Downs, or at least no more than is its rightful share, because the morning line has become almost worthless at many -- no, at most -- racetracks. What has happened to the morning line? Worse than worthless, it’s often deceptive.

Ideally, the morning line should serve bettors, guide them; instead, it generally misleads bettors. At most racetracks, the morning line is an embarrassment: a source of jokes among astute bettors and one of the many things that make people wonder if an idiot’s in the pilothouse. 

At the very least, a morning line should identify the betting favorite. And it should successfully do so about 80 percent of the time. But I’ve seen some racetracks (Oaklawn Park, which has one of the worst lines in America, comes to mind) where the morning line correctly identifies the favorite only about 60-65 percent of the time. Why bother? Why have people running wildly to the windows thinking an 8-1 shot has been bet down to 3-1 when the horse should have been 3-1 to start with in the morning line?

If a track can’t have a good one, why even have a morning line? No odds are better than deceptive odds. Just print the program with the names of the competitors, but no odds. Open the betting with no odds on the tote board, and after a few moments, the bettors will determine the real odds.

The morning line should be a service, not a disservice. No line would be a vast improvement over the morning line at most racetracks.

Frank Carulli makes a good line for the Maryland Jockey Club. The racetracks in Southern California generally have a good line, and the morning line at NYRA racetracks is adequate. But I think Rick Lee, at Lone Star Park – and I must point out he’s a close friend – makes the best morning line around. Beyond that, however, at most racetracks the morning line can be worse than worthless. It can and often does mislead bettors.

Now, just think about that. And think about the experience of going to the races amid all this deception.

As the novice bettor enters the track, he can purchase a tip sheet that has “expert” selections made by a person who really has no expertise and generally offers no real information. But the hopeful bettor, thinking he’ll get what he pays for and remembering faintly some story about his uncle, or maybe his grandfather, and inside information, buys one of these tip sheets for $10. And then, for maybe $3, he buys a program, where the racetrack promulgates a morning line that also misleads him. The tip sheet will mislead him about many things, of course, but if he somehow discovers a horse he likes, for whatever reason, then the morning line will mislead him about the odds and the payoffs he might hope to get on this horse, as well as all the others. And then, just before the race, the young  bettor will look up at a television and see the in-house broadcast, which will feature another “expert” of dubious expertise who pops cheerfully onto the screen to attempt  to explain why a horse who was 6-1 is now 6-5.

And at the end of the day, the novice has lost a few bucks and has started to wonder how his uncle, or anybody for that matter, could possibly win at this game, amid all this . . . all this what? Deception? Have I been deceived, he’ll wonder. And the moment that idea seizes his thoughts, the sport has lost another potential fan.

More intriguing than Super

It may not be super, but it'll be intriguing.

With the Big Brownies insisting on a turf prep for the Breeders’ Cup and with the 3-year-old division as thin as cafeteria soup, Louisiana Downs was from the start facing an uphill trek to make Saturday’s $500,000 Super Derby appealing. The hill got only steeper when Pyro, Mambo In Seattle and Smooth Air all found better things to do this weekend.

But trainer John Ward has decided on the Super Derby for Forest Command’s stakes debut. And that alone makes the race intriguing.

“He’s an unknown quantity,” Ward said Tuesday about the son of Monarchos who has won two of three starts. “I don’t think we’ve seen anything close to what his abilities are.”

Forest Command won his last outing at Saratoga, an allowance affair, by six lengths in a fast clocking for the day. He had scored his maiden victory in the slop at Churchill, after narrowly losing his debut there. All his races have been at seven furlongs, but both his pedigree and his trainer insist that longer distances, such as Saturday’s nine furlongs, won’t be any problem for him. In other words, Forest Command could develop into a big-time horse.

And his quality will get a test Saturday, for the Super Derby field will include Jim Dandy Stakes winner Macho Again and Prelude winner Star Production. Also among the Super Derby possibilities are Golden Yank, Mambo Meister, Real Appeal, Numismatist, My Pal Charlie and Stungbythestorm.

Big Brown's impressive on the turf

Returning to the turf for the first time in a year, Big Brown won today’s Monmouth Stakes by a neck over Proudinsky, with Shakis third and Silver Tree fourth. But Big Brown’s superiority can’t be measured by the winning margin.

He set a fast pace, while pressed early by Get Serious, opened up a clear advantage, seemed to wait on his competition and then held gamely through the stretch. Proudinsky, who moved boldly to challenge in mid-stretch, simply couldn’t get by the leader. If they had gone around the Monmouth oval again, Big Brown would have remained in front, and seemingly without being fully extended.

"He showed true grit and determination down the lane," said Kent Desormeaux, who rode the winner.

Big Brown and champagne bubbles

Big Brown is better on turf, according to his trainer, Richard Dutrow, and the Derby winner may have to be better Saturday if he’s to win the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes in New Jersey. When he returns to the grass, Big Brown will face the toughest field he has seen since at least the Kentucky Derby and perhaps ever.

In other words, he’ll become what every smart horseplayer looks for: a vulnerable favorite to bet against.

Not only will Big Brown take on older horses and not only will he race on turf for the first time in more than a year, but Saturday’s race won’t even be important for him, except as preparation for next month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. For Big Brown, preparation, more than winning, is the goal Saturday.

Dutrow made that clear during today’s teleconference. He said Big Brown, who had just worked an easy five furlongs on the turf at Aqueduct, would be running Saturday even if the purse were just $10,000, because what’s important is the timing. Saturday’s race gives Big Brown six weeks to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, run Oct. 25 at Santa Anita.

“I thought he needed that kind of timing,” Dutrow said. The trainer explained that he likes “plenty of time when . . . headed to a big race.” Although he’ll get plenty time, he may not have an easy time.

Big Brown, of course, looked sensational when he won his debut on the turf last year at Saratoga by more than 11 lengths. And every rider who has guided the colt through morning workouts on the turf, Dutrow said, has expressed the opinion that Big Brown is simply better on grass than dirt.

“He goes better on the grass; he’s always breezed better on the grass,” said Dutrow, who indeed has an expert eye to make such judgments. And given Big Brown’s history of foot problems, racing him on the turf would seem quite sensible, even wise, as preparation for the Breeders’ Cup. That’s not the point.

And it’s worth a moment’s pause, I suppose, to contemplate the implications, albeit with some regret. If Big Brown, as Dutrow and others have suggested, is so much better on grass, then just how good a turf horse might he be? Well, we’ll never know, for he’ll be retired at the end of the season. But that’s not the point either, at least not for the moment.

Some exceptional horses are expected to line up Saturday against Big Brown. Dutrow, quite predictably, said he doesn’t care who the competition might be, but while Big Brown creates the excitement, it’s the others in the field that could create the intrigue. Kiss The Kid is a stakes winner of $379,767, and his trainer, Amy Tarrant, is a grandmother who says if “you pass up a chance, you can never get it back.”  Proudinsky is a graded stakes winner of $557,814; Shakis, a multiple graded stakes winner of $685,362; and Red Rocks a Breeders’ Cup Turf winner of $2.8 million. They’re all proven stakes horses on the turf, and collectively they’re the reason this race could be such a tough challenge for Big Brown.

Red Rocks, it’s true, never has won a race at a distance less than 1 1/4 miles. But he just defeated Curlin in the Man o’ War. Red Rocks will be formidable even at Saturday’s nine furlongs. Red Rocks, you probably remember, finished third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf on a “soft” course, and there’s a 40-percent chance of rain Saturday in New Jersey.

And so the point is this: Saturday’s Monmouth Stakes promises to be an excitingly beautiful race of intrigue, possibility and maybe even opportunity. For the horseplayer, it could be the bubbles in the champagne.

Time to change -- no kidding

Sounding like a politician on his “Straight Up” blog, Alex Waldrop says, “It’s time to change.”

No, it was time to change 10 and even 20 year ago. The question isn’t whether change is necessary; the question is whether change will suffice at this late hour to save horse racing.

National handle was down 3.7 percent the first half of the year, and in the months since then the situation has only plunged more deeply into the Black Forest. Three of the premier meetings in the country have concluded with sharp downturns in handle: Churchill’s fell more than 11 percent, Saratoga’s 10 percent and Del Mar’s 7 percent.

And so many in the industry, like the CEO of the NTRA, are calling for change. But unlike Waldrop, many of those calling for reform are the very “leaders” who long ago steered horse racing into the woods.

Frankly, many of horse racing’s “leaders” are as dumb as lawn furniture – too dumb to come in from the rain. Having derived authority from wealth, generally inherited, they have resisted change for decades, viewing it as an assault on their position. Many years ago, their like opposed plans to put horse racing on television. They originally opposed all manner of improved distribution, such as off-track betting. Some even opposed the formation of the Breeders’ Cup. More recently they opposed the Thoroughbred Championship Tour.

More than 20 years ago, speaking at the Arizona symposium, I suggested that the country’s regulators should all be locked in an air-tight room and kept there until they came up with uniform medication rules. For more than 20 years, I’ve argued that racing will prosper only to the degree that it has the trust and goodwill of its fans. For more than 20 years, I’ve railed against racetracks and horsemen who have forgotten why horses race – for the entertainment of the fans in the grandstand. And for more than 20 years, the sport’s “leaders” have taken horse racing into the forest.

Long before the Pick Six scandal at the Arlington Breeders’ Cup, the potential security problems with the tote system were known. Safety was an issue long before the breakdown of Eight Belles; integrity was an issue long before all these high-profile suspensions; medication was an issue long before fans ever heard of milkshakes and steroids. Even before breeders routinely robbed the sport of its brightest stars, the quality of racing was an issue. And long before this year’s sinking handle and declining popularity, customer service and fan satisfaction were issues. But they were all issues that the industry’s “leaders” largely ignored.

And so now we have round tables and summits and committees galore, and, I admit, I find it ironically amusing to hear the “leaders” call for change. But their call sounds more like a desperate plea for forgiveness, and for the moment the sport’s fans don’t seem to be in a forgiving mood. 

Another look at Curlin

Curlin’s effort in the Woodward was superlative. I point that out only because some who saw it didn’t really see it. Many people, you’ve probably noticed in this election year, only look to justify preconceptions, not to see, not really and clearly, and so those who were hoping to see the reigning Horse of the Year regress didn’t see his superlative performance.

I realized this recently when reading an article in a New York newspaper, which argues that it’s “possible Curlin has begun to run down.”

Well, yes, that’s possible, I suppose, just as everything’s possible, just as it’s possible that Martians have secretly taken over the horse industry, but there’s no real evidence to suggest either. The skeptical New York newspaper makes the point, in support of the running down possibility, that Curlin was all out to win the Woodward and narrowly beat an erstwhile allowance horse, Past The Point.

Another "expert," in a moment of cleverness, said Curlin ran as if his odds were 4-1 rather than 1-4.

Actually, he ran like the horse he is, the best in the world. Curlin was bumped around in the first turn, where Alan Garcia, who was riding Divine Park, seemed to accept some suicidal beat-the-champ mission. After bumping Curlin in the first turn, Divine Park carried him out down the backstretch, along with Out Of Control.

Divine Park finished sixth, by the way, beating only Out Of Control. And so only Curlin was able to overcome the wide trip and the bumping and run down Past The Point, who had been allowed a clear early lead, albeit in fast fractions. And the winning time, 1:49.34, was outstanding for a surface that was rather dull for the day.

As for the winning margin, Curlin caught Past The Point with about a furlong remaining and then cruised home. An extremely intelligent animal, Curlin knows his job is to win. Simply win. He’s the same way in workouts. His job has nothing to do with margins of victory, nothing to do with winning by many lengths.

“On the way over there (to the Saratoga paddock before the Woodward), people were lined up five deep,” his trainer, Steve Asmussen, said. “They were yelling and cheering at him, and he never blinked. He kept his game face on and just went over and did his job. He’s a fantastic athlete.

“My only regret is that I can’t love on him,”  Asmussen continued. “If I tried to do that, he’d eat me.”

Alysheba was much the same, although not a man-eater. Alysheba was all business, and he knew exactly what his job was. Before retiring as the all-time money winner, Alysheba finished first 12 times in his career (but was disqualified in the Blue Grass), and only twice did he win by more than a length. And one of those was his maiden victory. Alysheba knew his job was winning. Curlin does the same kind of work.

Yes, the Woodward was a stressful and demanding race for Curlin, having to overcome trouble as he did and then run down a horse giving the performance of his life. But it was a superlative race, one of his best, and it sets him up perfectly to finish the year strongly.

If the Woodward, as some have suggested, invites two different interpretations, that’s only because some may be determined to interpret it wrongly.