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Curlin will attempt to do what no horse has done since the Jockey Club Gold Cup was inaugurated a year after World War I ended - win as a 3-year-old and repeat at 4.
The son of Smart Strike also is aiming to hit pay dirt for another reason: victory on Saturday would make him No. 1 in all-time earnings. The $450,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner’s share of the $750,000 purse would boost his bankroll to $10,246,000, supplanting Cigar’s $9,9796,800.
Cigar won this race in 1995. Skip Away, with earnings of $9,616,360, was the last back-to-back winner in ‘96-97. The son of Skip Trial holds the stakes record of 1:58 4/5 for the 1 1/4 miles.
Of the eight Gold Cup multi-winners, Kelso is tops with five in row, ‘60-64, when he was voted Horse of the Year five consecutive times.
The Gold Cup has figured prominently in determining Horse of the Year, especially before the Breeders’ Cup began in ‘84. Four Triple Crown winners triumphed: Gallant Fox, ‘30, and Citation, ‘48, as 3-year-olds, and Whirlaway, ‘42, and Affirmed, ‘79, as 4-year-olds.
In the ’40s and ’50s, sophomores scored 13 times, including nine in a row from ‘47 to ‘55 when the purse never topped $56,000.
Since the BC, which turns 25 on Oct. 25, six Breeders’ Cup Classic winners during the past 14 years won Horse of the Year, including Curlin in ‘07.
Curlin worked four furlongs in 51 4/5 breezing over Saratoga’s training track on Monday. “It was his normal work before he runs,” Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, told Brisnet.com. “He got over the ground really well and we are all excited about Saturday.”
Curlin’s fractions were 13 seconds for the quarter-mile and 25 3/5 for the half, galloping out five furlongs in 1:06. Seven days earlier, he covered five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 handy, galloping out six furlongs in 1:14 4/5.
The field for the 90th running includes Mambo in Seattle, who lost the Travers by a nose to Colonel John. The 3-year-old will carry 122 pounds, four less than older horses in the weight-for-age invitational.
Ed Prado climbs aboard, replacing Robby Albarado, who guided the son of Kingmambo in the Travers. Albarado is Curlin’s regular ride. Mambo in Seattle has worked several times at Belmont. His latest was breezing four furlongs in 49 3/5 on Monday.
Key Jockey Club Gold Cup challengers are:
Wanderin Boy, who finished third to Curlin in the Woodward at Saratoga. The son of Seeking the Gold worked four furlongs in 48 1/5 handily on Sept. 19.
Frost Giant, who won the Suburban at Belmont Park in June. The son of Giant’s Causeway most recent work was early this month on Aqueduct’s turf course: 1:16 3/5 breezing for six furlongs.
Others that may run are Timber Reserve, Merchant Marine, Angliana and either A.P. Arrow or Ravel.
The Gold Cup began as the Jockey Club Stakes in ‘19 when a 3-year-old named Purchase triumphed. The purse was $5,800.
A year later, only Damask ran against Man o’ War, a sporting gesture to keep the race from being a walkover. It was to close to that anyway as Big Red broke the American record for 1 1/2 miles under strong restraint while winning by 15 lengths.
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One Response to “Curlin Goes for Two Records in Jockey Gold Cup”
Matt
October 26th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Just FYI…Skip Away won the JCGC as a 3 and 4 yo…Curlin did not make history in that respect.
in fact there have been several back-to-back winners of this at age 3 & 4:
Nashua (1955-’56)
Kelso (1960-’64) who also won at 5,6 and 7!
Slew o’ Gold (1983-’84)
and of course Skip Away (1996-’97)
Also, Firethorn won it at 3 in 1935 and again as a five-year-old in ‘37.
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Matt
October 26th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Just FYI…Skip Away won the JCGC as a 3 and 4 yo…Curlin did not make history in that respect.
in fact there have been several back-to-back winners of this at age 3 & 4:
Nashua (1955-’56)
Kelso (1960-’64) who also won at 5,6 and 7!
Slew o’ Gold (1983-’84)
and of course Skip Away (1996-’97)
Also, Firethorn won it at 3 in 1935 and again as a five-year-old in ‘37.