CURLIN is World's Best

Curlin (espn)America’s Horse of the Year, CURLIN, has proved himself a worldbeater, adding the world’s richest race to his Breeders’ Cup Classic win. Curlin won the Breeders’ Cup in October on a track resembling quicksand, but in Dubai on Saturday night there were no excuses for his rivals as he scored by eight lengths from Asiatic Boy.

Curlin took control 400m out and gave his rivals no chance in the run home leaving Asiatic Boy to nose out Well Armed in a separate race for second place. Curlin went into the US$6 million Dubai World Cup as the highest rated horse in training and came out of it with an even higher figure beside his name.

The four-year-old had won the 2007 Preakness Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup before defying his opposition and the atrocious conditions in the Breeders’ Cup. 

“It went as well as expected - I was just a passenger, I just get all the glory. “This is an unbelievable experience and I can’t explain it. This is at the very top of the list.” Asiatic Boy’s trainer Mike de Kock trained two other winners on the richest program of racing the world has ever seen.

But he knew he had missed out on a third by a long way. “The best horse won,” said the South African. “I was always honestly aiming for second. “Curlin would have had to have had an off-day for us to win. “ The disappointment of the race was the locally-owned Jalil. A US$9.7 million purchase, the son of Storm Cat trailed home seventh, never raising any hopes. Jockey Frankie Dettori said the race may have come a year too early for the four-year-old .

“We will have to wait for next year,” Frankie Dettori said.

Click here to watch Curlin winning the Dubai World Cup 2008. 

Extract from Stallions Daily Bulletin