Triple Crown Palate Cleanser
Curlin and Pancho survey the land at Churchill (JerryLewis)
Since we’re fortunate enough to have Curlin running in the US weekend, I thought I’d take a moment to help us all transition from the long and tiring Triple Crown by way of a Curlin palate cleanser, if you will.
Curlin is set to break from the first post position in the Stephen Foster this weekend, despite his weight assignment. The entire card is action packed so it looks like I won’t get that handicapping break I was thinking of taking!
Fellow TBA-er Superfecta nominates Curlin as our ambassador as he prepares to gallivant around the globe. I agree! She also points out that he has a foundation, which is a part of his site, which has a section about Pancho! (below the human caregivers, which are also nice to see).
Who? Curlin’s stable pony! You may remember that Bloodhorse’s Morning Line Goes to Dubai blog had a post on him as he accompanied Curlin to Dubai.
Scott Blasi, assistant trainer for Curlin was quoted as saying:
You can tell Curlin relaxes when Pancho is by his side. Curlin is so big, but Pancho doesnt get intimidated. Hes even bigger than Curlin and hes so seasonedhes been everywhere with the stable.
And back at the Go Curlin site, the following post World Cup heartwarming scene was described:
After being festooned with a bright red fringed cooler proclaiming him the winner of the worlds richest race, Curlin made his way out of the crowded enclosure, the intensity of the race still vividly on his face. Yet when he saw Pancho, his ears shot up, and the pair walked out together, sharing in a small way this win that they both had worked so hard to achieve.
I was first alerted to Pancho by Swifty, who, on one of our many phone calls, told me to search Pancho in the Facebook groups (without telling me what that meant)… I quickly found out. Curlin also has a fan page on Facebook.
Here are some highlights to get you in mood for Curlin this weekend (sans last year’s Triple Crown, we want to stay focused on moving forward). And just remember, after all is said and done, he gets to come home to Pancho afterwards! We should all be so lucky!
Jockey Club Gold Cup - the performance that answered any remaining questions I had about Curlin
Breeders’ Cup Classic - “an absolutely stylish performance”
RIP George Washington
Jaguar Trophy - his warm up for the Dubai World Cup
Dubai World Cup - stunning
(Note: I felt bad for my beloved Premium Tap and I’m sure that’s the last time we’ll lay eyes on him)
I hope you’re now feeling prepared for the next course, I know I am!
Posted by dana on Jun 11 2008
Filed Under: Churchill Downs, TBA, George Washington, Internet, Dubai World Cup, 4yo, 2008, :), BC Classic, Curlin, Let Horses Race, Premium Tap, Race Replay, YouTube, International Racing, Racing
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Watching the BC Classic again reminds me how much I miss Hard Spun :(
I love Curlin, but I’m really going to be torn this weekend, as I love Einstein more. Admittedly, dirt isn’t his strong suit, but I would love to see a rivalry emerge from this race that’s continued at the Arlington Million (August 9). If Curlin’s connections are aiming at the Arc, I think they’ve got to try the turf beforehand, don’t you? Man, Einstein and Curlin…that’s sounding good! Asmussen vs. Pitts :)
Dissapointed in the lack of available TV coverage. You would think this card would be perfect for ESPN to pick up. I would think the ratings would be good with all the fans of Curlin and a good undercard.
val - I know, I really miss him too. swifty were chatting about how lucky we were to start following racing during HS’s 3yo campaign.
robert - perfect example of the dropped ball!!! there’s great momentum from the TC and I think people want to see a satifying race. I know traffic hasn’t dropped off all that much yet.
I’m still undecided about putting Curlin in the “one of the greats” category at this point (I know I’m going to to get chewed up for that one); however, if he can accomplish the tasks they are planning for him (the Arc and possibly the Japan Cup) then there would be no question. It would be a feat never before accomplished by an American horse, or at least not that I’m aware of. I would have to come to terms with my dislike of trainers who have repeated drug violations but at least he (Curlin) would have accomplished these goals under overseas rules of no drugs and that I wholeheartedly support.
I’m on the fence about going to CD this weekend to watch (recovering from foot surgery) so I may have to settle for watching the days races on HRTV. I would like to be able to say I at least saw him run in the event everything comes together. You don’t get that opportunity very often. However, it would be nice if ESPN or another network would pick it up. This is where the sport misses out reaching out to its fans and adding to its’ fan base. It along with the media are not flexible enough to seize opportunities like this. Plus look at all the good stories they could re-cover or update: Ausmussen vs Pitts, Brass Hat, Curlin’s connections, etc. Yes, we’ve heard them all before but at least it’s been awhile and it would be better than all the same old stories we kept hearing over and over and over during the TC run, lol.
Val - I know the feeling, I’m crazy about Brass Hat. Don’t think he has much of a chance in this field but you never know. He’s a tough ol’ horse that just loves the sport. It will be a sad day for me when he finally retires. He and Evening Attire are two of a kind.
katie - I’ve really been able to separate curlin from asmussen in my head… also, he dominated in dubai under their drug free rules.
I actually just wrote a post about the missed opportunities re: espn & marketing but won’t be eble to post it til I get home.
I’ve come around to Curlin since the BC Classic and was really impressed with his Dubai World Cup win. He is shaping up as one of the greats, and not just according to our contemporary definition.
I totally agree… and am pleased to hear you say that :)