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Curlin achieves global supremacy in Dubai World Cup
The top three maintained their positions until the top of the lane, when Curlin effortlessly drew alongside Well Armed and Asiatic Boy, and just as fluently, he floated away. Widening his advantage throughout, the champion made it look easy, as the saying goes, and strolled home by 7 3/4 lengths, the largest margin in the 13-year history of the World Cup. Curlin toured about 1 1/4 miles on the fast Nad al Sheba track in 2:00.15 to collect incalculable prestige, along with the $3.6 million winner's share, and now brandishes a bankroll of $8,807,800. "Awesome" was how Asmussen summed up Curlin's performance. "He's spoiled us with his consistency and brilliance," the horseman added. "Since his Breeders' Cup Classic win, he's shown us that he can do things quicker, and I think he's proved that again tonight. For someone from a racing family to have the best horse in the world is really awesome. It's a dream come true." "It's a great privilege for me to be on him," Albarado said. "What a horse! I just show up and ride him and get the glory. Everybody works so hard, but I am the one that's seen. He does it all on race day. It's easy when you ride a great horse like Curlin. He's not even tired." Asiatic Boy finally subdued Well Armed by about a neck to claim the honor of running second to Curlin. "My horse has run a marvelous race," jockey John Murtagh said of Asiatic Boy. "He fought and fought to get his second place. The winner is a monster." "He broke well and had horses on him the whole way and never really got a big breather," Aaron Gryder said of his ride aboard Well Armed. "But at the same time, he was relaxed doing it. We turned for home and he was able to sneak away a little bit, and I saw Curlin on the outside of us. He fought as hard as he could for second money." A. P. Arrow (A.P. Indy) was another three-quarters of a length back in fourth. Great Hunter (Aptitude) crossed the wire in fifth, trailed by Lucky Find (Rich Man's Gold), Jalil (Storm Cat), Gloria de Campeao (Impression), Premium Tap (Pleasant Tap), Sway Yed (Nisnas), Kocab (Unfuwain) and Vermilion (El Condor Pasa). Happy Boy (Ski Champ) was withdrawn. Curlin's record now reads 11-8-1-2. Before achieving classic glory in the Preakness, he had captured the Arkansas Derby (G2) and Rebel S. (G3) and placed third in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Since his near-miss in the Belmont S. (G1), and his third in the Haskell Invitational (G1), Curlin has proven to be invincible. He wrapped up the Horse of the Year title with triumphs in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders' Cup Classic, and he kicked off his 2008 campaign with a contemptuously easy tally in a Nad al Sheba handicap, the preamble to his equally facile score in the World Cup.Bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm Inc., Curlin sold for $57,000 as a Keeneland September yearling and was originally campaigned by Midnight Cry Stable, which retains a 20-percent interest. He is the first stakes winner out of the unraced Sherriff's Deputy (Deputy Minister), who has since produced an unnamed yearling filly by Saint Liam. This is the same family as 1997 champion two-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) victress Countess Diana (Deerhound) as well as the ill-fated multiple Grade 1-winning Exogenous (Unbridled). Plans call for Curlin to ship to Keeneland on April 6, with his future targets to be determined.
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