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HANDICAPPING INSIGHTS SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 by Dick Powell BIG BROWN (Boundary) won the Monmouth S. on the turf at Monmouth Park last Saturday and looked good doing it. Not great, as he looked in the Florida Derby (G1), Kentucky Derby (G1) or Preakness S. (G1), but good enough. And now it's on to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita where there's a good chance that he'll meet not only 2007 Horse of the Year CURLIN (Smart Strike) but DUKE OF MARMALADE (Danehill). I have to give trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. and Team IEAH credit for their managing Big Brown. They won the $1 million Haskell (G1) then made the decision to take him off the dirt and put him on either turf or synthetic for the rest of the year as a means of protecting his hooves. After the Derby, I was doubtful about how many more times he would run but they have proven me wrong and racing is better off because of it. He now has his prep race 40 days out as Dutrow wanted and it's on to the Classic that will be run for the first time on a synthetic surface. In the Monmouth, Big Brown looked like his old self as he used his tactical speed to outsprint the field of older turfers to take a clear lead down the backstretch. With a half in :46.83, Kent Desormeaux was able to give him a breather and wait for the expected rallies from the closers. When Proudinsky (Ger) (Silvano [Ger]) and Shakis (Ire) (Machiavellian) made their final moves, Desormeaux and Big Brown had more than enough left in the tank to hold on by a neck in the good time of 1:47.41. In what should be a full gate for the Classic, it was good to see Big Brown regain his speed mojo which he will need at Santa Anita. Assuming that a horse that is two-for-two on turf will handle a race over a synthetic racing surface, Big Brown is right on track for his final goal. Recent comments by majority owner Jess Jackson indicate that we might see Curlin not only in the Breeders' Cup Classic but next year as well. As many in the industry are doing, he and trainer Steve Asmussen are relaxing their stance against running on Santa Anita's newly-installed ProRide surface. And reading between the lines on some of their comments indicates that racing him next year is not out of the question. The recent decline in business at the Keeneland yearling sale will certainly have a downward effect on future stud fees and make retirement a bit less lucrative. The big story of the past weekend happened overseas at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris as they staged three prep races for the upcoming Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1). I have chronicled the exploits of ZARKAVA (Zamindar) in this space many times so it should have been no surprise when she gained international headlines with her sensational win in the Prix Vermeille (Fr-G1). In Sunday's 2,400-meter Arc prep for fillies and mares, Zarkava broke slowly from her stall and spotted the field 10 lengths. If you haven't seen the video yet, think of when a race is run and a horse is declared a non-starter. That's how much she dawdled when the gate opened. Rider Christophe Soumillon had to use her just to catch up with the trailing horses. The Vermeille had a very fast pace and Zarkava was at least 20 lengths behind the leader. Dar Re Mi (Singspiel [Ire]) opened up a commanding lead and when the field of 12 turned for home she still was five lengths in front. Soumillon kept Zarkava covered up until the 600-meter mark when he swung her to the far outside for her final run. With amazing agility, Zarkava went from cruising speed to top acceleration in about three strides. She began to pass horses with each stride and even though she was far back the result was never in doubt. Soumillon never had to use the whip and Zarkava arrived on the scene with about 100 meters to go. By then, he was already backing off as she was pulling away to a two-length win over Dar Re Mi. On turf rated as "good to soft," Zarkava's final time was 2:26.00 -- a new stakes record. It was her first attempt at the 2,400-meter distance, her first start since June 8 and much faster than the Prix Niel (Fr-G2) and Prix Foy (Fr-G2) run right after the Vermeille. The only question left is how she will handle 2,400 meters on a course that is much softer. The European bookmakers seem to know the answer as most of them have cut her odds for the Arc to 3-2 favoritism. An example of how great Zarkava is comes from simple company handicapping. We saw earlier this year when SATAN'S CIRCUS (Gone West), who was no match for Zarkava in the Prix de Diane (Fr-G1), just missed winning the American Oaks Invitational (G1). The third-place finisher in the Prix Diane was GOLDIKOVA (Anabaa). On September 7, Goldikova won the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Fr-G1) at a mile against a field of mostly males that included the great HENRYTHENAVIGATOR (Kingmambo), the three-year-old that Aidan O'Brien has deemed his greatest miler, better than Rock of Gibraltar, winner of seven straight Group 1 stakes. When Goldikova faced Zarkava at a mile earlier this season at Longchamp, Zarkava beat her by two easy lengths. Now that she has proven herself at 2,400 meters -- just under 1 1/2 miles -- Zarkava will bring an excitement to this year's Arc that will rival Japanese superstar Deep Impact's appearance two years ago.
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