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Curlin drills for Woodward On Monday, Horse of the Year CURLIN (Smart Strike) drilled six furlongs in 1:14 3/5 over Saratoga's muddy Oklahoma training track. Most recently second in the Man o'War S. (G1) in his turf debut, the Steve Asmussen charge will revert to dirt for the August 30 Woodward S. (G1) at the Spa. Curlin was originally scheduled to work on the main track, but Asmussen called an audible, switching the move to the training track because of overnight rains. "Mother Nature said, 'Not today'," said Asmussen, who apparently made the right call as rain again hit the area a few hours after the work. With regular exercise rider Carmen Rosas aboard, the four-year-old chestnut went out in the second set after the first break. His work was accomplished in company with stablemate Hawaii Calls (Fusaichi Pegasus). "I think he's a lot more relaxed earlier in a work when he's in company," Asmussen said of Curlin, ranked by Timeform of England as the world's best Thoroughbred last week. "In company, he gets smoother works." Curlin was timed in splits of :13, :25 2/5, :37 4/5 and :49 3/5, and galloped out seven furlongs in 1:28 3/5. Hawaii Calls, also owned by Stonestreet Stables, was timed in 1:14 4/5. "They went a little quicker than I was expecting them to, but they did it really easily," Asmussen said. "I got them in 1:14 and change and we were expecting 15 or a little slower. We were hoping to get a work on the main track, and this morning would have been good because we would have gotten that done and over with. Now, we will really have to watch the weather, but if the main track is muddy (next week), we'll work him here." The winner of the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) and Stephen Foster H. (G1) in his last two outings on dirt, Curlin boasts $9,496,800 in earnings from his 13-9-2-2 line. Three other Asmussen notables posted Monday works on the Oklahoma training track. Multiple Grade 1 victor STUDENT COUNCIL (Kingmambo) blitzed his six furlongs in 1:14 2/5, best of four trials at the trip, as he eyes a title defense in the August 24 Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar. Owned by Millennium Farms, the six-year-old bay is coming off a runner-up effort in the Whitney H. (G1). Student Council took to the mud with relish, turning in splits of :12 3/5, :24 3/5, :36 4/5 and :48 4/5 before galloping out seven panels in 1:28 4/5. Asmussen said he is tempted to follow the same schedule as he did last year when he won the Pacific Classic. "He worked Monday and flew out Wednesday," Asmussen said. "He's a fabulous work horse, a train." Louisiana Derby (G2) hero PYRO (Pulpit), exiting a second in the Jim Dandy S. (G2), completed six furlongs in 1:16 with jockey Shaun Bridgmohan aboard. "Pyro had a solid race last time, and his work this morning was nice and steady and safe," Asmussen reported. "He galloped out real big and came back good." The Ron Winchell colorbearer is aiming for the August 23 Travers S. (G1). Classy sophomore sprinter J BE K (Silver Deputy), prepping for the King's Bishop S. (G1) on Travers Day, splashed five-eighths in 1:01 2/5. The Zayat Stables star has run away with the Woody Stephens S. (G2) and Jersey Shore S. (G3) in his past two.
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