Curlin puts in final major breeze for Woodward

Shortly after 6 a.m. (EDT) this morning, under a clear blue sky, 2007 Horse

of the Year CURLIN (Smart Strike) finally got to work over the fast main track

at Saratoga Race Course, drilling seven furlongs in 1:24 4/5 in his final

serious move for the Woodward S. (G1) on August 30.

Working along the rail in company with HAWAII CALLS (Fusaichi Pegasus), who

was one of the 20 Woodward nominations released this morning by New York Racing

Association Stakes Coordinator Andrew Byrnes, an aggressive Curlin cruised

through splits of :24 3/5, :36 4/5, :48 4/5 and 1:00, galloping out in 1:37 4/5

after leaving his stablemate in the dust at the quarter-pole. Hawaii Calls

completed his seven-furlong work in 1:25 3/5.

"I told Shaun (Bridgmohan, aboard Hawaii Calls) last week, you better wear

your goggles today because at the quarter-pole you're going to need them," Curlin's exercise rider Carmen Rosas said.

"He handled the track beautiful."

According to trainer Steve Asmussen, the four-year-old colt will have one

more maintenance work on the Oklahoma training track prior to his engagement in

the nine-furlong Woodward.

"We felt it really important to get him over there one time before he ran," Asmussen said.

"Whatever the weather wants to do here on out will be fine."

Asmussen also said Curlin will school in the paddock between races this week,

most likely on Thursday.

"Whenever we are going to school him, we'll definitely let everybody know so

it will be like what actually happens to him on that day," Asmussen said.

Also breezing for Asmussen on Monday was Jim Dandy S. (G2) runner-up PYRO

(Pulpit), who breezed four furlongs in :52 1/5 over the fast Oklahoma training

track in his final work before Saturday's Travers S. (G1).

"He's just there," Asmussen said. "He had a pretty strong race in the Jim

Dandy and trying to get two good races out of a horse here can be pretty

tricky."

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott added another possible starter for the Travers

with COURT VISION (Gulch), who breezed five furlongs over the Oklahoma training

track in 1:02 2/5 this morning.

"Three or four days ago, the owners voted on it and that's what they wanted

to do," Mott said referring to the IEAH Stables partnership that owns Court

Vision.

Court Vision has not won a race since taking the Remsen S. (G2) last

November, but finished second by a nose last out in the Virginia Derby (G2) over

the turf at Colonial Downs.

IEAH Stables is also expected to run ACAI (Three Wonders), who has won

back-to-back races for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr., in the Travers.

Also working for the Travers was the Mott-trained YOU AND I FOREVER (A.P.

Indy), the Henry Walton S. runner-up who breezed five furlongs over the Oklahoma

training track in 1:02 4/5.