Curlin turns in 'awesome' work in Dubai

Curlin turns in 'awesome' work in Dubai

Curlin will try to extend his winning streak to four in the Dubai World Cup (Dubai Racing Club/Monica Pinheiro) At Nad al Sheba on Monday, Horse of the Year CURLIN (Smart Strike) traveled five furlongs in 1:02.60, a move that assistant trainer Scott Blasi declared as "awesome." A consummately easy winner of a February 28 handicap in his Nad al Sheba debut, the four-year-old chestnut is gearing up for the $6 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 29. "He was traveling very well and looked great," Blasi said of the work, for which exercise rider Carmen "Carlos" Rosas was aboard. "Carlos does such a great job. I told him to go in 1:03 and that's about as close as you can get. You could tell Curlin was very comfortable with where he was at. "He had good direction toward the wire but was well within himself. It was exactly what we wanted." Curlin arrived at the track around 7:30 a.m. local time, emerging out of a blanket of fog that was beginning to burn off under the rising sun. Although observers had a difficult time picking him up on the backstretch, he was timed in :37.23 for the first three furlongs, with a half-mile in :49.40.

Blasi said Curlin got three days off after handily winning his prep race, the

$175,000 Jaguar Trophy, contested at the World Cup distance of about 1 1/4

miles.

"The prep was exactly what we had in mind and he came out of it in great

order," Blasi said. "He's an exceptional horse -- he just does everything so

easily."

Jockey Robby Albarado "was pretty impressed with (Curlin) all the way around"

after the race, Blasi said.

Although the colt was a little keen in the early going of the Jaguar Trophy,

he settled down, and the experience should benefit him and Albarado in the Dubai

World Cup.

"I think Curlin will be a lot more focused next time," Blasi said.

Since his race, Curlin had what Blasi described as "a great week of training"

that included another visit to the Nad al Sheba starting gate and a schooling

session in the paddock during racing on the Super Thursday program last week.

"It was a good experience for him," Blasi said. "We gave him several rounds

in the walking ring with a lot of people on hand. We want him to feel

comfortable and relaxed out there."

Blasi is overseeing Curlin's preparation for the Dubai World Cup for trainer

Steve Asmussen, who saddled the colt in a brief visit to the United Arab

Emirates for the Jaguar Trophy and who will return for the marquee event.

Asmussen decided to send Curlin to Dubai for his World Cup prep race and

training so that the colt could get accustomed to the surroundings. 

With only one runner to care for, Blasi said that he and Rosas feel somewhat

like they are reliving the movie Groundhog Day, with every day's routine

being fairly much the same, and with hours of inactivity to fill, a rare

situation for leading American trainer Asmussen's staff. However, Blasi would

not want to be doing anything else right now.

"Curlin is the chance of a lifetime," he said. "I wouldn't trade this for

anything."