Curlin wears down Lawyer Ron in thrilling Gold Cup

Curlin (outside) overpowered Lawyer Ron in the latter stages of the Gold Cup (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com) Stonestreet Stables et al's CURLIN (Smart Strike) capped an incredible day for himself and his sire when passing Lawyer Ron (Langfuhr) in the final few jumps to take the prestigious $765,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup S. (G1) at Belmont Park on Sunday. The Steve Asmussen trainee rated in midpack before asserting himself turning for home and reeling in a determined Lawyer Ron late, stopping the teletimer in a strong 2:01 1/5 for 1 1/4 miles. The classic-winning sophomore was sent off as the 2-1 second choice and paid $6.20, $3.10 and $2.40 while keying the $12.40 exacta and $31.20 trifecta (5-6-3). Smart Strike sired the winner of the Vosburgh S. (G1) in Fabulous Strike, and his five-year-old son English Channel repeated in taking the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. (G1), both earlier on the card. Brother Bobby (Out of Place) took the lead early and led the field through splits of :24 1/5, :47 4/5 and 1:11 3/5 for the opening six furlongs, all the while with 3-5 favorite Lawyer Ron breathing down his neck under tight restraint. Approaching the final turn, the favorite took command with ease but Curlin was finding his best stride to his outside, and the exciting stretch run followed. John Velazquez went to work on Lawyer Ron and the four-year-old, under 126 pounds, responded, clocking the mile in 1:36 1/5 and opening up a half-length lead in midstretch. Curlin was as determined as ever and was slowly getting to the winner under strong handling from Robby Albarado. A neck separated the pair at the wire, with 5-1 third choice Political Force (Unbridled's Song) running a big one four lengths back in third. "I was confident the whole race," Albarado said. "It looked like Lawyer Ron got a little rank down the backstretch, so I just sat behind him. Johnny made his move, and I just followed suit. Curlin loves being outside, so I was pretty confident during the stretch drive. It feels great to beat a great horse. Lawyer Ron is a great horse."

Horseman Todd Pletcher was pleased with Lawyer Ron's performance.

"I thought he ran great," Pletcher said. "The only thing we were concerned

about happened -- he never quite settled like he did at Saratoga. He was very

sharp and he never gave up. He ran a big race and actually galloped out in

front. I don't think the mile and a quarter is an issue. We just have to get him

to settle down."

Lawyer Ron paid $2.40 and $2.10, while Political Force returned $2.70. Sun King

(Charismatic) was six lengths back in fourth, followed by Brother Bobby, Indy

Wind (A.P. Indy) and Malibu Moonshine (Malibu Moon).

Curlin began his career in February with trainer Helen Pitts, breaking his

maiden by 12 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park, before being privately purchased

for a reported $3.5 million and transferred to Asmussen. Making his first start

for that barn in the Rebel S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park, he posted an easy 5

1/4-length score and returned to record a 10 1/2-length victory in the Arkansas

Derby (G2) at that same track. Forced to steady at the beginning of the Kentucky Derby

(G1) next out, Curlin was compelled to race in between horses before coming five wide

down the stretch to finish third.

A thrilling stretch run with Derby hero Street Sense (Street Cry [Ire]) came

next in the Preakness S. (G1), with Curlin coming out a head best in the end.

The colt followed with another spine-tingling finish in the Belmont S. (G1),

this time coming up a head shy to the phenomenal filly Rags to Riches (A.P.

Indy). Following a two-month freshening the chestnut reappeared in the Haskell

Invitational H. (G1), where he finished third to burgeoning star Any Given

Saturday (Distorted Humor). With the Gold Cup conquer, Curlin now boasts

$2,402,800 in earnings from a stellar 8-5-1-2 mark.

Bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm Inc., Curlin sold for $57,000 as a Keeneland

September yearling. He is the first stakes winner out of the unraced Sherriff's

Deputy (Deputy Minister), who has since produced an unnamed yearling filly by

Medaglia d'Oro and a 2007 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).

Asmussen indicated that Curlin would fly on Monday to Keeneland, where he

will prepare for the October 27 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Monmouth.

"I think he is an outstanding horse, and he proved so once again today,"

Asmussen said. "The third in the Haskell and the third in the Kentucky Derby

were against horses whose form had held up. We'll all meet in a month's time,

probably to decide a lot of honors."