Three-Year-Olds and Up Diary

THREE-YEAR-OLDS & UP DIARY

SEPTEMBER 11, 2008

by James Scully

One final round of preps remain for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), and

September 27 promises to be a fantastic afternoon when the Jockey Club Gold Cup

(G1), Goodwood S. (G1), Kentucky Cup Classic (G2) and Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2)

are all up for grabs. Top three-year-old BIG BROWN (Boundary) will receive his final Classic

tune-up in Saturday's inaugural running of the Monmouth S., a 1 1/8-mile turf

event. The once-beaten colt will make his first start on turf since winning his

career debut by 11 1/4 lengths last summer at Saratoga.

The Breeders' Cup status of CURLIN (Smart Strike) continues to dominate the

Classic discussion. His connections previously stated their opposition to running

over the artificial surface at Santa Anita, but trainer

Steve Asmussen left the door open for a synthetic track experiment following his victory in the August 30 Woodward S. (G1).

"It's something that everybody would like to see," Asmussen told Daily Racing

Form of a Curlin-Big Brown showdown. "I'm curious."

Curlin's presence would be an absolute boon to Thoroughbred racing, and

that's the reason owner Jess Jackson gave for bringing him back at four. The

colt crushed the competition in last year's Classic, winning by 4 1/2 lengths in the

slop at Monmouth Park, and his contemporaries that day -- Street Sense, Hard

Spun and Any Given Saturday -- all headed to the breeding shed afterward.

Jackson ceremoniously kept Curlin in training, and the Horse of the Year has

delivered victories in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), Stephen Foster (G1) and

Woodward so far this season. Next up is the Jockey Club Gold Cup, but nobody

expects a serious challenge. Curlin knocked off the likes of Past the Point

(Indian Charlie) and Wanderin Boy (Seeking the Gold) in the Woodward, and he's

beaten questionable company all year. 

The Classic will serve as the measuring stick for Curlin's 2008 campaign.

It's the only race that matters. If Big Brown runs well Saturday, he'll head to

the Breeders' Cup full of momentum. Horse of the Year honors will be on the

line. Curlin's connections will make the final decision, and they won't flatter

Curlin by backing down from the biggest race of the year.

It seems like a no-brainer. Curlin will enhance his reputation and value with

back-to-back Classic victories -- the risk is worth the reward.

Just win baby -- It didn't meet expectations, but credit Curlin with a

solid score in the Woodward. He made his Saratoga debut in the 1 1/8-mile event

and overcame trouble on the first turn as he was carried out by one rival and

soundly bumped by another. That might have knocked another horse off stride, but

not the massive Curlin. After rating about five lengths off the early pace, he

rallied to reach contention by the top of the stretch and appeared ready to blow

by the pacesetter, last-out allowance winner Past the Point. However, Past the

Point fought back, delivering a stiff challenge until deep stretch, and Curlin

eventually edged clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

While it wasn't flashy, Curlin got the job done and earned a commendable 107

BRIS Speed rating, his biggest number of the season. He didn't turn in his best

effort -- his Dubai World Cup victory was spectacular -- but Asmussen didn't

need the colt's best. Curlin's got a couple more starts to make this season, and

he'll return to Belmont Park for his next outing. In last year's 1 1/4-mile Gold

Cup, the Kentucky-bred registered a 117 Speed rating for an outstanding win over

eventual champion Lawyer Ron. Ten furlongs is his best distance, and we expect

to see more next time.

Past the Point isn't a stakes winner, but he's an improving four-year-old who

has earned 106 Speed ratings in his last two outings. The Eoin Harty runner

obviously likes the Spa, so it will be interesting to see whether Past the Point

can carry his form forward. He's got the potential to develop into a very nice

five-year-old next season.

Synthetic revitalization -- GO BETWEEN (Point Given) isn't a dirt

horse. He was pretty good on turf, winning the Virginia Derby (G2) in 2006, but

proved to be a cut below the best turf horses last season. Everything changed

when he discovered synthetic tracks. He captured his first start, the Fayette S.

(G3) last October over Keeneland's Polytrack, and won the Sunshine Millions

Classic at Santa Anita in his second attempt. Following runner-up finishes in

the Santa Anita H. (G1), Ben Ali S. (G3) and Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), Go Between

broke through in the Pacific Classic (G1) on August 24.

The Florida-bred rallied boldly off a moderate pace to win by a neck over a

game WELL ARMED (Tiznow), who benefited from the soft early fractions. Go

Between was the only closer to make an impact as last year's respective one-two

finishers, late runners Student Council (Kingmambo) and Awesome Gem (Awesome

Again), both wound up in midpack at the finish. Trainer Bill Mott will likely

train Go Between up to the Breeders' Cup Classic on October 25. The Peter Vegso

colorbearer ran the best race of his career in the Pacific Classic off a two-month freshening.

Given his superb turn of foot over synthetic tracks, Go Between looms as

serious win contender for this year's Classic.

Well Armed showed his class earlier this year, winning the San Antonio H.

(G2) prior to a third in the Dubai World Cup, and the WinStar Farm homebred

relishes 10 furlongs. His tactical speed is another advantage. Winner of the San

Diego H. (G2) two starts back in wire-to-wire fashion, the Harty-trained gelding

started his racing career overseas and didn't make his U.S. debut until last

October. He's made good progress this season and could run well in the Classic

if he takes to the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita.

Salutations -- COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow) opened his three-year-old

campaign with a pair of hard-fought victories in California, but he wasn't ready

for the extreme challenge of the Kentucky Derby (G1), checking in sixth

following a rough trip. After receiving another two months off, the Harty

trainee was upset in the Swaps S. (G2), finishing third behind Tres Borrachos

(Ecton Park) and Two Step Salsa (Petionville). That race provided valuable

seasoning to the lightly campaigned colt, and he improved significantly to win

the Travers S. (G1) on August 23.

This time around, Colonel John overcame trouble to prove best. He was

steadied in upper stretch, losing a shoe after being checked by a retreating

Tale of Ekati (Tale of the Cat), and dug in gamely late to repulse a

fast-charging MAMBO IN SEATTLE (Kingmambo). Colonel John registered his first

triple-digit BRIS Speed rating (101) in the Travers, and it will be no surprise

to see those numbers keep increasing.

Following the Travers, Harty said he might train Colonel John up to the

Travers. He may want to reconsider. The bay colt was all-out to win the Sham S.

(G3) in a slow time earlier this year off a layoff, and he flopped in the Swaps

off a two-month hiatus. Invasor (Arg) is the only Classic winner to make his

last start in August in 24 runnings, so a recent prep race has proven extremely

valuable to most horses. Colonel John's connections will risk sending out a

short horse without one.

It was a tough beat for Mambo in Seattle, who was floated extremely wide off

the far turn and lost the bob by the slimmest of nose margins. He definitely

looks like an up-and-coming colt for Neil Howard, winning the Henry Walton S.

two starts back in his stakes debut, but his two big races this summer have come

at Saratoga. Let's see him run well in his next start elsewhere. It may prove to

be a false comparison, but Grasshopper (Dixie Union) followed a similar pattern

last summer and has never run back to his superb runner-up effort in the 2007

Travers. Mambo in Seattle has compiled a 3-2-0 mark in his last five starts.

Zito strikes again -- ANAK NAKAL (Victory Gallop) captured last year's

Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs, but he brought weak credentials

into the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G2) on Labor Day, recording a dead-heat

third and five unplaced finishes in six starts in 2008. The one thing he had

going for him is Nick Zito, who knows how to prep a three-year-old for an upset,

doing so already this year in the Belmont S. (G1), Fountain of Youth S. (G2) and

Long Branch S.

Anak Nakal rallied from far back to reach contention in midstretch and wore

down ACAI (Three Wonders) in the final strides to win by a neck. He received a

commendable 105 Speed rating, but the quality of the Pennsylvania Derby field

leaves a lot to be desired. Runner-up Acai, lightly respected enough to be part

of a three-horse mutuel field, might turn out to be a good horse down the road,

but he had just broken his maiden two starts previously. Anak Nakal's

connections collected the $532,000 winner's share, so it was a very good victory

in that respect, but it won't be surprising to see him regress next time.

Marathoners -- The inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Marathon

will take place one race after this year's Classic, and the three "Win and

You're In" races for the 1 1/2-mile event have already been contested.

DELIGHTFUL KISS (Kissin Kris), winner of last year's Ohio Derby (G2) and Iowa

Derby, locked up the final automatic bid with his 1 1/4-length victory in

Saturday's Turfway Park Fall Championship S. (G3). Rating far back during the

early stages over Turfway's Polytrack, the Pete Anderson-trained gelding rapidly

closed ground through the far turn and stormed to the front at the top of the stretch,

opening up a clear advantage while easily holding runner-up Star Plus (Arg)

(Alpha Plus) and third-placer Dominican (El Corredor) at bay to the wire.

Unplaced in three previous efforts, the gray registered a 102 Speed rating for

his synthetic track debut.

ZAPPA (Afternoon Deelites) wrapped up his berth with a 6 1/4-length,

wire-to-wire romp in the Cougar II H. at Del Mar on July 30. Trained by John

Sadler, the Grade 2-winning gelding finished a respectable fourth in the Pacific

Classic last out and looks like the one to beat presently in the Marathon.

EVENING ATTIRE (Black Tie Affair [Ire]) earned a spot with an 8 1/4-length

score in the Greenwood Cup S. at Philadelphia Park, but the 10-year-old gelding

probably won't make the trip out West for Pat Kelly. Evening Attire has never

raced over a synthetic track, and Kelly always gets the veteran cranked up for

the winter events over Aqueduct's inner track.

Other Marathon contenders include Grade 3 winner FAIRBANKS (Giant's

Causeway), a 5 3/4-length winner of the Duke of Magenta S. at Saratoga most

recently; four-time stakes victor BARCOLA (Old Trieste), who finished 10th in

the Pacific Classic last out but was third in the Stephen Foster behind

Curlin; stakes winner and Duke of Magenta runner-up ANGLIANA (Giant's Causeway);

and Grade 2-winning veteran BIG BOOSTER (Accelerator).

One horse who won't be competing in the Marathon is Delosvientos (Siphon

[Brz]), winner of the 1 1/2-mile Brooklyn H. (G2) and 1 1/2-mile Fit to Fight S.

earlier this season. Owner/trainer Giuseppe Iadisernia doesn't run his horses on

Saturdays due to his religion.

Horizon -- We'll take a look next time at the likely fields for the

big races on September 27 and recap Big Brown's Monmouth S.