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The 2008 Breeder's Cup: A Foreign Game

Cinch Magazine, J.L. Orchard

Although it is quite rare for a horse to win the elusive Breeders' Cup Classic twice, Curlin is going to try. After having won the Breeders' Cup in 2007 and having been titled Horse of the Year in 2007, Curlin had expected to match against the popular three-year-old Big Brown in the 2008-Cup. Due to recent injury, Big Brown will not run and Curlin is left to, instead of facing Big Brown, which seemed to be the greater inquest, will now go against the world. No big deal anymore?

Think again. With record 180 horses worldwide pre-entered into the Breeders' Cup on Thursday, Curlin will have his work cut out for him. He will go head to head with thirty-five of the world's toughest thoroughbreds on October 25^th. 

To add to the threat will be Japan's Casino Drive. The horse that some expected to bring the upset for the 2008 Belmont Stakes against Big Brown ended up missing that race entirely due to injury. But with a 3-for-3 winning streak, including a win on synthetic, which the Classic will be run on, Casion Drive might be the horse to sack Curlin. Curlin has not raced on synthetic and finished second to Red Rocks in his only career turf race.

 Another foreign dignitary will be the winner of five consecutive European Group 1 (equivalent to America's Grade 1) races, Duke of Marmalade. Along with the Irish-bred Duke to challenge Curlin will be Raven's Pass, the prized horse of the Jordan Princess, Princess Haya. Raven's Pass defeated Henrythenavigator, who has won four races this year and plans to show for the Classic, on Henrythenavigator's homeland by winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, England.

The hometowner, Curlin, nearly skipped the Breeders' Cup Classic entirely due to his owner's concerns over the synthetic surface, his definite decision given the day of Big Brown's injury. But with those concerns still in the air, Curlin must fight his way to a second win in the Breeders' Cup Classic which he won last year, defeating his Preakness Stakes adversary, Hard Spun for the second time.

Curlin's trainer, Steve Asmussen, summed up the international field by saying, "there is a lot out there. It is horse racing, and it is going to be extremely competitive." Competitive, but not as crowd pleasing as it might have been when Big Brown was still on the card. The race has lost much of its spark since Big Brown's recent injury and any hope for a great American match race is gone. Now the "grand stage," Asmussen had referred to when speaking of the Saturday's field, seems a little less grand.

Curlin still has a lot to go for. He has already surpassed one of champion racehorse Cigar's records, why not another? After winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, New York, for his second year in a row, Curlin became the richest money earner in history with over $10 million to his name, surpassing Cigar's $9.99million. Now he has a chance to become Horse of the Year for the second year in a row. Something no horse has done since Cigar in 1995 and 1996.

Now, can Curlin defend his title against the world?

No matter what the outcome is of the 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic I think this race will be remembered by who didn't run…that match race between War Admiral and Seabiscuit that never happened.