Okay, I'm not happy about Curlin being in Dubai, but what can you do. Maybe he can be a messenger for world peace as well the Eclipse Horse of the Year and 2007 Breeders Cup Classic Winner!
He arrived on February 17th and began training on February 20th. He's getting ready for the March 29th, Dubai World Cup, but his first race as a four year-old will be tomorrow at Nad Al Sheba racecourse in the $175,000 handicap race, the Jaguar Cup.
He is with his assistant trainer, Steve Biasi. In this photo, you see Curlin with his regular exercise rider, Carmen Rosas, and with Mr. Biasi leading on Poncho. He'll be ridden by his regular jockey, Robby Albarado. And he'll be carrying 132 pounts, 15 more pounds than his other 5 competitors. The distance is set at 1 1/4 miles, just like the Dubai World Cup.
So, this marks the first time that an American horse trained in Dubai for a major race, so I am sure they are very happy. Asmussen wants Curlin ready for the particular strains and newnesses of Dubai. Curlin lives in a barn all by himself in a quarantined area and he's close to a mosque, so he hears the morning prayers regularly (which must be nice). The sights, sounds, smells, everything is new to him. Even the breaking gates are much smaller than in the United States, and they expect him to stand in the paddocks an hour well before the race so people can see him, and he's got to walk very very close to the grandstands under big lights. So, that'll be a big experience for him too! He trains pretty much in solitude, unlike his life at the Fair Grounds, where not only is there lots of equine traffic, but there's always an odd chance that a horse will break free and run right at you (like what happened to Pyro at the Fair Grounds last week on February 18th).
His assistant trainer, Mr. Biasi, says, "Everybody thinks it's a big vacation, but it's the same hours. I get to the barn at 3:30am. We get there in the morning, I tie him to the wall just like at Fair Grounds, wash his poultice off, get a cup of coffee, and sit and wait to train him. I've kept him on the same schedule so he knows when things are going to happen. He gets his breakfast at 4am, gets his lunch the same time every day."
And really, whether you are the Eclipse Horse of the Year or you are Violet in Ohio, what more could you really want -- knowing exactly when and where the next meal is coming from!