Here are photos of Curlin, winning the $6 million Dubai World Cup yesterday, taken by AFP. And here's a picture of Sugar Swirl taken by Bob Coglianese for the Thoroughbred Times. Both these wonderful horses has a very big weekend.Curlin has been in Dubai for several weeks, preparing for this big race, which he won, according to the Daily Racing Form as a "Romp by Record Margin!" His jockey said that the stretch unfolded "in a blur." He won by 7 3/4 lengths, which is the largest in the 13 year history of this race. His trainer, Steve Asmussen, had his wife, three boys, and parents there to witness this major achievement. And he is excited to be training this number one horse in the world, as well as to have Pyro in his stable, aimed at the Kentucky Derby!
Curlin didn't even have froth on himself at the post parade and was cool as a suave American cucumber! Robby Albarado said of the race, "I couldn't even get him tired during this. I knew when I was going to ask him. As soon as he got into the stretch, straightened out, and switched leads, that's when I let him go." And when you watch the race, with him among 11 other horses, you can see that moment easily. He is wide on the track, he is moving calmly, and then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, he is running his own private race, just gliding past the other horses -- he seems to be superimposed at another speed over a slow field of horses which included Jalil by the way! In fact, it was fun to hear the announcer, during that race, because when Curlin won, he said into the desert air, "And for the Red, White and Blue corner, it's a victory by TKO!" That was cool!
Curlin flys home to Keeneland on April 6th!
Sugar Swirl ran at Gulfstream Park, in the G2 $170,000 Shirley Jones Handicap. In this victory by 5 1/2 lengths, she won the entire sweep in the sprint series for fillies and mares at Gulfstream, and posted her 4th victory in a row! She carried the highest weight at 124 pounds, which makes the achievement even more impressive. She's going to be headed to the Breeders' Cup Sprint for Fillies and Mares.
Her jockey, Jorge Castellano, said, "She was on her toes today. She broke well and settled behind the leaders. The three horses went to the lead and they looked like they wanted to kill each other. I had a lot of horse turning for home, so I swung out alongside of them to get out of their way because they went so fast early that sooner or later, I knew they would come back to me. I rode her with a lot of patience and a lot of confidence!"
What a good day for these fine horses -- safe travels to them as they continue their adventures this year!
