No horse in the first 12 Dubai World Cups won from post 12, which is where Curlin got stuck for Saturday's 1 1/4-mile international battle at Nad al Sheba Racecourse. His morning-line odds are 3-5 and probably will be lower at post time, so not many bettors will be opposing him. I can't play him at that price, but doubting Curlin last year was depressing for skeptics.
The massive chestnut colt broke all the rules, winning the Preakness in only his fifth start after not racing as a 2-year-old and not making his debut until February. After coming within a head of taking the Belmont Stakes, he was a distant third in the Haskell before returning in triumph in the fall. Victories in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders' Cup Classic led to a landslide vote for Horse of the Year. The $3.6 million winner's share in the World Cup would raise his earnings above $8.8 million, well within striking distance of Cigar's all-time record of $9,999,815.
He's training well in Dubai, where he's spent the past month and won a prep under wraps against a ridiculously overmatched field.
"He has so much power, so much ability," Robby Albarado said. "Riding him the last time, that's probably the most confident I've been on a horse in a long time. Not many horses like him. In Dubai, it felt like I was galloping him, and he was a second off the track record. And he's a good stick horse, too. When you're whipping him, he really excels. I feel like if I had hit him a few times, he might have won by 10 or 15 lengths. But that wasn't our goal, which was to get him around a new racetrack and get him ready for this weekend."
Rarely do I root for odds-on favorites, but I'll be pulling for Curlin on Saturday. The fact that such a superstar is in training at 4 and not at stud is a major highlight.
"I think Curlin means a lot to racing," Albarado said. "Everyone needs a star in racing, and if Curlin could continue his streak, he'll establish his fan base like no one's had in years."
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