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Horse racing odds: Man o'War Stakes
By Jordan WaltersWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
| Horse Racing Betting at WagerWeb Racebook |
All the talk surround Saturday’s $500,000 Grade 1 Man o’War Stakes at Belmont Park is because of 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin.
It’s Curlin’s turf debut, and a strong performance in the 1 3/8-mile event will pave the way for a trip to Paris and a run in the Oct. 5 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. In addition, should Curlin win on Saturday, he would join Secretariat as the only reigning Horses of the Year to win the Man o' War in their first outing on the grass.
"The perfect plan for us -- for me, for Curlin and for everybody associated with him -- is to first establish his level of quality on the turf in the Man o' War, and not get ahead of ourselves," trainer Steve Asmussen said. "We have to see if he can compete at the same level. If he can compete at his level on the turf, and we get the race that we expect, we will map out how to win the Arc with him."
Curlin, the 3-5 morning line favorite, will face six other rivals, including four Grade I or Group I winners - Better Talk Now, Grand Couturier, Sudan and Red Rocks. Other starters include Mission Approved and True Cause. Better Talk Now (2004) and Red Rocks (2006) are former Breeders' Cup Turf winners.
Curlin’s handlers are hoping to surpass Cigar and become the sport's leading money winner by the end of the year. A win Saturday would give Curlin career earnings of $9,696.800, jumping him past Skip Away and into second place, only $303,015 behind Cigar's record $9,999,815.
They'd also like Curlin to become the first horse ever to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, Dubai World Cup and Arc de Triomphe.
"I think the horse's legacy to have won the Breeders' Club Classic over here and such a strong running to win the Dubai World Cup ... I think that international racing is going to be very strong in the future, and I want Curlin to be in the forefront of that movement," Asmussen said.
The chestnut colt has drawn the outside post 7 with regular rider Robby Albarado for Saturday’s race in New York. Curlin has won five races in a row, including four Grade 1 triumphs: the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont, the Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park, the Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba, and the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs.
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