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Curlin trainer targets
Arc triumph
Dubai World Cup winner Curlin is currently 16-1 to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
TRAINER Steve Asmussen has started planning for a possible crack at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe following Curlin's impressive return to action at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
The highest rated horse in the world, who followed up his Dubai World Cup win in the Stephen Foster Handicap at the weekend, will work on turf at Churchill Downs before Asmussen finds a suitable race on grass in North America next month.
Curlin is a 16-1 chance with Coralfor the Arc, a race which Asmussen and majority owner Jess Jackson have discussed as a target since his win in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic..
The trainer told the Blood Horse: "We've talked about it since last year, since the Classic and he put him back in training.
"If we don't like how he works on the turf, then we'll change plans and that will have to be discussed. But right now we're going to plan on working him on the turf, with the possibility of running him on the turf the weekend of the 12th."
Asmussen did not say if he had a particular race in mind for Curlin, but the Blood Horse reports that he would prefer a race over “an international style course” such as Arlington Park, Belmont Park or Woodbine.
Major turf races for older horses scheduled that weekend include the Grade 1 Man O' War over 1m 3f at Belmont Park and the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap over a furlong shorter at Arlington Park.
Were the champion to turn in a ‘Curlin-esque' performance, Asmussen said that the four-year-old would be shipped to France, with the Prix Foy a likely prep race for the October 5 contest.
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Coral: 9-2 Soldier Of Fortune, 6 New Approach, 7 Getaway, Zarkava, 10 TartanBearer, 12 Vision D'Etat, 14 Famous Name, Peeping Fawn, 16 Casual Conquest, Curlin, Duke Of Marmalade, 20 Sun Classique, Youmzain, 25 bar.
For what its worth my selection remains ZARKAVA.
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