1. It’s the best horses from the whole year competing against each other.

2. You might see Big Brown win the Breeders’ Cup Classic and his 7th win in 8 starts.

3. You might see Curlin beat Big Brown in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

4. You may see improving horse Colonel John beat both Big Brown and Curlin in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

5. You’ll get to see which horse will win the Eclipse Award for the Horse of the Year.

6. You’ll get to see foreign horses race on North American soil for the first time.

7. You’ll get to watch all five female horse races run on Friday, October 24.

8. The Breeders’ Cup has grown and improved every year.

9. For three straight years ESPN will do coverage of the races.

10. There is more betting info on these races than on any other ones all year.

Everyone’s talking about Curlin, but what about Colonel John?

The early word on Colonel John was very promising. In his first six starts he was 4-2-0, with an impressive win in the Santa Anita Derby. But his next two races were unimpressive with only one show. Many had felt that he was done competing at the top level until he won the Travers Stakes against a good field last month. The win in the Travers gets him into the Breeders’ Cup Classic, perhaps at a time when he’s at his best.

He certainly has a chance against an obviously-fading Big Brown and the older Curlin. Big Brown has not raced on a synthetic track, and Colonel John will be racing at home. Colonel John had a rough trip to Kentucky for the Derby, and he should be more relaxed at the Breeders’ Cup. Colonel John may or may not run another race before October, we’ll have to see.

Big Brown has to be the big favorite for this year’s Eclipse Award.

The Horse of the Year competition looks like it could be a one-horse race this year. Big Brown has won six or his seven starts, and will certainly win Horse of the Year honors if he can win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. But which other horses are in the running?

Curlin could certainly repeat as Horse of the Year if he’s able to beat Big Brown, and the rest of the field, at the Breeders’ Cup Classic in October. It would be the first back-to-back win of that title since Cigar did it in 1995 and ‘96.

Outside shots for Horse of the Year would go to either Colonel John or Benny the Bull. Colonel John is coming off a win at the Travers Invitational, and Benny the Bull has won his last five starts. Another longshot would be Proud Spell, who has four wins on the year.

I think it’s a forgone conclusion that Curlin will be the heavy favorite at the Woodward Stakes on August 30. His short lived experiment on turf seems to be finished, at least for the time being, and now that he’s back on a dirt surface we can expect to see the horse that won the Dubai World Cup and the Stephen Foster Handicap.

Curlin should be at least a 2/1 favorite against the small field at the Woodward. Nito Zito seems to think that Wanderin Boy may have a chance against Curlin because of a weight advantage, but I wouldn’t bet against Curlin showing up and taking charge of the race. Last Wednesday, Timeform of England ranked Curlin as the best horse in the world, which will only improve his odds. Jesse Jackson is racing him in the Woodward to “add to his legacy”, and fully expects him to win.

The gloves are on!

Although a Breeders’ Cup matchup between Curlin and Big Brown still hasn’t been confirmed, the trainers and owners of both respective thoroughbreds have been involved in a duel ever since Big Brown won the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth.

Big Brown’s trainer Rick Dutrow threw the first punch last week, saying that his horse was way better than Curlin. Then Curlin’s owner Jesse Jackson this week dared Dutrow to put his money where his mouth is by accepting an invitation to enter Big Brown in the August 30th Woodward Handicap at Saratoga. If Big Brown’s camp were to accept the invite, Jackson said he’d donate $50,000 to Anna House, the Belmont Park child-care facility for backstretch workers.

“Dutrow’s recent remarks about Curlin inspired me to offer to get these two great horses to race at the Spa,” Jackson said. “Imagine Curlin against Big Brown on a legendary track ? It would be thoroughbred racing at its very best and in the name of a great cause.”

Alas, Michael Iavarone, co-president of IEAH Stables and co-owner of Big Brown, turned down Jackson’s offer and then threw in a counter offer. “The day of the Woodward, we’re challenging them on the basketball court at Saratoga,” the Massapequa resident said. “It’ll be three-on-three: me, Rick and Kent Desormeaux against Jackson, Steve Asmussen and Robby Albarado.” (Read the rest of this story here.)

It would be a shame if neither horse ran in the Breeders’ Cup, but watching the two champions compete in the same race would make for some must-see TV.

Thinking about betting on the Breeders’ Cup? Get all your Breeders’ Cup odds here.

Does Big Brown still have enough left to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic this October? He has a record of six wins in seven starts, wining most of those races with ease against the best thoroughbreds in the world. He’s coming off a heroic win at the Haskell Invitational, but when one considers the field he faced it wasn’t an impressive victory at all.

If 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin returns to defend his Breeders’ Cup Classic title, Big Brown’s chances diminish greatly. It’s still unknown if Curlin will run in the Classic, Jess Jackson may run him in the Breeders’ Cup Turf or in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on October 5 in Paris.

Big Brown does not seem like the horse that dominated his first five starts. Does he have another big race in him against a top field? I wouldn’t bet on it.

Rick Dutrow should learn to keep his big yap shut. Following Big Brown’s win on Sunday at the Haskell Invitational, the mouthy trainer went looking for a fight and he may have found one with Curlin’s owner Jesse Jackson. Seems Dutrow figures his horse to be the better horse — by a long shot — and he ain’t afraid to defend his opinion.

“Curlin couldn’t win the Derby, we could,” said Dutrow. “Curlin couldn’t win the Haskell. We could. Curlin got beat by a filly. We haven’t. Our horse is undefeated on grass. Curlin isn’t. I don’t know why people think Curlin is such a good horse. We’re way better than Curlin.”

Them’s fighting words, right? Well, Jackson had this to say about Dutrow after he caught wind of what was being said about his prized thoroughbred:

“I think it’s bad for racing to have trash talk,” Jackson said. “To run down another guy’s horse, I don’t think it’s right. It demeans the industry. I’d like to meet Big Brown, preferably on the dirt, which is each one’s best surface, but I think they’re considering retiring Big Brown before we have a chance to meet him.”

At this point it is not known what Big Brown’s next race will be, but it’s looking like Curlin will make his next start in the 1 1/8-mile grade I Woodward Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 30.

Big Brown made his return Sunday in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park with a 1 3/4 length win over a field of six weak rivals. His performance was not the dominant one we got used to in his earlier races, but the win gets him into the $5 Million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on October 25th.

Neither trainer Rick Dutrow nor co-owner Michael Iavarone was willing to commit to Big Brown’s next race. “I think right now Rick will evaluate him and we’ll plan a sensible campaign,” said Iavarone. “The Breeders’ Cup Classic is the ultimate goal.”

Big Brown bounded out of the gate, then relinquished the lead to Cool Coal in the backstretch. Only in the final 100 yards did Big Brown respond to Kent Desormeaux and close the gap for the victory. He improves to six wins in seven starts, and earnings of $3.3 million.

Big Brown Gets Big Win

Although he appeared to be struggling during the opening stretch, Big Brown rebounded big time to win the $1 Million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in New Jersey on Sunday with a winning time of 1:48 1/5. Coal Play came in second while Cool Coal Man finished in third.

A crowd of around 44,000 was on hand to see Big Brown make his triumphant return to the track. In his last race, Big Brown was the favorite to win the Belmont Stakes and become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years. But rather than win the race — Big Brown finished dead last.

That was not to be the case today.

This time around Kent Desormeaux did not pull back on the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner — he instead pushed the horse to make a late run for the finish line.

Here are the Haskell Invitational race results.
Horse Win Place Show
4 Big Brown 2.40 2.10 2.10
6 Coal Play 8.00 4.20
2 Cool Coal Man 2.80

And get all your Breeders’ Cup bets here.

Big Brown looking very shiny and very happy.

According to Big Brown’s trainer, Rick Dutrow, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner looks as good as ever going into Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. (At press time, Big Brown is the 1-2 favorite.)

“From what happened in his last start, it’s kind of hard for me to feel as confident as I was for the Derby, but I feel as confident as I can be that he’s going to go out there and run his race,” Dutrow said. “Except for his last start, he’s done everything that you would want a horse to do.”

Big Brown’s last start was the Belmont Stakes. The celebrated colt was guaranteed to win (by Dutrow) but ended up placing dead last. Going into Sunday’s race, Big Brown doesn’t appear to be suffering from any kind of injury — no cracked hoof — and he looks happy.

“If everything goes perfect, I’d like to breeze him on Friday (at Aqueduct) and ship down to Monmouth on Saturday,” Dutrow said. “He looks amazing. He’s shiny, he’s happy. He looks as good as he always has.”

Following this weekend’s Haskell Invitational is another huge goal: the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita.