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.

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.

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.

Big Brown had his fourth workout last week since finishing last the Belmont Stakes. He ran five furlongs in 59 1/5 and looked fit in preparation for the 141st Haskell Invitational on August 3rd. He worked out with an older horse named True Dancer and blew pass him in workout, looking to be back in the form we saw in the first two jewels of the Triple Crown.

“He worked awesome” said owner Michael Iavarone. “Michelle broke him a length behind True Dancer. She said she drafted him in behind him True Dancer and he sat there nice and quiet. When she took him to the outside at the three-eighths pole he absolutely blew by the other horse (by five lengths), and she couldn’t even pull him up after the work. We’re over the moon. He’s right on course and hasn’t missed a beat. The 3rd can’t come soon enough.”

Get all your Breeders’ Cup odds here!

Curlin had his debut on the turf surface at the Man O’War Stakes, but he fell short in his late drive and finished second to 2006 Breeders’ Cup Turf Champion Red Rocks. It was Curlin’s first loss in six starts, but his good showing should be enough for trainer Steve Asmussen to continue to prepare him for the Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe at Longschamps Racecourse in Paris on Sunday, October 5.

Curlin should rebound from the loss without any problems. He finished second in his first attempt on the turf, and once he gets used to the surface he should be dominant again. Placing in the Man O’War should not be looked at as a loss, just a stepping stone towards mastering the turf. If Curlin has shown anything, it’s that he has stamina and longevity. One second-place finish on a new surface does not mean he’s done.

Get all your Breeders’ Cup odds here.

The Breeders’ Cup has increased the number of graded stakes races where a winning horse gets automatic entry into the corresponding Breeders’ Cup Race. The Breeders’ Cup Challenge is a list of sanctioned races where the horses get an undisputed chance for entry into the $25.5 million Breeders’ Cup World Championships, to be held October 24-25 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., which will be televised live on ESPN and ABC.

Previously, horses were chosen for the Breeders’ Cup based on a point system earned in graded stakes races throughout the year, and via selection by racing experts. They have added four more races to the list from last season, bringing the total to 17 races with “win and you’re in” opportunities. Added are the Greenwood Cup at Philadelphia Park, Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar, Turfway Park Fall Championship (G3) at Turfway Park, and Tiznow Stakes at Louisiana Downs.

Curlin (shown here) is headed to Paris; will Big Brown join him?

As soon as Big Brown finished last at the Belmont Stakes, the attention of horse racing fans turned to the Breeders’ Cup and a potential showdown with Curlin. But that dream matchup fizzled when Curlin trainer Steve Asmussen said he was contemplating moving the 2007 Eclipse winner onto turf for a crack at the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The futures market has responded by posting odds of –350 that the two thoroughbreds will not race each other in 2008. Still, the allure of a potential Big Brown-Curlin matchup is too potent to pass up for some observers. ESPN’s Bill Finley has an interesting solution: Send Big Brown to Paris.

Finley makes some sense. Big Brown’s reputation took a major hit at the Belmont, loose shoe or not. Beating Curlin on grass at one of the most important events in Europe would restore that reputation – not to mention make a whole pile of money.