Curlin, the 2007 Horse of the Year, will make his grass debut Saturday in the 1 3/8-mile Man o'War Stakes at Belmont Park after a licensing issue was resolved.
The New York State Racing and Wagering Board will issue a license to the receiver representing the minority ownership interest in Curlin. Stonestreet Stables, which owns 80 percent of Curlin, is already licensed in New York, but Midnight Cry Stables, which owns the other 20 percent, has faced ongoing legal problems since late last year that have complicated its eligibility for licensing in many jurisdictions, but it got the OK.
Midnight Cry Stables is owned by Lexington lawyers William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr., who are currently in jail as they await a retrial in a case alleging that they defrauded their clients in a 2002 settlement with the manufacturer of the diet-drug combination fen-phen.
The Man o' War would be Curlin's first race on the turf. Trainer Steve Asmussen said if Curlin runs and performs well, he will ship to Saratoga before shipping to France for a possible start in the Prix Foy, a race on the grass at Longchamp, as a prep for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France on Oct. 5, also at Longchamp.
"I think the Arc is one of the greatest races in the world," Asmussen said, "and we want to establish Curlin as one of the greatest horses in the world."
No American-based horse has won the 1 1/2-mile Arc, Europe's most prestigious event. Among those who failed were Tom Rolfe, sixth in 1965, and Carry Back, 10th in 1962. A victory by Curlin, who has won nine of 12 starts on dirt, would place him among the best of all time. But first Curlin must perform Saturday."We do expect a Curlin race Saturday, but there are questions out there. We don't want to kid ourselves about his turf form if we're going to try the Arc. I think we're going to get a gauge of his turf ability, but even if all goes well, we'll still have a lot to do," Asmussen said.
Asmussen chose the 1 3/8th-mile Man o'War over Saturday's Arlington Park Handicap at Arlington Park near Chicago, in part because the lure of stiff competition. Curlin should get it against a field that will include former Breeders' Cup Turf winners Better Talk Now and Red Rocks.
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