Curlin to Retire
This year has been marked with a number of memorable horses being retired for various reasons, in all the different sectors of the horse racing industry. Names such as Benny the Bull, Big Brown, Heatseeker, Lava Man and Peppers Pride will be missed and their performances long remembered. Their retirement was surrounded by a sense of loss for many racing enthusiasts. The latest name to join the list of retired horses for this year, has many fans wishing they could turn back time to see him running a few more times, but the time has come for Curlin to hang up his racing shoes and move to the slower paced world of breeding.
The magnificent Curlin was foaled on 25 March 2004 and was sired by Smart Strike, and out of the mare Sherriff’s Deputy. He was named after a slave, Charles Curlin, who was a soldier in the Confederate Army and the majority of Curlin is owned by Jess Jackson. During his spectacular horse racing career, Curlin has earned more than $10 million and has won top racing events such as the Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby, Preakness Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2007. He won the Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2007 and 2008, as well as finding victories in the Jaguar Trophy Handicap, Dubai World Cup, Stephen Foster Handicap and Woodward Stakes in 2008. In 2007, he was also given a Timeform Rating of 134 and received the American Champion 3Year Old Male Horse, Co-World Champion 3Year Old and the American Horse of the Year awards.
Jess Jackson recently announced that Curlin had done everything ever asked of him, and that he feels fortunate to have been able to be at his side for more than twenty months. He believes that there is nothing left for Curlin to prove, and it is therefore highly unlikely that Curlin will run again this year. If the right racing event and purse comes along, they will consider running him one last time, so Curlin has remained in training. But from next year, he will no longer grace the various racing events with his presence. No definite stud arrangements have been made for Curlin, as Jackson will wait to revise stud offers. Jackson will also be breeding Curlin to twenty of his own mares as he wants Curlin to contribute his durability, speed and stamina to the thoroughbred breeding industry. He left the media with these words: “He’s had a stellar racing career. I think he’s one of the top 10 horses since 1900. How he rates versus others – it’s not merely about statistics.”
