Pricking his ears most of the way, WinStar Farm’s Well Armed strutted from start to finish in Saturday’s US$300,000 San Diego Handicap (Gr.2) at Del Mar, romping to a track record in his first race since a game third-place effort in the Dubai World Cup (Gr.1).

With Aaron Gryder aboard for trainer Eoin Harty, Well Armed glided through fractions of :23.29, :46.89 and 1:10.62 with only minor pressure from Argentine-bred group stakes winner Global Hunter.

Dispatching that rival coming into the stretch, Well Armed galloped to the finish line in 1:41.57, establishing a Del Mar mark for 1 1/16 miles on the Polytrack surface that was rated fast. He became the fifth member of this year’s American contingent to the Dubai World Cup program to have won a stakes in America following the trip to the Middle East.

“I was very confident with him today; I rode him that way,” Gryder said. “He's a free-flowing horse with a big stride and he was running easy with his ears pricked. It wasn't a matter of giving him a breather—he had a breather all the way.

“A horse like this makes my job easy,” he added. “He got freshened the right way (since racing in Dubai) and I was confident he'd come back running. I'm just happy I get to get on board one like him."

Surf Cat, winner of six Grade 2 races, rallied mildly from third to take second, 1 ¼ lengths behind Well Armed and 1 ¼ lengths in front of third-place closer Mostacolli Mort, who had dawdled last early in the ten-horse field. Rebellion, who was coming off consecutive graded stakes wins and was second favorite behind Well Armed, ran evenly to finish fifth.

Harty said Well Armed probably would be aimed next at Del Mar’s Pacific Classic Stakes (Gr.1) over 1 ¼ miles, the comparable distance to the Dubai World Cup’s 2,000 meters.

“Going the extra distance isn't optimal but I think he can do it physically. After all, he's by Tiznow,” Harty said, referring to the five-year-old gelding’s sire, the only two-time winner of the 1 ¼-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (Gr.1).

Harty and WinStar co-owner Bill Casner took their time with Well Armed after he fractured his pelvis following an unplaced finish in the 2006 UAE Derby (Gr.2) won by Discreet Cat. Casner handled much of the rehabilitation work himself, even riding the colt after he became physically able to handle the exercise.

In scoring the biggest victory of his career, Well Armed earned $180,000 and pushed his career bankroll over the million-dollar mark to $1,030,803. After beginning his career in England, where he won one of eight starts, Well Armed has scored in four of nine subsequent races and also set a track record at Hollywood Park last year for 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.88 over the Cushion Track.

Prior to the UAE Derby, Well Armed won a race during the 2006 Dubai International Racing Carnival while defeating eventual UAE Derby runner-up Testimony.

In other American racing action on Saturday, Barcola finished third in the $250,000 Greenwood Cup at Philadelphia Park won by Evening Attire. After setting the early pace, Barcola earned $27,500 for his effort, which marked his third in an American stakes since he competed in the Godolphin Mile (Gr.2) at Nad al Sheba on March 29.

Barcola won the Brandywine Stakes at Delaware Park prior to finishing a strong third behind Dubai World Cup winner Curlin in the Stephen Foster Handicap (Gr.1) at Churchill Downs in his two previous efforts. The five-year-old son of Old Trieste is owned by J. Paul Reddam and trained by Mark Hennig.

As it works quietly to regain the Japan Racing Association license lost last year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Darley Japan venture demonstrated its commitment to the country by supporting the Japan Racing Horse Association select sale.

With Darley bloodstock manager John Ferguson at the helm, Darley Japan bought seven foals during the two-day foal portion of the three-day sale this week, including four by leading Japanese sire Agnes Tachyon.

Last year, just months before Darley Japan lost the JRA license it had worked for nearly a decade to obtain when director Dr. Riki Takahashi stepped down, Darley bought no horses during the JRHA sale, which is Japan’s elite bloodstock market.

Although Darley officials did not want to say much about the sensitive process of regaining the JRA license, which might not be concluded until early 2010, they seemed to reveal their analysis of the licensing timetable by buying foals while eschewing yearlings.

Ferguson praised the foals offered by Japanese breeders.

“I’ve been impressed,” he said. “The standard here is as good as anywhere in the world.”

Topping Ferguson’s shopping list was a full sister to 2007 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner Vodka, who prior to her history-making defeat of classic colts had been Japan's champion juvenile filly. After finishing a good fourth in this year’s Dubai Duty Free (Gr.1), just 1 ¾ lengths behind winner Jay Peg, Vodka returned to Japan to defeat males in the prestigious Yasuda Kinen (Gr.1). Overall, she has won six of 15 career starts and earned US$5,201,677.

Vodka’s unweaned sister, by Japanese Derby winner Tanino Gimlet, has lasting value as an eventual broodmare for Darley, Ferguson noted. The bay filly was foaled on May 12 and was consigned by Country Farm.

Of the three colts and one filly by Agnes Tachyon acquired by Darley, the bay colt out of the stakes-placed Brian’s Time mare Time Will Tell led by price. Ferguson said that colt, consigned by Northern Farm, “is a very athletic horse and we’re pleased to have him.”

Although Darley did not buy any foals from the first crop of Japanese Triple Crown winner and two-time Horse of the Year Deep Impact, Ferguson said he was naturally attracted to the offspring of Agnes Tachyon because that son of Sunday Silence is establishing himself as currently the best stallion in Japan.

Among Ferguson’s other purchases was a bay colt by Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.1) winner and international champion Fantastic Light who is a half brother to Tanino Gimlet. Darley stands Fantastic Light at its stud in Japan, and the colt was consigned by Country Farm.

“He is probably the best Fantastic Light foal I have ever seen,” Ferguson said.

Darley also sold 16 yearlings and foals during the sale, with Ferguson saying the market, which suffered overall declines as Japan's economy struggles, “feels fair rather than stratospheric” in relation to past editions of the sale. He planned to return to Japan in about a week to attend another sale of yearlings and foals in Shizunai.

The first sons and daughters of Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.1) winner Heart’s Cry have more than held their own at the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) select sale of foals on Tuesday and Wednesday, generating average prices rivaling those by leading Japanese sire Agnes Tachyon.

“Buyers like the conformation of the Heart’s Cry foals,” said Teruya Yoshida, owner of Shadai Farm. “I am very happy with the way the foals are selling.”

Yoshida bred Heart’s Cry and oversaw his racing career, which extended from Japan to Dubai to Britain. Japan’s champion older horses in 2005 when he defeated Triple Crown winner Deep Impact in the Arima Kinen Grand Prix, Heart’s Cry ran away with the Dubai Sheema Classic, winning by 4 ¼ lengths over international campaigner Collier Hill.

Verifying his talent, Heart’s Cry finished just behind Hurricane Run and Dubai World Cup (Gr.1) winner Electrocutionist in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes (Gr.1) at Ascot Racecourse in England. During his three-year career, he earned US$8,054,175.

Through the middle of Wednesday, the second day of two-session JRHA foal sale at the Northern Horse Park on the island of Hokkaido, half of the eight unweaned foals sold by Heart’s Cry had drawn bids of more than $400,000.

Takaya Shimakawa, a natural foods entrepreneur who had purchased the top-priced horses in both foal sessions though mid-Wednesday, also snared the highest-selling of the Heart’s Cry foals, going to 74 million yen ($691,588) for a chestnut colt out of New Zealand 1000 Guineas (Gr.1) winner Final Destination, by O’Reilly. Consigned by Shadai Farm and sold on Tuesday, the colt is a half brother to stakes-placed winner Danon Muro.

Nobutaka Tada, a top Japanese bloodstock agent and racing manager for owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto, signed the 61 million yen ($580,952) ticket on Wednesday for a chestnut colt out of French Group 1 winner May Ball, by Cadeaux Genereux. That colt also was consigned by Shadai Farm.

Leading Japanese owner Riichi Kondo added a chestnut Heart’s Cry colt to his own stable when he paid 46 million yen ($438,095) for a son of multiple Japanese stakes-winning mare Northern Princess, by Northern Taste. Consigned by Northern Farm, the colt is from the immediate family of champion and classic winner Meisho Samson.

During Tuesday’s session, six foals by Heart’s Cry sold for a total of 228,500,000 yen ($2,135,511) and an average of 38,083,333 yen ($355,919). That average was only about $10,000 less than the average for the 21 foals sold that day by Agnes Tachyon, who is bidding to become the heir to Sunday Silence’s dominance as a sire with a large lead on the Japanese general sire list.

On Wednesday, the first two colts sold by Heart’s Cry each brought more than $430,000.

A seven-year-old, dark bay son of Sunday Silence, Heart's Cry stands at the Yoshida family's Shadai Stallion Station on Hokkaido.

In his first major test over grass, Dubai World Cup (Gr.1) winner Curlin finished second to 2006 Breeders’ Cup Turf (Gr.1) winner Red Rocks in Saturday’s Man o’ War Stakes (Gr.1) at Belmont Park.

But while the son of Smart Strike had his five-race win streak snapped, Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr.1) winner Benny the Bull streaked to his fifth consecutive victory when handily scoring in the Smile Sprint Handicap (Gr.2) at Calder Race Course.

Plans for Curlin, who had been ultimately aimed at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr.1) if he proved he could run at his best level on turf, now will be further considered.

“We just didn’t see that late kick from him today,” said majority owner Jess Jackson. “I don’t know if that was because he is still getting used to the turf or what. These are some of the things I will have to talk to (trainer) Steve (Asmussen) about. My feeling right now is that he needs another turf test. We know what he can do on dirt, and that is always an option.

“I’m disappointed, but this is not a setback,” he added. “And the horse that beat him is a very good horse, and I congratulate them on a great race.”

“We’ll just evaluate how he comes out of the race; I don’t want to rush to judgment,” Asmussen said. “He was a step slow coming out of the gate … I wasn’t surprised as he had the outside draw. We’ll just evaluate more thoroughly and we’ll monitor his condition.”

After hitting the side of the gate at the break, Curlin rated in fourth just behind Red Rocks as Mission Approved and Sudan set a respectable early pace. When Red Rocks went after the lead in the stretch, Curlin followed but did not have enough acceleration to catch the winner.

Red Rocks crossed the finish line two lengths in front, completing the 1 3/8 miles (about 2,200 meters) in 2:12.60. Curlin—who was made the heavy favorite despite the fact he had never raced on grass—finished a half-length in front of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Better Talk Now and ahead of Grade/Group 1 turf winners Sudan (fourth) and Grand Couturier (sixth) in the seven-horse field.

Meanwhile, Benny the Bull gave a trademark performance, rallying from next-to-last early to win the six-furlong Smile Sprint by two lengths over How’s Your Halo with Rockerfeller another length back in third.

Ridden by regular jockey Edgar Prado, Benny the Bull stopped the clock in 1:11.41. The winner’s share of the purse, US$238,080, pushed his career earnings to $2,221,630.

“He impresses me every time I ride him,” Prado said. “Today he broke pretty sharp and then he just kind of falls out of the race and makes me think he’s not getting a hold of the track. But that’s the way he runs, and when you let him wait and start to get after him, he just takes off. He seems like he is overcoming a lot to win, but he knows what he is doing and he finds a way to get there first and win.”

Benny the Bull’s major goal for the rest of 2008 will be the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Gr.1).

Buyers from around Japan will gather in Hokkaido in the coming days for the nation’s most important barometer of its bloodstock industry, the Japan Racing Horse Association select sale, which this year will feature the first foals by Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.1) winner Heart’s Cry as well as two-time Japanese Horse of the Year Deep Impact.

While Deep Impact is the star of the catalog with a near record 38 foals entered, Heart’s Cry also will have his chance for the spotlight. Fourteen foals by Heart’s Cry have been catalogued, including 11 colts, and so far the reviews have been positive.

“Heart’s Cry has produced a very fine line of foals in his first crop and they should sell well,” said Teruya Yoshida, JRHA vice chairman and owner of Shadai Farm, which has consigned three of the stallion’s colts, including a handsome chestnut son of New Zealand One Thousand Guineas (Gr.1) winner Final Destination, by O’Reilly.

Another of the Heart’s Cry colts sure to gain his share of attention is from the immediate family of Japanese champion Fusaichi Richard. Consigned by Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm, that colt is out of the French Deputy mare Peruvian Lily, a half sister to Fusiachi Richard’s multiple stakes-winning dam Fusaichi Airedale.

While many will be watching the Heart’s Cry foals with interest, the offspring of Triple Crown winner Deep Impact—who, like Heart’s Cry is a son of Japanese super stallion Sunday Silence—could determine the overall course of the sale. Highly anticipated, the Deep Impact foals will be carrying enormous expectations that Teruya Yoshida indicated might be difficult to meet as Japan deals with some economic blues.

“Many people are interested to see the Deep Impact foals with their own eyes, but we do not know their true response until the sale is held,” Yoshida said. “We do hope that it will be a vibrant sale but it should be too much to expect an exceptional success like last year with the declining economy. Results of all the training sales held this year prove that the market is slowing down and thus I would think this year would be a moderate year.”

While the sale begins on Monday with a yearling session, the Deep Impacts will not step into the ring until the first of two foal sessions on Tuesday. Overall, 336 foals were catalogued, along with 163 yearlings.

The number of Deep Impact offspring catalogued represents the second largest by a first-year stallion in JRHA sale history, behind only the 43 foals offered in 2006 from the first crop of Japanese Derby winner King Kamehameha. In that group was a filly out of Dubai World Cup (Gr.1) runner-up To the Victory that sold for a world record US$5,217,391.

Many horses that have performed superlatively on Dubai World Cup night over the years will have offspring in the catalog, including World Cup winners Singspiel, Moon Ballad, Roses in May and Street Cry.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Darley Japan has the only offspring of phenomenal young sire Street Cry in the catalog, a filly foal out of French stakes winner Green Lady, by Green Desert.

Roses in May has eight foals, including seven colts, up for sale, including a half-brother to Japanese champion Still in Love. Consigned by Shimokobe Farm, that bay colt is out of the Roberto mare Bradamante and also is from the family of Japanese Oaks winner Robe Decollete.

Meanwhile, Singspiel has two filly foals in the sale and three yearlings, including a colt out of the Danehill mare Josette who is from the family of Japanese champion Agnes Digital. Moon Ballad will be represented by a yearling filly out of the Sunday Silence mare Classical Taste and from the family of champion sprinter and sire Sakura Bakushin O.

Another highlight of the JRHA sale will be the first Japanese-bred foals by international champion and 2000 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Fantastic Light, who stands under the Darley banner. Darley has consigned a colt by the stallion out of Dubai Soprano, by Zafonic, who is a granddaughter of multiple champion and blue hen Glorious Song, producer of Singspiel and Fantastic Light’s sire, Rahy.

Only the nose of Stay Gold, another son of Sunday Silence, kept Fantastic Light from winning the Dubai Sheema Classic again in 2001. Stay Gold, who already has made a name for himself as the sire of Japanese champion juvenile Dream Journey, has five foals in the sale and two yearlings.

David Junior, impressive winner of the 2006 Dubai Duty Free (Gr.1), will make his debut at the sale, but with only one foal from his first crop catalogued. That colt, out of the Sunday Silence mare Triple Pirouette, is consigned by Darley Japan and is from the family of hard-knocking multiple stakes winner State Shinto. An English highweight in 1999 and winner of the Maktoum Challenge (Round I) (Gr.3) in 2004, State Shinto competed in a record four Dubai World Cups.

He proved he relished racing from the outside when he won the Dubai World Cup (Gr.1) by a record 7 ¾ lengths, and on Saturday, Curlin will get to once again break far from the rail as he competes on turf for the first time in the US$500,000 Man o’ War Stakes (Gr.1) at Belmont Park.

The world’s best horse as rated by the World Rankings Supervisory Committee, Curlin drew the seven post in the stellar seven-horse field that also features Breeders’ Cup Turf (Gr.1) winners Better Talk Now and Red Rocks as well as Grade 1 winner Grand Couturier and Italian Group 1 winner Sudan.

“It’s another great test for a great horse,” trainer Steve Asmussen said of Curlin. “It’s a big test that we have in front of us in the accomplishments of the field and who they are. It’s our first step on the turf and there are so many questions. But I can’t say enough about how proud we are to be involved with Curlin.”

Although trying the new surface over 1 3/8 miles (about 2,200 meters) will be demanding, Curlin got one break. He has been assigned 116 pounds, the co-lowest weight in the field and four pounds less than Better Talk Now, Grand Couturier and Sudan. That weight would be the lowest he has ever carried in his career.

If he shows he can run with elite horses on the grass as well as on the dirt, Curlin will be sent to France to compete in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr.1), which this year will boast a record purse equivalent to about $5.8 million, making it the richest turf race in the world. Asmussen has said the goal set by majority owner Jess Jackson is to prove Curlin’s superior quality.

His rivals on Saturday are sure to make him run for the money. Better Talk Now, who competed in the Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.1) in March, is coming off an unlucky fifth-place finish in the Manhattan Handicap (Gr.1) at Belmont on June 7, and the nine-year-old gelding won the Man o’ War in 2005.

“He just was unlucky and couldn’t get through,” trainer Graham Motion said of the Manhattan effort. “Since then, Better Talk Now has been doing great.

“We are very excited about being in this race,” he added. “This is like a throwback race, where you have good older horses competing. Better Talk Now has never ducked anyone and he is too old to start now. I am looking forward to running and hope that each horse runs his race. To me, this is very exciting. Not only do we face Curlin, but we get a chance at Red Rocks again for what he did to us in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2004, Better Talk now lost the 2006 edition of that race by only a half-length to Red Rocks.

Also in the field is Godolphin’s True Cause, a five-year-old son of Storm Cat bred by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Darley. A stakes winner in England, True Cause has placed in multiple graded stakes in the United States but is still seeking his first graded victory.

Dubai Golden Shaheen (Gr.1, sponsored by Gulf News) winner Benny the Bull could surpass US$2 million in earnings when he races in Saturday’s $400,000 Smile Sprint Handicap (Gr.2) at Calder Race Course.

But his task won’t be easy as he will have to give from seven to 13 pounds to eight rivals entered on Monday, including nine pounds to Man of Danger, who finished just a neck behind Benny the Bull in the True North Handicap (Gr.2) at Belmont Park on June 7.

Another tough competitor will be Indian Chant, who holds the Churchill Downs track record for the Smile distance of six furlongs (1200m) and who won the Aristides Stakes (Gr.3) at Churchill in his last start on May 31.

Yet no horse in the field comes close to having the kind of credentials possessed by Benny the Bull, who is the clear leader of America’s sprint division. A five-year-old by Lucky Lionel, Benny the Bull has won half his 16 starts and earned $1,983,550 while collecting two wins at the Grade/Group 1 level.

Regular jockey Edgar Prado, who piloted Benny the Bull in Dubai and in his True North win, will be back in the saddle on Saturday and will steer his mount out of post eight. Man of Danger will break from the rail under Eibar Coa, while Indian Chant will start from post three while carrying 117 pounds and Jamie Theriot.

Calder-based Rockerfeller, who has won two consecutive races at Calder, including the Ponche Handicap on June 14, also merits some consideration. Javier Santiago will ride the four-year-old gelding by Maria's Mon.

With his first start on turf slated for this weekend, Dubai World Cup (Gr.1, sponsored by Emirates) winner Curlin prepared on Monday with an easy half-mile (400m) workout on the main track at Churchill Downs, stopping the clock in :50.80 and galloping out five furlongs (1000m) in 1:05 with Carlos Rosas in the irons.

Trainer Steve Asmussen has said he wants Curlin to compete in Saturday’s US$500,000 Man o’ War Stakes (Gr.1) over 1 3/8 miles (2200m) at Belmont Park in a field likely to include two Breeders’ Cup Turf (Gr.1) winners in Red Rocks and Better Talk Now, who, respectively, competed in the 2007 and ’08 runnings of the Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr.1, sponsored by Nakheel). However, licensing issues involving Curlin’s minority owners still must be worked out before he can race in New York.

“We’re obviously very anxious about that,” said Asmussen, who has circled the Man o’ War over the $200,000 Arlington Park Handicap (Gr.3) at 1 1/4 miles (2000m) due to the strength of the competition expected at Belmont. The trainer and majority owner Jess Jackson want to send Curlin to France for Europe’s championship event, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr.1), in October if the colt proves he can handle grass as well as he does dirt and defeat top runners on the new surface.

“(The Man o’ War) is coming up fabulous,” Asmussen noted. “If you’re going to venture overseas, you don’t want to be kidding yourself about how good or bad you are on the turf.”

Assuming the ownership licensing issue is resolved, Curlin—who worked seven furlongs (1400m) on Churchill’s turf course in 1:31.20 last week—could be shipped to New York on Thursday for the Man o’ War. If all were to go well in that race, the son of Smart Strike could stay briefly in Asmussen’s barn at Saratoga Race Course before being sent on to France to train for the Arc at Chantilly.

“Hopefully (the first start on turf) goes well, and you’d train him back to make sure you’re okay,” Asmussen said. “You’re not going to start the process until you need to, but once you start the process it’ll be like a wedding date—it’ll be upon you before you know it.”

Curlin, America’s Horse of the Year for 2007, has won five consecutive races, rebounding from his record 7 3/4-length win in the Dubai World Cup to score a handy victory in the Stephen Foster Handicap (Gr.1) at Churchill on June 14. His connections have set the bar high for the son of Smart Strike, however, particularly considering that no American-based horse has ever won the Arc.

But that fact isn’t dulling Asmussen’s enthusiasm for the challenge. “He’s an awesome horse—I’m excited,” he said.

In his third start since the Dubai Duty Free (Gr.1), J. Paul Reddam’s Notional grabbed the lead at the top of the stretch in Saturday’s US$300,000 Salvator Mile Handicap (Gr.3) at Monmouth Park and edged away to win while earning a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in October.

A four-year-old colt by In Excess, Notional dawdled near the rear of the six-horse field early before rallying on the outside under jockey Joe Bravo, taking over from pacesetter and heavy favorite Gottcha Gold. He then had to dig deep to turn back a renewed effort from that rival, who is a multiple graded stakes winner, before extending his advantage to the wire.

Notional’s winning margin was 2 ¼ lengths over Gottcha Gold as he crossed the finish line in 1:35.84 on a track rated fast. Honest Man finished another 2 ¼ lengths back in third.

“I was sitting way off the pace early, and when I asked him, he went from about six or seven lengths back to right up with the leader. I thought I might have moved too soon, but luckily not,” Bravo said. “Gottcha Gold was battling back, but my horse put him away inside the sixteenth pole and ran on from there.”

Previously trained by Doug O’Neill in California, Notional—an American classic contender in 2007 after winning two graded Triple Crown preps and finishing second in the Florida Derby (Gr.1) before being sidelined by a fractured cannon bone—is currently conditioned by Mark Hennig.

“Mr. Reddam thought the artificial surface in California wasn’t suiting him well. He sent him to me in New York at the beginning of June,” Hennig said. “Doug and I talked about him. He was frustrated out there. He didn’t know if he could attribute it to the surface or his injury after the Florida Derby. Doug and I worked together well—it was an East-West attack.”

Hennig also trains Barcola for Reddam. That five-year-old son of Old Trieste won the Brandywine Stakes at Delaware Park and finished a good third to Dubai World Cup (Gr.1) winner Curlin in the Stephen Foster Handicap (Gr.1) at Churchill Downs since competing in the Godolphin Mile (Gr.2).

In scoring his fourth win in 11 career starts, with all those victories coming on dirt, Notional earned $180,000 and increased his bankroll to $695,740. He earned the Breeders’ Cup berth because the Salvator Mile is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.

With regular jockey Robby Albarado in the irons, Dubai World Cup (Gr.1) winner Curlin worked on the Churchill Downs turf course on Tuesday, earning an enthusiastic approval from trainer Steve Asmussen that means the colt will continue on a path toward the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr.1).

Curlin completed his seven-furlong drill on firm turf in 1:31.20 while going around the “dogs” set up to protect the inner part of the course. After starting behind stablemate Hawaii Calls, Curlin passed that colt at the end of the move, finishing his final quarter in :24.20 and his last furlong in :12.20.

“We were very pleased with how he looked,” Asmussen said. “The main thing is that Robby loved how he felt.”

“I was more nervous working him this morning than I was riding him in the (Stephen) Foster (Handicap) (Gr.1)—that’s the honest truth,” Albarado said. “It’s his first time on turf and it’s an exciting time for all of us.

“He was as fluid as always. He’s got a great way of moving and he covers a lot of ground and I felt like this morning was no different,” Albarado declared. “His initial steps on the turf were like he knew where he was the whole time. He’s a horse who’s very smart now and he’s very aware of his surroundings, and this morning he felt great.”

Curlin scored an emphatic victory in the Stephen Foster Handicap on June 14 in his first start since capturing the Dubai World Cup. Since he passed his turf workout test, Curlin now is being targeted for a grass racing debut in either the US$500,000 Man o’ War Stakes (Gr.1) at 1 3/8 miles at Belmont Park or the $200,000 Arlington Handicap (Gr.3) over 1 ¼ miles at Arlington Park; both races are set for July 12.

If Curlin performs well while racing on turf, he could be sent to France to prepare for the Arc, which this year will be the world’s richest race on grass. No American-based horse has won Europe’s championship contest.

“The perfect plan for us—for me, for Curlin and for everybody associated with him—is to first establish his level of quality on the turf with his next race and not get ahead of ourselves,” Asmussen said. “We have to see if he can compete at the same level—a nice work is not a graded stake. If he can compete at his level on the turf and we get the race that we expect, we will map out how to win the Arc with him. I think that getting him over there immediately and getting him used to going right (on clockwise turns) would be the biggest obstacle that we face. I think if we establish that he’s as good a horse on the turf as he is on the dirt, then we get him over there and get him relaxed, comfortable and confident and doing right.”

Asmussen explained that he wanted Albarado in the saddle for the workout, rather than Curlin’s regular exercise rider Carlos Rosas, in order to get the jockey’s perception of how the big chestnut felt over the new surface. Rosas got a close-up view while aboard Hawaii Calls.

“Everybody was very pleased with how (Curlin) handled it,” Asmussen said. “He is blowing off of this move, but seven-eighths in 1:31-and-change around the dogs here is a very good move. I thought that he (galloped) out exceptional, as always. One thing that I really liked about it is when he went on the turf course and jogged off, he kept that presence about him—there was no caution, no worry. He was very confident and very relaxed behind that horse. He paced him well and didn’t get aggressive, like he was unsure of what he was supposed to do. I thought he picked him up very smoothly. When he got to him, head and head, he was a little aggressive again, which is what you expect from him at that stage.”