Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview.com

ARCADIA, Calif., — Everyone was saying before Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic that a horse would have to step up and run the race of his lifetime to beat reigning Horse of the Year Curlin. Raven’s Pass did just that and set a track record in the process.

Raven’s Pass winning time of 1:59.27 was more than a second faster than the old mark of 2:00.42 held by Heatseeker.

A crowd of more than 51,300 roared when the latch was sprung on the gate to release the 12 competitors on their mile-and-a-quarter journey. Casino Drive went immediately to the lead with Fairbanks giving chase. Duke of Marmalade settled in third with Go Between tracking him. Curlin had four horses beat in a 12-horse field at that point and they were Student Council, Raven’s Pass, Tiago and Champ Elysees.

Casino Drive and Victor Espinoza were intent on keeping the lead and had a short half-length on Fairbanks at the quarter- and half-mile in :23.77 and :47.60. Duke of Marmalade and Go Between still were stalking the lead pair at the three-eighths pole in 1:11.64.

Announcer Trevor Denman drew another cheer from the crowd when he said Curlin was making a move on the outside rounding the turn. Robby Albarado swung Curlin out into the seventh path and had gained the lead shortly past the quarter-pole, but Frankie Dettori and Raven’s Pass were lurching behind.

Henrythenavigator also was making a bid to Curlin’s inside and you could see that the 2008 champion was under pressure. Albarado was asking Curlin for all he had, but he could not hold off Raven’s Pass and then Henrythenavigator. After the first two got past, Albarado let up and Tiago got up at the wire to nip Curlin for third.

Raven’s Pass beat Henrythenavigator by one-and-three-quarter lengths, with the second three-quarters of a length in front of Tiago. Curlin was a short neck behind that. The order of finish after that was: Go Between, Colonel John, Smooth Air, Champ Elysees, Duke of Maramalade, Fairbanks, Student Council and Casino Drive faded to last.

Dettori, who had never ridden Raven’s Pass in a race before, was asked to describe the trip. “Basically, I rode him at Lingfield a week ago.  And he ran fantastic, like a champion of the world.  I’ve been on him a couple of mornings since he’s been here.  He’s just been handling these tracks so good that I was actually quite afraid that it was too good to be true.
 
“You know, we don’t have that many cups to worry about, it’s not a straightforward horse, just to keep him quiet in the parade, and he’s quite fine in the stalls.  The stalls have done a fantastic job.  That was our main concern that he would not boil over.
 
“The race itself, John said, Don’t worry, just find yourself a pitch, and once I got behind Curlin, I said that’s half the job done.  He’s going to take me there, and sure he did.
 
Then it was a worry moment for a split second when I asked him, would he pick up or would he falter on the distance, but he did pick up.  And the last furlong was a pretty long one, but I could feel that he was still galloping strong and millions of emotions went through my head.  When I crossed the line, I didn’t really know if it was true or a dream, just that fake reality.  But I realized straightaway it was true, and I’m delighted.”

John Gosden, trainer of Raven’s Pass, had nothing but praise for Curlin. “Curlin set the standard. Curlin set the benchmark. He’s a magnificent horse, and the way he won in the slop last year was superb. In Dubai, he was fantastic. He’s a great horse, and he’s still a great horse.

“But, you know, when you fight it’s like any champion. When you fight, you put the belts down on the ground. There’s always a chance the challenger can come on and catch you with the left hook, that’s all. Doesn’t change anything. Curlin still remains an extraordinary fantastic horse.”

Gosden also was asked what they’ll do with Raven’s Pass next. I think we just sit down and see whether the horse races next year. Whether he retires to stud. Those are decisions to be discussed with (owners) Princess Haya (of Jordan) and Sheikh Mohammed. And they will be done.  So it will be thought about all angles up and down. But as you race them again, you’ve got plenty of options, that’s for sure.”

Albarado couldn’t explain the loss but also had praise for Curlin.  “He ran well. Maybe he’s not a synthetic surface specialist.  I don’t know. He was paddling around. These horses (Raven’s Pass and Henrythenavigator) are great turf horses and it seemed like the synthetics played like a turf course. Raven’s Run is an exceptional horse that ran an exceptional time. Curlin’s been in that position turning for home, and he’s never lost.

 “I was content with where I was. Curlin did what he does – going by horses – and he made his run but got a little late in the stretch.  He ran hard. I can’t answer whether or not the surface had anything to do with it.    

“I’m disappointed he lost, but obviously he’s done enough for us and our careers. He’s the all-time American horse, so we can never knock him.”

 Trainer Steve Asmussen was more adamant about the reason for Curlin’s defeat. “It was a turf race. It absolutely was the Pro-Ride surface (that beat him). He ran his heart out and gave it all he had. He’s a great horse. He’s made over $10 million.”

Both the jockey, Victor Espinoza, and Nobutaka Tada (representative for trainer Kazuo Fujisawa, explained Casino Drive’s last-place finish.
Espinoza said. “He went real well. It was a nice pace.  Nobody wanted the lead, so I took it.  He was comfortable running on the lead but he just didn’t have it late.”

Tada said. “I talked to Mr. Fujisawa and he said it was a very tough race for a horse that young and inexperienced.”