Curlin clocked a time of 1:01.80 in an effortless five-furlong breeze over the fast Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course.
Partnered by regular exercise rider Carlos Rosas, clockers caught Curlin, who worked in company inside stablemate Hawaii Calls, covering the first three furlongs in :37 4/5 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:14 4/5.
The four-year-old son of Smart Strike, owned by Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Stables, will have one more move before he attempts to break Cigar's all-time money-winning record and become racing's first $10 million horse in the 90th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational at Belmont Park on Saturday week.
"Awesome," said assistant trainer Scott Blasi. "He's had a race (a victory in the Grade 1 Woodward on August 30) and with four weeks in between races, we're pretty much just trying to keep him happy."
"He went beautiful," said Rosas of Curlin." Nice and smooth, and he galloped out decent."
Curlin topped the list of 14 horses invited Saturday to the Jockey Club Gold Cup, including them 2002 winner Evening Attire, 2008 Whitney winner Commentator, 2008 Belmont Stakes winner Da' Tara, and 2008 Travers runner-up Mambo in Seattle.
