US Horse of Year Curlin ready for World Cup bid

Dubai: American Horse of the Year and the world's top-rated horse still in training, Curlin, is set to make his eagerly-awaited reappearance at the Dubai International Racing Carnival this month, before a crack at the Dubai World Cup on March 29.

Trainer Steve Asmussen said he plans to ship Curlin to Dubai on February 15, with arrival the following morning.

Assistant trainer Scott Blasi, who has overseen some of Asmussen's previous Dubai runners on their trips to the UAE, will accompany Curlin.

If all goes well with the trip, Asmussen intends to prep the four-year-old son of Smart Strike in a 2,000-metre handicap on the dirt on February 28 at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse.

The month between that race and the $6million (Dh23 million) showpiece seems to fit Curlin's ideal pattern of accomplishment.

"I love the month between the races, Ã la the Jockey Club Gold Cup (Gr.1) and the (Breeders' Cup) Classic (Gr.1)," Asmussen said, referring to Curlin's final two victories of 2007.

"The quarantine stuff will be out of the way and he'll have a month to get ready for the big race.

Connections have accepted the challenge of meeting the best from around the globe in the hope of proving that their horse is the undisputed king of racing.

"We want exactly what the race stands for," Asmussen said. "That's how I hope that others will feel about him-that he's the best horse in the world. I want others to feel about him the same way I do."

Principal owner Jess Jackson agrees. He said: "It comes down to the fact Curlin has earned the chance to compete in the Dubai World Cup and has the opportunity to continue to make history as an international champion. The horse's greatest moments and best efforts may still lie ahead."

Curlin is set for a workout on Tuesday morning at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

When asked how the muscular chestnut is doing following a month of serious training, Asmussen laughed with delight.

"Like he's a deserved Horse of the Year," he said. "He's all that and a bag of peanuts."