OCEANPORT, N.J. — Bring on Curlin! That’s all the owners of Big Brown want in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Big Brown put another exclamation point on a magnificent 3-year-old season and set up a potential showdown against last year’s horse of the year with a courageous front-running victory over older horses in the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park.
“I can’t wait to run against Curlin,” Big Brown co-owner Michael Iavarone said. “If he’s gonna show up, he should show up in the Breeders’ Cup. That’s where we are going to be. That would be a great place for us to run against each other.”
Curlin is set to run in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont on Sept. 27, but majority owner Jess Jackson has not committed to running the 4-year-old in The Breeders’ Cup on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita in California.
Big Brown was impressive in his final tuneup for thoroughbred racing’s richest race in North America.
The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner simply refused to lose.
The colt opened a big early lead and then held off a determined stretch challenge by Proudinsky to win by a neck.
Big Brown covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.41 in returning to the grass for the second time in his career.
Big Brown paid $3.20, $2.60 and $2.20 as the 3-5 favorite in the field of nine. Proudinsky paid $3 and $2.40, while Shakis finished third $2.80 for show.
