Every year, the road to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships starts months before with a series of qualifying races that are known as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.
Just about the only thing Curlin did not do in his fabulous racing career was end “The Curse of Apollo.”
A horse who did not race at 2 had not won the Kentucky Derby since the aforementioned Apollo all the way back in 1882, and Curlin gave it the old college try to end the jinx that Triple Crown winner Justify eventually halted in 2018.
Curlin made his debut on Feb. 3, 2003 and then ran third three months later in the Kentucky Derby.
The final Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga delivered a memorable five days of competition featuring 18 graded stakes and more than $11 million in purses. Headlined by nine Grade 1 races across Friday June 5 and Saturday June 6, the festival produced significant movement on the Equibase leaderboard. From track-record performances to historic achievements, the week was packed with standout moments that reshaped the leaderboard as the summer racing season begins.
Each week, members of the national media vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.
