Curlin will make his next start in the Grade I Woodward at Saratoga on Saturday, August 30. It is over 1,800 metres and on dirt. Jess Jackson, majority owner of Curlin, addressed a press conference on Tuesday. “We felt it was best for him to race on a surface where he’s already a champion and at a place where he can add to his legend. Saratoga is a historic venue.”

No mention was made of any commitments after August 30. Curlin goes back to dirt and that effectively takes him out of the Arc at Longchamp on October 5. A race at Santa Anita, where the Breeders’ Cup races will be held in October, also is unlikely. Curlin has never raced on a synthetic surface.

Post positions will be drawn on Wednesday at 11 AM at Arlington Park on Wednesday for the three big races on Saturday, August 9. A field of ten is expected in the Grade I Arlington Million. The other races, both Group I events, are the Beverly D and the Secretariart Stakes. All three races will be run on the grass.

Archipenko, likely to play the role of the favourite in the Million, worked at Arlington Park on Tuesday. He covered 1,400 metres in 1 39 with Kevin Shea aboard. Shea hails from South Africa and has won twice with Archipenko. The first win came at Hong Kong in April and the second came at Ascot. Mike De Kock trains Archipenko.

Jockey Shea was pleased. “Everything was good this morning. He is not the greatest worker and this morning, I think the blinkers (on) gave him a little more, but he’s a different horse on race day. He always shows up then.”

Big Brown was the 10-2 on favourite in the Grade I Haskell Invitational on Sunday at Monmouth Park. The Boundary colt justified the favouritism but the victory came after several anxious moments. The pace-setting Coal Play kicked away for what looked like a winning lead early in the stretch. Big Brown took a while to find his best stride and quickened spiritedly in the final 200 metres to edge ahead and win by a length and three quarters. The time was 1 48.31 for the 1800-metre race on dirt.

A sum of $4,257,409 was bet on the Haskell and the handle for the day was $17,642,954. Big Brown returned $2.40.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux praised his mount’s resolve. “He found a new gear and kept sticking his neck out. I knew he was going to get there. At the top of the stretch, Coal Play took off but Big Brown took off after him.”

Big Brown, winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness this year, has won six races from seven starts. He has earned $3,314,500.

Mike Iavarone, Vice President of IAEA stables, a syndicate that owns Big Brown, referred to Big Brown’s courage. “I thought we were in trouble with 200 metres left. He showed his heart and courage. This was another dimension. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is our goal.”

On Sunday at Del Mar, Black Mamba, Garrett Gomez up, came away victorious in the $400,000 John C Mabee handicap. Black Mamba, a five year-old mare by Black Minnaloushe, saved ground, found room when a rival to her outside retreated and accelerated willingly to gain the edge. A 9-10 favourite, Black Mamba, trained by John Sadler, ran the 1,800 metres on grass in 1 47.11.

Jockey Garrett Gomez said, “I was hoping that he (Mike Smith, rider of pace-setting Passified) would take a couple of feet off the fence. He did not and we almost clipped heels with Passified. To my right, Aaron Gryder on Solva, ran out of horse and I got some daylight. She was a little bit handy and that’s what makes a Grade I horse.”

Zenayatta took her win streak to seven on Saturday. She rallied off the pace to win the Grade II Clement L Hirsch drawing away. A Street Cry filly, Zenyatta is now seven for seven and rated the best filly in North America. Mike Smith rode Zenyatta who was the 124-pound highweight. Her earnings stand at $914,580. She paid $3.20 and clocked 1 41.48 for 1700 metres on the polytrack.

Jockey Smith stated, “I think it’s great for the sport that we have one like her. She’s such a great, big target. They all rode to beat her but it was fair and square. She is classy.”

Zappa, ridden by Garrett Gomez and trained by John Sadler, gained a berth in the $500,000 BC Marathon at Santa Anita on Octover 25, by winning the Cougar II handicap at Del Mar on July 30. The Cougar II was a 2400-metre race. The BC Marathon is also over 2,400 metres.

On Saturday at Saratoga, Indian Blessing won the $250,000 Test Stakes in decisive fashion. John Velasquez rode. It was a seven-length win and Indian Blessing was winning her fourth Grade I race. The 1400-metre race was run in 1 23.70.

Winning trainer Bob Baffert talked about his filly’s running style. “She’s gotten better. We have found a new dimension. She now knows how to relax. She can be held up. She reminds me of two great fillies I trained, Silverbulletday and Chilukki.”

The Arlington Oaks on Saturday, August 2, went to Sky Mom. Ramsey Zimmerman rode the Steve Asmussen-trained filly to a narrow win over Dreaming Of Liz who attempted to make it all. The Arlington Oaks is a Grade III race worth $100,000. Sky Mom, a three year-old filly, is by Maria’s Mon.

On Saturday, at Goodwood in Chichester, England, John Murtagh ended the ‘Glorious Goodwood’ meeting with eight winners. Jockey Murtagh connected with Jukebox Jury at 14-1. His other win came in a  Group I event. Murtagh and Halfway To Heaven, a 5-1 chance trained by Aidan O’Brien, won in a four-way photo. Halfway To Heaven, winner of the Irish 100 Guineas at the Curragh, beat Lush Lashes by a head. The latter almost overcame a trouble-filled trip. Passage Of Time ran on to be third another head behind. A neck behind Passage Of Time was Heaven Sent.

Trainer O’Brien was not present at Goodwood. Halfway to Heaven was giving O’Brien his 17th Group I win this year.

John Murtagh won three races at Naas on Monday. It was a 13-1 treble. On Tuesday at Gowran Park, Murtagh had one winner. He comes over to Chicago to ride Mount Nelson and Plan on Saturday, August 9.

Goldikova won the Prix Rothschild beating Darjina and Natagora in France at week’s end and Freddie Head, the winning trainer, expressed his intention to take his filly to the US for a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup. Olivier Peslier rode Goldikova.

Ascot hosts the Shergar jockey challenge on Saturday. Frankie Dettori will join Hayley Turner and Seb Sanders in the English team. Ireland will be represented by Jamie Spencer, Richard Hughes and Kevin Maning. Gerald Mosse, Mirco Demuro and Halis Karatas will represent Europe. The Rest of the World Team will consist of Yutaka Take, Russell Baze and Jorge Ricardo.

A biograhy of Kieren Fallon, written by Andrew Longmore, has been withdrawn. It was put in the market last week. There is a factual inaccuracy. Necessary corrections will be made and the book will be reintroduced.

Silvestre de Sousa won with the 11-1 Parisian Pyramid at Goodwood on August 2. D Nicholls is the trainer. Silvestre rode with considerable success in India in 2007-08.