Curlin put the finishing touches on the championship season with a stirring stretch run and splashed his way to victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park on Saturday. With jockey Robby Albarado at the reins, Curlin finished 4½ lengths ahead of Hard Spun, with long shot Awesome Gem third and Street Sense fourth.

Curlin's record speaks for itself: six wins, a narrow loss to the filly Rags to Riches in the Belmont Stakes and two thirds in nine races for earnings of $5.1 million.

The race – the final one in the first two-day, 11-race, $23 million Breeders' Cup – was marred in the final yards when European star George Washington broke down and was euthanized on the track. While Curlin and Albarado were crossing the finish line, George Washington was in distress after shattering his right front leg.

Jockey Mick Kinane was uninjured and held the reins as help moved in.

A screen was brought out on the track to prevent fans from watching, and the 4-year-old colt was put down at the request of trainer Aidan O’Brien.

“He had a fracture in his ankle and dislocated his ankle. That’s a hopeless injury,” said Larry Bramlage, the track’s on-call veterinarian. “The trainer requested that he immediately be euthanized.”

It was the second year in a row that the Breeders’ Cup was marred by a breakdown. Pine Island was euthanized and Fleet Indian sustained a career-ending injury in last year’s Distaff.

Curlin, a son of Smart Strike, covered the 1¼ miles in a fast 2:00.59 over a sloppy track and returned $10.80, $5.20 and $4.20. The track record is 2:00 2/5 set in 1962 by Carry Back.

Hard Spun, who came into the race off a win against Street Sense in the Kentucky Cup Classic, returned $7.60 and $5.80. Awesome Gem returned $9.40 to show.

For Street Sense, the loss was tough to take in the final race of his brilliant career.