Curlin, Horse of the Year and Eclipse Award winner in 2007, leaves New Orelans in Louisiana on Friday morning on the first leg of his trip to Dubai. The first stop is Miami in Florida. After spending Friday night in Florida, Curlin will be put on a plane Saturday and he will be Dubai-bound where he will arrive mid-morning on Sunday. Is Curlin a world traveller or what!

The preparatory race will be on February 28 and the objective will be the $6,000,000 World Cup on March 29, 2008. Curlin, considered the world’s best horse, will be accompanied by Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. Curlin is strongly fancied to win the world’s richest horse race.

On Tuesday at Fair Grounds where he has been stabled since his win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in late October, Curlin worked 1,400 metres and clocked 1 23.6 seconds. He completed 1,600 metres in 1 37.4 seconds. The track was not fast. Scott Bilasi who supervised Curlin’s workout, was pleased beyond measure. “Only an extraordinary horse can do what Curlin did. We needed a solid gallop in him before leaving for Dubai.”

Steve Asmussen was laconic. “He worked like Curlin.”

Here is what is happening to The Green Monkey, the yearling that was bought for 16 million dollars. The Coolmore group outbid the Godolphin team. A Forestry colt out of Magical Masquerade, an Unbridled mare, The Green Monkey could not win in three outings and has been retired to stud. He was third in his debut in September. He finished fourth in a race in October. On November 21, he was fourth at Hollywood Park in his finale.

No fee has been set. I do not know if The Green Monkey is the most expensive maiden to be sent to stud. A 200-metre spurt in 9.4 seconds caused a furore and influenced the bidding.

On the other hand, consider the case of John Henry. He could have been bought for $25,000. The venerable gelding won the Arlington Million twice and many other stakes races.

Seattle Slew, the 1977 US Triple Crown champion, was a $37,000 purchase. He turned out to be a world beater and has been a successful stallion.

Kieren Fallon has appealed to the highest level in the French racing hierarchy. Any punishment longer than months provides for such an appeal. A body called ‘commission superieure’ will hear Fallon’s case. It will consist of three racing experts. Henri Pouret, Secretary to the French Stewards, confirmed the filing of an appeal and called it the same as going to the House Of Lords in Britain. At this time, it is not known when Fallon’s (final) appeal will be heard.

Ascot in England has confirmed that Russell Baze and Jorge Ricardo will be at the Berkshire Race Course to take part in an international competition for jockeys. The date is August 9 and the event is called the ‘Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.’

Baze and Ricardo will represent the Rest of the World and will be joined by Yutaka Take, the Japanese legend with the most victories in Japanese racing history. There will be teams from Britain, Ireland and Europe.

The UAE 2000 Guineas will be contested at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday. There are sixteen runners and it is a 1600-metre race on dirt. Saeed Bin Suroor saddles three runners with Etched being the best fancied. Etched is quoted at 16-1 for the Kentucky Derby.

Trainer Mike De Kock sends out three horses. They are Honour Devil, Ablaan and Royal Vintage.

The first book for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks future wagers is closed. ‘All others’ closed at 3-1. Pyro, after his sizzling win in the Risen Star Stakes, is down to 5-1. War Pass, the Breeders’ Cup hero, is held at 6-1. The total is $439,379 and half of that was bet in the final six hours.

The Oaks pool closed with $65,219. Indian Blessing is at 4-1. Country Star is at 9-2. The ‘all others’ category was at 5-1. The second future pool will run from March 6 thru March 9.

War Pass will make his sophomore debut in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park late in February. The Cherokee run colt, unbeaten in five career starts, worked 800 metres in 47.6 seconds earlier this week at the Palm Meadows Training Center. Trainer Nick Zito, expressed satisfaction. “We are happy about everything at this point. He worked well and it is all on schedule.”