Majority owner Jess Jackson said Curlin , who repeated as Horse of the Year when the Eclipse Awards were announced Jan. 26, is among the industry's greats. Jackson also said Curlin wants to run competitively, even though he is now at stud at Lane’s End Farm.
“It’s no mean feat to win two Eclipse Awards for Horse of the Year,” Jackson said. “We took on everyone on all tracks in all conditions, and I think he proved he deserves the honor. I’ve always believed he’s a true champion. He’s now one of the greats of the industry. … This is an honor beyond the dreams of somebody who dreamed that he would someday own a champion race horse when I saw Seabiscuit run in 1938.”
| Curlin Slide Show | |||
 Celebrating the career of 2-time Horse of the Year Curlin |
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“Curlin still wants to run,” Jackson continued, while accepting the Horse of the Year award at the Eclipse dinner in Miami. “He’s running around the ice-hardened floor of his Lane’s End paddock, and when he goes into the stable he gets depressed. He doesn’t know what he’s up for. I think he’s going to be very pleased.”
Curlin’s 2008 victories included the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I), Stephen Foster Handicap, the Woodward Stakes and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Santa Anita’s synthetic surface, the only out-of-the-money finish in his career.
Trainer Steve Asmussen, whose Eclipse Award as leading trainer was boosted by Curlin’s success, paid tribute to the champion.
“Thank you, Curlin,” Asmussen said. “What a special horse. … We simply got out of his way.”