Jackson Says No to Big Brown Match Race

Michael Iavarone, co-president of IEAH Stables, said Aug. 26 that Jess Jackson, majority owner of Curlin, has turned down their offer to have a match race between Curlin and Big Brown.

Although Big Brown is scheduled to run in the Monmouth Stakes on grass on Sept. 13 and then the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) Oct. 25, Iavarone still wants to meet Curlin and said he would be willing to face him in the $500,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs Nov. 28, which would be four weeks after the Breeders’ Cup.

“I was hoping (Jackson) would accept the match race, but he turned us down,” Iavarone said. “We’re very disappointed. The date we were looking at for the match race was Nov. 29, and I didn’t realize that was the same weekend as the Clark (Nov. 28), so I’d run there. Churchill Downs could crank up the purse. We’re good to go, so we’ll see what happens.”

Jackson, who has not set any definitive schedule for Curlin after the Woodward, but could try for a second Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) victory, could not be reached in regard to the possibility of running in the Clark.