By Alan Carasso
A little more than 10 years ago, Curlin outfought favored Lawyer Ron (Langfuhr) by a neck to win the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park before wrapping up the first of his two Horse of the Year titles with a smashing success through sloppy conditions in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park. Donegal Racing and Calumet Farm's Keen Ice (Curlin) will look to follow in his sire's considerable hoofprints as the class of the field in the 10-furlong test that serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for this year's Classic in four weeks' time.
Conqueror of Triple Crown and future Breeders' Cup Classic hero American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the 2015 GI Travers S., Keen Ice–himself bred like Curlin–was switched to the barn of Todd Pletcher following the 2016 G1 Dubai World Cup and managed a distant third to Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) at Santa Anita last fall. The handsome bay was snapping a 10-race skid dating back to the Travers when taking down the colors of Shaman Ghost (Ghostzapper) in a paceless renewal of this track's GII Suburban H. in July and exits a never-nearer second to Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Whitney S. Aug. 5.
“We're looking forward to getting him back at a mile and a quarter,” said Pletcher, who has finished second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup on five occasions and is still looking for his first win in the race. “He's been training well and we hope he can give us the same kind of effort he did in the Suburban.”
Pletcher will also be represented by Rally Cry (Uncle Mo), who thrashed lesser rivals in the Aug. 6 Alydar S. and was no closer than 10 1/4 lengths behind Gun Runner in the GI Woodward S. Sept. 2. The third of the Pletcher entrants is Destin (Giant's Causeway), who took an excruciating defeat in last year's GI Belmont S. and most recently got back to winning ways with a battling allowance score at Saratoga Aug. 23.
Should Keen Ice falter, 'TDN Rising Star' Diversify (Bellamy Road) could prove that he's this good while making his graded-stakes debut. Winner of six from nine lifetime, the bay has proved far too tough for his fellow New York-breds with daylight and big-figure wins in the Saginaw S. and Evan Shipman S. in his two most recent runs. The waters are much deeper and the barn is eager to see how he matches up.
“He was so impressive in his last start and he seems to be gaining confidence as his career has progressed so we feel he's deserved an opportunity to see what he can do against open company,” said Rick Violette Jr., who trains the 4-year-old for Ralph and Lauren Evans.
Curlin and Summer Bird (Birdstone, 2009) are the two most recent sophomores to win the Gold Cup, and trainer Doug O'Neill sends in Pavel (Creative Cause) to try elder stakes competition. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' off a romping Santa Anita debut July 1, he was only beaten a little more than five lengths by Good Samaritan (Harlan's Holiday) in the GII Jim Dandy S. and overwhelmed his peers by a half-dozen lengths in the GIII Smarty Jones S. at Parx Sept. 4. Is he up to the task? O'Neill sees that glass as half-full.
“You like to keep them in their own age group obviously as long as you can, but we thought it was a good opportunity,” he said. “We like the spacing to this race and we know it's going to be the toughest race of his short career, but we really feel timing-wise, he's coming into it in great shape. Hopefully he can make that leap.”
Highland Sky (Sky Mesa) has raced exclusively on the turf in his career, and while he is bred to handle the main track, he is the deserved outsider in the field.
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