Letter to Mr. Jackson

Attn: Jess Jackson

Re: Curlin, $10,246,800 and counting.

Dear Mr. Jackson,

First of all, I would like to thank you for running Curlin this year, instead of shipping him off to the breeding shed after one or two nice races for an obscene amount of money. Many of your counterparts don't seem to realize that there really isn't a need to breed racehorses if they don't actually... race. Seriously, how long will the industry survive when people buy two million dollar yearlings, run them three times at God knows what cost, earn $500,000 and ship them off to the breeding shed? Regardless of the profits from stud fees, it seems like the losses are going to catch up eventually.

But I digress. Because I do have a reason for writing this.
What I would like, more than anything in the world, is to see Curlin resoundingly kick Big Brown's three year old ass in the Classic. Don't get me wrong; I like Big Brown. I'll go so far as to say that I love Big Brown- the way he runs, his joy and the beauty of it all takes my breath away. The world needs horses like that. But we need horses like Curlin more, and we need owners like you to be the rule, not the exception.

Big Brown had hardly started his career before he was sold to Three Chimney's for an obscene amount of money for an untested three year old with bad feet and a so-so pedigree. Nothing against Boundary, but how many stakes winners has he produced? And do we really want to breed more unsound horses? Yes, Big Brown has continued to justify the hype with two very courageous wins this summer. Wouldn't it be nice to see him as a four year old, a year stronger, a year's more experience, a year's more competitive? Because no matter how good Curlin was at three, it is nothing, nothing compared to what he has been at four. But we'll never know how good Big Brown could have been, and by this time next year he'll most likely be a faded memory, gone the way of Street Sense, Empire Maker, Point Given and tons of others who were retired before their time in the name of the almighty dollar.

Yes, I do see the irony at scoffing the almighty dollar to someone who's horse just won over ten million dollars and the glory of overtaking Cigars record. But I think that the glory comes first to you, since you could have probably syndicated Curlin for four times that at the end of last year, instead of buying our partnerships to keep him running another year. And glory really is what it's all about in racing, isn't it? Those who don't understand will say that we use the horses for our own glory, but that isn't it, is it? It's the whirl of colors from the jockey's silks, the shining of the horses coats, the competitive snorts and the pounding of hooves. It's the stretching out of necks and thrusting of noses, desperation to cross the line first. I saw some amazing horses race yesterday, finishing in tight quarters, photo finishes and a couple of blowouts; it struck me that they were all doing it on their own, without even the flick of a whip. It's glory for the horses too, winning like that. The win is is their glory, green grass and sweet feed is their reward. For the horse lover, bearing witness and passing down the legacy of the untouchable horse for years to come is the real reward.
Watching Curlin race has been an absolute treat, and I will remember him forever for his class, determination and beauty, not just the record. You know what I will remember about Big Brown? That his trainer was a big headed, no-class detriment to his horse. Instead of basking in the excitement of his wins, I got to immediately hear his commentary about how every other horse, trainer, owner and jockey in the world sucks. HIS horse is the only good horse, HIS training methods are the only good ones and the rest of the world can go to hell. Kind of overshadows the horse's accomplishment, doesn't it? And it makes for a tarnished, soured memory.

So please, race Curlin against Big Brown. Let him kick some serious butt, and with the whole world watching, accept the trophy with the class and grace that all of Curlin's immediate connections have always shown. Congratulate the other horses, and wake everyone up to what can happen when you allow your horse to mature to his full potential, leave the trash talking at home and genuinely appreciate your horse for what he is right now, and not how much his foals will sell for. Racing needs the image of a classy champion with deserving connections; what it doesn't need is a champion whose connections are shady at best. Please, let Curlin put them all in their place.

After all, he could always race in the Japan Cup next year, right? ;)

Sincerely,
Alykat