Go, Jackson

Oh, impetuous Dutrow, you trash talked the wrong guy:

LEXINGTON, KY (August 13, 2008) - Jess Jackson, majority owner of Curlin, 2007 Horse of the Year, invites Big Brown to race Curlin in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York on Saturday, August 30, 2008. Jackson has committed to donate $50,000 from the Jackson Curlin for Kids Fund to the non-profit Belmont Child Care Association, Anna House, if Big Brown, winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Haskell and Florida Derby, accepts the invitation.
"Big Brown's camp recent remarks about Curlin inspired me to offer an incentive to get these two great horses to race at the legendary track at the Spa," said Jackson. "Both horses are eligible for this race and both have plenty of time to prepare for what would be thoroughbred racing at its very best and in the name of a great cause." ...
"This type of competition between horses is exactly what thoroughbred racing needs -- an event that introduces the excitement and competition of racing to a broader audience," Jackson said. "Imagine Horse of the Year Curlin racing against Derby Winner Big Brown, on a legendary track. I would love it, the fans would love it, and the horses would love it."

That would be fun (and a terrific way to close Saratoga), but don't expect IEAH to announce any change in plans for Big Brown. Michael Iavarone has said they're looking for a mid-September grass race (possibly an overnight stakes written by NYRA specifically for the Kentucky Derby winner, in which he would likely face a small field of overmatched allowance horses) and pointing to the Breeders' Cup Classic afterwards.

Update: And in fact, the Classic figures in the IEAH reply:

When told of the offer, Mike Iavarone, co-president of IEAH Stables, replied, "I have a better offer. We'll donate $250,000 to various charities if Curlin meets us in the Breeders' Cup. These are the things we do anyway. We strongly feel that championships should be decided at the Breeders' Cup and that in order to give both horses the proper time to prepare for each other, we believe the race we meet in should be on racing's biggest stage."

Unfortunately, Iavarone doesn't stop talking there.

The bizarre back and forth continues: Now Jackson says, meet us in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Last word: No way, says Iavarone, jokingly proposing a 3-on-3 basketball game to settle the matter instead.

Posted by JC, Aug 13, 2008 10:40 AM

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Comments

There's so much that I don't like about this that I don't even know where to start...

Posted by Teresa, Aug 13, 2008 11:51 AM

Really? It seems a sporting reply to the crass comments of another (Jackson's invitation, that is, not Iavarone's response, which seems the opposite).

Posted by Jessica, Aug 13, 2008 12:13 PM

Jackson didn't need to have his ear to the track to know that BB was never going to run in the Woodward. Seems rather odd that he would offer this incentive when it's been pretty well documented that BB would not be running again until mid-September.

The hilarious thing to me is the idea that Curlin and BB meet in the Classic and then both get beat by some west coast synth freak or euro grass runner. I'd actually say there's a serious shot of that happening.

Then what will we say about synths? The BC? Curlin? BB?

Posted by o_crunk, Aug 13, 2008 12:47 PM

Although Henrythenavigator will get the moniker of "Euro grass runner" he is much better than that. He is the best horse in training in the world right now, and if he runs in the Classic against Big Brown and Curlin I may have to make the largest win bet of my life on him.

Posted by Eddie D., Aug 13, 2008 05:09 PM

Henrythenavigator might be the best horse to show up for the Classic, and his presence will significantly up my interest in that race ...

It's amazing how quickly this Jackson/IEAH exchange has gone from sort of fun to really distasteful.

Posted by Jessica, Aug 14, 2008 08:02 AM

Why does the term "largest win bet of my life" continue to arise so frequently?

If you think this "dialogue" has been repugnant, you clearly haven't waded in the muddied streams of professional boxing that I have swam. I'm use to and sort of like the shots across the bow. Old Jess is clearly a grisled lion in winter delighting in his virile display, getting under the skin of what he perceives as the uppity young scumbos who soil the game with their drugs and lack of class. Iavarone is a cool enough cat not to go down easy. Watching rich people call constant attention to their own charitable giving is sad, needy, tasteless and ultimately comical, and a fitting example of the presumptuousness of the wealthy. How fine to be a member of that club!

Posted by John S., Aug 14, 2008 09:14 AM

I'm too dainty for the boxing world.

The Eclipse voters among us might think differently, o_crunk, but I suspect the BC Classic will not settle the older horse/HOTY titles, unless Big Brown and Curlin both enter and one of them wins. Since that seems unlikely, we probably have a vigorous end of the year debate to look forward to ...

Posted by Jessica, Aug 14, 2008 11:23 AM

I've seen those jocks play basketball, and it's decision Desormeaux.

Probably take Iavarone over Jackson.

Dutrow vs. Asmussen? Not touching that one...

Posted by Teresa, Aug 14, 2008 12:25 PM

According to the where the money goes Curlin would not be such a huge favorite to BB in a BC Classic meeting.

Curlin: -165 (5/2 all action on the BC Classic - you'd have to be a fool)
BB: +125 (6/1 all action in the BC Classic)

Best bet may be to load up on 1/2 for NO MEETING in 2008 between these two. Is there such thing as free money?

All action in BC Classic for Henrythenavigator is 9/2. Would you all in on that horse as 4.5 to 1 win the classic now? I'll take your action on that!

Best value - Student Council 33-1.

Worst value - Harlem Rocker 16-1.

Posted by o_crunk, Aug 14, 2008 12:46 PM

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