Ride On Curlin Rewards Optimistic Connections

Ride On Curlin with trainer Billy Gowan at Belmont Park. (Photo by NYRA/Chelsea Durand)
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
ELMONT, N.Y. - Owners and trainers search endlessly for the perfect horse. They comb through thousands of pages of sales catalogues, seeking clues in bloodlines. They study a young horse’s action as he breezes one furlong before sales. They look for textbook conformation. They have their veterinarians thoroughly review each racing prospect.
One of the ironies of a sport that never fails to fascinate is that the imperfect horse is sometimes the one that runs fastest and stays soundest. Ride On Curlin, the unlikely runner-up to California Chrome in the Preakness, is the perfect example of the imperfect horse that proves appearances can be deceiving.
His feet point in. His knees are offset, meaning they are not anatomically correct. Suffice it to say he was not the prettiest sight when he went up for auction as a yearling at Keeneland’s September sale in 2012.
“A lot of people won’t even touch that kind,” said Billy Gowan, the trainer who purchased him for $25,000. “But it doesn’t bother me.”
As the son of a veterinarian and later as an understudy to Jack Van Berg and Bill Mott, two Hall of Fame trainers, Gowan learned what flaws can be tolerated and which must cause a horse to be dismissed. He is so thankful he did not dismiss Ride On Curlin, who looms as a top challenger when California Chrome attempts to become the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
Despite his obvious flaws, the son of Curlin has very much lived up to his pedigree as a son of the Horse of the Year in 2007 and 2008. As a 2-year-old, he set a track record of 1:03 for five-and-one-half furlongs at Ellis Park in western Kentucky in a 7 ¾-length rout for jockey Calvin Borel in his second career start, prompting an offer in excess of $1 million. Owner Daniel Dougherty wisely refused.
The bay colt has been a model of consistency, breaking through to the top three in 9 of 11 career starts. He owns two wins, three second-place finishes and has been third in four other instances. His earnings: $714,687.
RIDE ON CURLIN (red cap) WAS THE CLOSEST HORSE TO CALIFORNIA CHROME IN THE PREAKNESS

Dougherty gives Gowan much of the credit for the horse’s progress. “I think he can train with anybody,” he said. “I’ve had people say, ‘Why don’t you get a bigger name trainer?’ I don’t need one. I like Billy.”
Gowan, 49, is easy to root for. He is not a big-name trainer with a far-flung operation that includes so many horses he can barely count them. He has four horses and is as hands-on with them as he can be. He exercised his horses until a year ago, when arthritic hands got the best of him. It is not uncommon to see him or his wife, Tracy, mucking the stalls. Up close and personal is the way they like it.
“It makes you know them a bit better seeing them every day,” Tracy said.
For all of the 3-year-old’s potential for infirmities, Gowan likes what he sees every morning. “This horse has been really sound,” he said. “His legs are cold and tight every day. That’s what makes him easy to train.”
Gowan went on, “Every morning he’s ready to go to work. He can take a lot of work. None of these races knocked him off his feet or anything. He wants more.”
Proof of that was the decision to work him seven furlongs last Sunday at Belmont Park in his only major workout for the mile-and-a-half Belmont Stakes. He was timed in 1:28.03. He also drilled seven furlongs before the Kentucky Derby. He finished seventh there after an extremely difficult trip.
With the memory of Ride On Curlin’s powerful rally in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness still vivid, Tracy believes Saturday may be a special time for their family. They have two daughters: Janet Kay, 13, and Alicia, 12.
“It’s just like destiny,” she said. “This horse held himself together and never missed a beat. He never missed an oat. You can tell he’s special. He’s got all of the qualities of a champion.”