Ride On Curlin Returns a Winner at Oaklawn

Daniel Dougherty's Ride On Curlin returned to the races in winning fashion Jan. 15, taking a six-furlong second-level allowance at Oaklawn Park by a head in his season debut .

The 4-year-old son of Curlin   made his 2015 debut and first start since being eased in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) last June with a good late-closing effort after breaking a step slow. He rallied from eighth at the half-mile mark under jockey Jon Court to just get up in the final sixteenth of a mile.

Ride On Curlin passed pacesetter Ali's Birthday while improving his record to 3-3-4 from 13 starts for earnings of $751,287. He returned $4, $3.20, and $2.60 across the board as the even-money favorite in a field of 11.

After being eased in the Belmont, Ride On Curlin was freshened before returning to training in late October. The Belmont was part of a grueling seven-race campaign in the first half of 2014 for the bay colt, who also ran second in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and Arkansas Derby (gr. I), third in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) and Southwest Stakes (gr. III), and seventh in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

Ride On Curlin began 2014 by winning an entry-level allowance sprint at Oaklawn. In his second career start as a 2-year-old, he ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03 to set a track record at Ellis Park in Kentucky.

Gowan, a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg, said Ride On Curlin has flourished physically.

"Going from 3 to 4, he should grow," Gowan said. "And he did. He grew a lot. When I turned him out, he just really filled out."

The allowance victory should set up Ride On Curlin for a return to stakes action in either the $100,000 Essex Handicap Feb. 14 or the $250,000 Razorback Handicap (gr. III) March 14. The major spring target, Gowan said, is the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) April 11.

"The ultimate goal is to win a grade I with him," Gowan said. "That's what I would really like to do. Just one step at a time."