Owner Jess Jackson reported Tuesday that Curlin’s next race will be on a 1 1/8-mile dirt course in the Gr. 1 $500,000 Woodward Stakes on Aug. 30 in Saratoga for 3-year-olds and up. The $1 million Gr. 1 Pacific Classic Stakes and the $1 million Gr. 1 Arlington Million Stakes had also been under consideration. Jackson has also said that Curlin will not run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October as originally planned. He did not, however, rule out a matchup between Curlin and Big Brown, winner of Sunday’s Haskell Invitational, at the 2008 Breeders’ Cup, saying a meeting between the two was "still in the options."

Of Big Brown, Jackson said: "We don't have anything to prove, he does. We like him, he's a great horse; it would be good for racing to have them together. We're not avoiding him, we're just doing what's right for Curlin."

The 2007 Horse of the Year has been breezing well on the Oklahoma Training Track. Trainer Steve Asmussen was pleased with Curlin's latest clocking of 1 minute and 2.72 seconds over five furlongs, saying: "I thought he looked tremendous… He jogged off very comfortable. He went around as smooth as glass and galloped out real strong."

Curlin’s loss in the Man o’War has been the only blip in a stellar string of performances that include wins in the Stephen Foster Handicap (Gr. 1), a handicap race at the Dubai World Cup and the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic (Gr. 1).

How will Curlin fare on the dirt at the Woodward? Get all your online horse betting in the Bodog Racebook today.

Archipenko breezed seven furlongs on Arlington’s turf course yesterday, and kicked up the pace in the last quarter to clock 27 with his regular jockey Kevin Shea aboard

Archipenko is owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and Dr. A.H. Parker and was quite impressive in his last two starts in Hong Kong’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup last April 27 and Great Britain’s  Group II Summer Mile Stakes on July 12 at Ascot.

Other horses expected to start this Saturday at Arlington Park are: Mount Nelson, Spirit One, Einstein, Stream Cat, Silverfoot, Out of Control, Sudan and Cosmonaut.

Head over to the Bodog Racebook for all your horse betting needs.

"We condsidered many options," Jackson stated, "but, this is the best place to display his talent. He is very happy [in Saratoga]."

Jackson said two other races were in the running: the $1 million Pacific Classic on Sunday, August 24 at Del Mar and this week's Arlington Million on the turf.

Curlin's last race was on turf in the Man o'War at Belmont Park where he was defeated by Red Rocks.

How will Curlin fare on the dirt at the Woodward? Get all your online horse betting in the Bodog Racebook today.

But racing aficionados won’t overlook some high class international stakes coming up at Chicago’s Arlington Park on Arlington Million Day, Aug. 9. The prestigious Midwest day of racing has traditionally attracted some of Europe’s finest competitors as the overseas season winds down and the lucrative Breeders’ Cup looms larger on the horizon.

No less than 13 top performers from England, Ireland, France and Italy have nominated to this year’s three premiere turf events, the Gr. 1 Arlington Million Handicap for older horses at 1 ¼ miles on the turf, the Gr. 1 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds over the same course and the Gr. 1 Beverly D. Handicap, for the distaff set over 1 3/16 miles of Arlington lawn.

Of the six foreigners nominated, the two biggest European stars named for the Million, Group 1 heroes Mount Nelson and Archipenko have been confirmed as definite for the long journey to Chicago. Both have posted impressive victories over the classic distance of 1 ¼ miles and if they perform to expectations could give the Arlington audience a memorable contest. Also on the Million list is Lord Admiral, winner of the Gr. 2 Jebel Hatta in Dubai during the World Cup meeting in March, Gr. 1 winner Spirit One and the Italian listed stakes winner Sopran Promo.

The Secretariat Stakes has attracted Royal Ascot’s listed Hampton Court Stakes winner Collection, who was impressive when winning over the same distance as the Secretariat and is scheduled to start in the Gr. 2 York Stakes on Saturday against older horses where he will face another Secretariat possible City Leader. The latter is trained by Brian Meehan, conditioner of Red Rocks, who bested Curlin in the Man O’War just two weeks ago.

The talented filly Cicerole, first or second in her last six stakes tries, has the Beverly D. as her target along with Toque de Queda and Bahra, who had a rough trip, finishing up the course in the Gr. 2 Windsor Forest Stakes at Ascot.

Get all your online horse betting in the Bodog Racebook.