ASMUSSEN HAS CURLIN BACK IN THE RUNNING.

Byline: ART WILSON

HORSE RACING

It has been nearly two months since Rags to Riches and Curlin put on a thrilling Belmont Stakes stretch duel that will be remembered for years, if not decades.

When it was over, after Ragsto Riches raced to the wire first by a nose to become the first filly to win the Belmont in 102 years, Curlin's trainer was in disbelief.

Not much has changed since that late Saturday afternoon. Steve Asmussen still can't believe his colt lost.

"I don't think that the feelings have wavered," he said this week while taking a respite from prepara-

tions for Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. "To this moment, I am extremely surprised that she held him off and I can't believe she did."

Excuse Asmussen if he has extreme confidence in his colt, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby and won the Preakness Stakes before falling a whisker short in the Belmont.

"I have nothing but confidence in Curlin," said Asmussen, fresh off winning his record ninth training title at Lone Star Park near Dallas. "I'm expecting a very good second half to the year."

That second half begins thisweekend when Curlin will line up against Triple Crown foe Hard Spun and six others in the Haskell, run at 11/8miles over a Monmouth main track that is known for its speed bias.

Todd Pletcher, who trains Rags to Riches, will send out Any Given Saturday in the Haskell to try to play the spoiler's role for a second time. Also included in the field that was entered Thursday morning are Cable Boy, Stormello, Imawildandcrazyguy, Reata's Shadow and Xchanger.

Asmussen said he chose the Haskell over last Sunday's JimDandy Stakes for Curlin's return because this year's Breeders' Cup will be held atMonmouth Park.

He wants to study this track and determine if any changes in strategy will be needed for the colt's main goal -- the Breeders' Cup Classic.

"We have questions going into the Haskell about how speed favoring Monmouth is, as well as everything else," Asmussen said. "We know what Monmouth's tendencies are, but how do they relate to Curlin? How will he run the turn at Monmouth?

"All of these are questions that can't be addressed until we do it. We'll let the Haskell unfold with the utmost confidence in Curlin's ability to get the job done. But we'll also leave after the Haskell with intentions and knowing what we plan on doing when we come back for the Classic."

It was Asmussen who helped convince Curlin's group of owners to purchase the colt after his maiden victory at Gulfstream Park in February. Since then, the Canadian-bred son of Smart Strike has won three of five races, including the Arkansas Derby on April14 and the Preakness.

Sent off as the second choice in the Derby, Curlin was a fast-finishing third behind 9-2 favorite Street Sense and the pace-setting Hard Spun. He turned the tables on Street Sense in the Preakness, beating the Derby winner by a head as Hard Spun finished third.

Asmussen watched Street Sense's first race since the Preakness, a 11/2- length victory over C P West in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga, and feels the same way about the Carl Nafzger-trained colt as he did back in the spring.

"I have nothing but respect for who Street Sense is, and I'm sure Carl is very happy to have the first one back out of the way and he can get on with the rest of his year," Asmussen said. "C P West ran a very good race, but Street Sense was definitely good enough to run him down."

Whether Curlin and Street Sense meet again before the Breeders' Cup Classic is anyone's guess. Street Sense is definitely heading to the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 25, but Asmussen has not disclosed where Curlin will run after the Haskell.

Right now, the 41-year-old trainer is just looking forward to Sunday and a chance to butt heads again with Hard Spun, another colt who made all three of the Triple Crown races.

"From a fan's point of view for me, I think that the Haskell gives us an opportunity to get these horses back after the Triple Crown races without having to face older horses right away," Asmussen said. "I think it looks like a very competitive six horses are headed for the Haskell."

He's probably a bit relieved that Rags to Riches is not one of them.

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- Art Wilson