Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - The top two thoroughbreds in training both put in workouts the last few days in preparation for each of their next races. Reigning Horse of the Year Curlin worked on Sunday at Saratoga's Oklahoma training track and leading three-year-old Big Brown was on the turf at Aqueduct on Monday morning.

Curlin will make his next start in the 1 1/4 mile Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Saturday, September 27, while Big brown is slated to start in Saturday's Monmouth Stakes on the grass at Monmouth Park. The 2007 $750,000 Gold Cup victory put Curlin on the way to winning the Breeders' Cup Classic and being voted Horse of the Year and champion three-year-old.

"He's in great physical shape," said Curlin's assistant trainer Scott Blasi said on GoCurlin.com. "He came out of the Woodward in good order and he worked very well. He went real smooth. We weren't looking for much."

Sunday at Saratoga, Curlin worked a half-mile in 51.34 with exercise rider Carlos Rosas in the saddle. Tuesday morning Big Brown, with Michelle Nevin aboard, went five-furlongs on the turf at Aqueduct in 1:05.35. The turf course was listed as good after weekend precipitation in New York.

Big Brown made his racing debut last year in a turf race at Saratoga. The Monmouth Stakes at 1 1/8 miles will carry a purse of $500,000 if the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner starts. He won the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth in his last start.

"I'm not sure yet when we'll ship to Monmouth," trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. said, "but I know he'll be ready come game day."

Curlin is within striking distance of surpassing Cigar's $9,999,815 in career earnings. The four-year-old has better than $9.7 million in winnings and can add $450,000 with a second straight victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Big Brown, owned by IEAH Stables and others, is being pointed toward the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Santa Anita's synthetic track on Saturday, October 25. It is still not known if Curlin will be given the opportunity to repeat in the 1 1/4 mile Classic.

"He's better on the grass, he always has been, he's always breezed better we've said that all along," Dutrow noted on the IEAH website. "When he breezes on the dirt he runs down on all four (heels). You've seen him this morning, he had no bandages on. That's a telling tale."

The winner of five of six starts this year, Big Brown has earned more than $3.2 million in 2008 However, his Haskell win was less than impressive following his disappointing Belmont Stakes.

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