Returning Curlin to the racetrack as a 4 year old paid off dividends for connections of the chestnut colt. For the second consecutive racing season, Curlin got the nod from the writers who cover thoroughbred racing. Curlin bested Zenyatta and Big Brown in the polling with his wins in prestigious races such as Dubai World Cup, the Woodward Stakes and the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Big Brown, who stole the headlines with his wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, didn't go away empty handed and was named the top 3 year old. Proud Spell was named top 3 year old Filly. Garrett Gomez who won 4 Breeders Cup races was named top jockey.

Here is a rundown on all the 2008 Ecplise award winners:

Following an injury this morning during a workout at the Aqueduct which was first reported by Bloodhorse.com, Big Brown was declared out of the Breeders' Cup Classic. Big Brown, winner of this year's Kentucky Derby, had worked with Kip Deville over the turf course with the stablemates finishing together in the final time of 1:12 4/5 for six furlongs. It was determined afterward that the colt had grabbed a quarter on the inside of the right front foot.

After his victory at the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby this year, Big Brown also won the second leg of the Triple Crown at the Preakness. With his win at the Preakness, Big Brown became the fourth horse to win both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness while remaining undefeated. With hopes running high that he could pull off a win at Belmont Stakes, Big Brown had the Triple Crown in his sights. But Big Brown disappointed, and became the first Triple Crown hopefully to finish last at Belmont. It was later determined that a dislodged shoe may have led to the dismal performance.

Following his embarrassment at Belmont, Big Brown quickly pulled off another win at the Haskell Invitational Handicap in August, and another win at the 2008 Monmouth Stakes in September as preparation for the Breeders' Cup.

2007 horse of the year Curlin will make his debut at Saratoga Race Course in the Woodward Stakes on Saturday. The famed Saratoga has been labeled as the "Graveyard of Champions" for a number of great horses that fell to defeat at the track including the two greatest horses of the 20th century Man O' War and Secretariat.

Curlin will face a field of 8 and his the heavy morning line favorite at 3-5 in the morning line odds. The four year old chestnut colt will break out of the number 5 slot while regular rider Robby Albarado will try to hit the wire first for the 10th time in 14 career starts in a span which he has finished third in each of his starts.

Curlin, who was the favorite in the Kentucky Derby last year and finished third in the 2007 run for the roses, is back for his second time at twin spires for tomorrow's Grade I Stephen Foster Handicap. The four year old has had tremendous success since his last trip the famed Churchill Downs winning the Preakness Stakes, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Breeders' Cup Classic, and started his four year old campaign by $6,000,000 Dubai World Cup by nearly three lengths earlier this year. Curlin is currently the poster horse for the entire horse racing industry here in America following the upset of Big Brown in the Belmont Stakes and has been inserted as a 3/5 favorite in tomorrows prestigious race which offers a $1,000,000 purse.

The Steve Asmussen trained colt, who delighted fans by returning the the track as a four year old, will be faced with a weight handicap in the race. Curlin will carry 128 pounds in the race. Morning line Second choice selections at 5-1 Einstein will run with 118 pounds while Grasshopper will carry 117 pounds. Asmussen voiced his displeasure at the high weight, with the lowest in the field only carrying 113, and nearly boycotted the race before changing his mind earlier this week.

Richard Dutrow Jr, the loquacious trainer of Belmont flop Big Brown, had said his horse winning the Triple Crown was a forgone conclusion last week. If you had watched the race, you knew that Big Brown was in serious trouble heading for the stretch and their was really no way he was going to place in the money. That didn't stop the brash trainer from questioning Kent Desormeaux's ride on Saturday.

He spoke to the Daily Racing Form yesterday about the loss, saying:

"It happened in the wrong race," Dutrow said. "It was a huge race, biggest race I've ever been in. I feel like a loser right now and I don't know why. Usually when I get beat I can handle it the right way, and I've handled this the right way, but I just feel like something's not right. I know it's not the combination that our stable has with the horse, me, [exercise rider] Michelle [Nevin], the groom. I know he went into this race unbelievable, so the rest Kent's got to answer."

Dutrow added:

We all know about the super horse Big Brown and his quest for the Triple Crown but what about the other horses in the 2008 Belmont Stakes? Here is a rundown of all the horses in field and what to expect when they hit the track at 6:25 and run 1 1/2 Miles on Saturday.

1: Big Brown

What to like: A lot. The horse has dominated in his five starts winning by at least 4 3/4 lengths in all of his starts and has won by as many as 11. Faced, and made easy work of, Macho Again, Denis of Cork, Da' Tara, Tale of Ekati, Anak Nakal, and Icabad Crain in previous races. Can save ground in the test of champions with his rail post. Is the horse to beat.

What not to like: In a horse race, anything can happen. He is breaking next to the biggest question mark in the field in Guadalcanal. Big Brown is in the number one post position and has the chance to get in early traffic congestion. Kent Desormeaux choked under pressure with Real Quiet a decade ago. Big Browns quarter cracks are nothing to take lightly in the "Test of Champions". As good of a horse as he is, it is hard to make money with morning line odds of 2/5. If you have to play him, its best to play exotics such as trifectas or exactas.

2. Guadalcanal

It looks like Big Brown will face eight other horses when he tries to become the twelfth horse in history to win the Triple Crown. The Belmont Stakes, which will be held late Saturday Afternoon, currently has Anak Nakal, Big Brown, Casino Drive, Da’ Tara, Denis of Cork, Icabad Crane, Macho Again, Ready’s Echo, and Tale of Ekati in Big Browns way to racing immortality.

Big Brown has already decimated much of the Belmont field and Rick Dutrow Jr thinks that the race is a shoo-in for his super horse telling reporters late last week:

"I feel like it's actually a foregone conclusion," he said. "To me, I just see the horses he's in with, and I see our horse, so I expect him to win this race."

History, however, is against Dutrow and his bold claims. There has been a number of near misses in the past decade in the Triple Crown and Big Brown has yet to face Casino Drive who has already won on the Belmont track and is the brother of the previous two winners of the Belmont Jazil and filly Rags to Riches. Dutrow is dismissing Casino Drive, who flew in from Japan to win the Grade II Peter Pan Stakes last month, and dominated the field by five lengths. Dutrow said of the 5-1 morning line horse that will be ridden by Edgar Prado who has played spoiler in two other Triple Crown bids:

Eight horses will be running at Thistledown's premiere event which takes place on Saturday. Smooth Air, who has been listed as the favorite in the race drew the rail post and will be saddled by Manoel Cruz.

Trainer Bennie Stutts is confident that his year old is ready for the race.

"He's ready to run his race," said Stutts, Jr., who worked Smooth Air seven-eighths of mile at Arlington Park in 1:24 4/5 on Sunday before shipping to Thistledown Tuesday afternoon. "He'll gallop up to the Ohio Derby. What more do I have to do with him after that good workout?"

Listed as second and third choices on the morning line are Fortune (5/2) and Medjool (7/2).

With Big Brown's domination of his fellow 3 year olds in this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, the Ohio Derby has an extraordinarily strong field for its 74th running which will take place at Thistledown on Saturday. Smooth Air, who had a bad trip in his run for the roses, headlines the field. Trained by Bennie Stutts Jr, Smooth Air has an impressive Grade II win this year in the Hutcheson Stakes and was second best to Big Brown in this years installment of the Florida Derby. Stutts says that his horse, who arrived in Northeast Ohio yesterday, is looking good in workouts.

“I really like the way he’s training,” Stutts told Bloodhorse.com “I’ve never asked this horse to do anything that he hasn’t done easily. He’s so fit right now.”

The field stands at 8 with other horseman on the fence for North Randall's showcase race. Arkansas Derby (gr. II) runner-up Z Fortune; Lane’s End Stakes (gr. II) third-place finisher Medjool; Your Round; Illinois stakes winner Instill; Admirality; locally based Celtic Meal and Stolen Chevy will all compete for the $350,000 purse and prestigious Grade II victory.