‘Lost’ tells colt’s tragic tale

If you've heard enough nonsense about Big Brown and his human connections, I have an alternative for you this weekend.

One of the films to make the cut at the CineVegas Film Festival is a documentary on 2005 Eclipse Award Sprint champion Lost in the Fog. I have yet to see the film, but I remember the colt's 10-race winning streak as though it happened yesterday.

CineVegas is being held at the Brendan Theatres at the Palms, and it is open to the public. There will be two showings of "Lost in the Fog." The world premiere will be at noon Saturday, with a second showing at 4 p.m. Monday. I'm going Saturday, so I hope to see you there.

The movie centers on this remarkable horse, aged owner Harry Aleo and trainer Greg Gilchrist.

You might recall that Lost in the Fog was stricken with cancer and died on Sept. 17, 2006. An autopsy showed his body was full of cancerous growths, including a tumor, the size of a football, found in his spleen.

It'll be interesting to see how director John Corey portrays Aleo, Gilchrist, regular rider Russell Baze, and the highs and the lows in the life, and death, of Lost in the Fog.

• CURLIN -- Want to see what a real champion looks like? Watch 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin run Saturday in the $1 million Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Morning-line maker Mike Battaglia installed Curlin as the 3-5 favorite.

Trainer Steve Asmussen has accepted a 128-pound impost on Curlin. He'll be conceding between 10 to 15 pounds to his nine opponents, the most dangerous of which could be Grasshopper.

The Churchill undercard is tremendous. There are five graded stakes races besides the Foster.

Two horses I like in the stakes: Pure Clan, a likely winner in the Regret, and Visionaire, who at 5-1 figures to be overlooked in the Northern Dancer.

Churchill also is introducing a new wager called the Matrix. According to a track press release, the Matrix costs $9 and allows a bettor to select three horses. It is a package bet, meaning a bettor will collect if his horses win or complete an exacta and/or a trifecta.

• HANDICAPPING QUALIFIERS -- There will be a qualifier Thursday for the South Point Finale. The entry fee is $150. The South Point Finale will be April 17 and 18, 2009.

Red Rock Casino will host a qualifier for the 2009 National Handicapping Championship on June 21. The entry fee is $200. The top two finishers will earn a seat into the NHC.

Richard Eng's horse racing column is published Fridays. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com.