He’s got the body, he’s got the mind and he’s got the speed.

Horse of the Year Curlin seems to have it all, and his racing record more than backs up that assessment. But what is he like to be around every day? What kind of an individual is this sculpted specimen with the fiery red hair?

For starters, he is a horse who loves his treats.

“He didn’t get this big by not eating,” said assistant trainer Scott Blasi, who has overseen much of Curlin’s care, including the approximately six-week period he has been in Dubai prior to his bid for Saturday’s $6 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I).

“He likes a lot of things, carrots and peppermints for sure,” Blasi added. “But we try not to spoil him too much because he’s a big stud colt and I don’t want to be his chew toy.”

Curlin also has a sense of his own importance in the world of racing, and he seems to enjoy the adulation that comes with his victories. Having his photograph taken usually seems to be a pleasure for him around the barn, although packs of photographers lined up at racetrack rails can spur him to be aggressive in gallops.

“I think he likes his picture to be taken; it seems to get his attention,” Blasi said. “He seems to play it up pretty well. I think he likes the sound of the cameras. If there is one around, he’s posing.”

His physique makes him an ideal subject for photographers. During the World Cup post position draw festivities, principal owner Jess Jackson described Curlin as “the Arnold Schwarzenegger of horses.”

Knowing Curlin’s strength as well as anyone, Blasi predicted that the son of Smart Strike would be “a tiger” to walk the morning of the World Cup as he was so fit and so ready to run. 

“You don’t want to get in a wrestling match with him because it’s not going to go your way,” he added. 

Exercise rider Carlos Rosas said he knows Curlin “can do anything he wants with me” because Rosas only weighs 125 pounds. So, he uses polite but firm finesse to keep the colt where he wants him in his training.

“When you first step on the track with him, you have to work with him,” Rosas said, noting how eager Curlin can be to flex his muscles. “I have to ride with my balance and my body because I’m not very heavy for him. So, we have to have good communication.”

Rosas, 34, knew from the first time he climbed into the saddle on Curlin that the colt was like nothing he had ever sat on before. He told Blasi that day he believed Jackson and his then partners had made a shrewd investment when they acquired Curlin after his maiden victory.

“He feels like a different type of horse,” Rosas said, citing Curlin’s smooth way of going in which the rider can hardly feel his feet hit the ground despite the chestnut’s tremendous stride. “When I found out he cost $3.5 million, I said that it is a very good buy.”

Curlin’s consummate professionalism and his ability to focus on his job rather than become unnerved by distractions has been a huge asset in preparing for big races. While he can be territorial when he is in his stall, he is typically well mannered when being handled around the barn or the track.

“He’s very smart. He knows what he’s here for and he knows it’s getting closer,” Blasi said, suggesting that Curlin anticipates each part of his training regimen and handles it all with aplomb, a characteristic that becomes readily apparent when he is around his competition.

“He just has a tremendous amount of confidence,” Blasi said. “He just exudes it when he’s in the paddock around other horses. He’s got it together mentally; he’s about as strong a horse mentally as you can be around.”

Curlin has a way of surveying his surroundings while swinging his massive shoulders and dancing on his toes that not only is unmistakable to his rivals as the mien of a champion, it also romances racing fans.

“I think he’s the type of horse that when people see him, they are drawn to him,” Blasi said. “He just has a presence about him, a look about him.”

Yet Curlin decided once he became famous during the Triple Crown campaign last year that he does not want to be touched too much, particularly on his face. Too many people tried to pat him and now he will react aggressively to such overtures.

“He was fine with it for a while but he finally said ‘enough,’ Blasi said.

Although he knows Curlin better than anyone, Blasi struggles to find words adequate to encompass the colt and what he means to him personally and to the sport at large. Yet, from his unique vantage point, he knows one thing is certain as he looks forward to the Dubai World Cup.

“There is no better feeling in the world than leading him over for a race,” Blasi said.