SARATOGA SPRINGS — Trainer Steve Asmussen walked into the Saratoga Race Course paddock early Saturday evening wearing a nervous smile and a familar tan suit.

“Is that your lucky suit?” asked Barbara Banke, wife of millionaire vintner Jess Jackson, majority owner of Curlin, the world’s top-ranked racehorse.

“Yes, it is,” Asmussen answered. “I even looked at a picture, just to make sure.”

A half-hour later, Curlin provided Asmussen with yet another photo opportunity.

The reigning Horse of the Year ran down long shot pace-setter Past the Point in the last of nine furlongs for a workmanlike 11⁄4-length victory in the Grade I Woodward.

It was the 14th lifetime start but first at Saratoga for Curlin, the 1-4 favorite of a crowd of 22,572 which greeted the 4-year-old son of Smart Strike with a standing ovation.

“The mystique of Saratoga and winning a Grade I here, the ‘Graveyard of Champions,’ all of that works into your head leading up to this,” Asmussen said, “but he came through like Curlin does. We’re extremely proud of him.”

Ridden confidently by Robby Albarado, Curlin ($2.70) ran the

11⁄8 miles in 1:49.34. Making his graded stakes debut, Past the Point held second, 11⁄2 lengths in front of multiple stakes winner Wanderin Boy in third.

A.P. Arrow rallied for fourth, followed by Loose Leaf, 9-2 second choice Divine Park and Out of Control. Dr. D.F.C. was an early scratch.

“It’s the most important race we’ve won, other than the Dubai World Cup or the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” Jackson said, “because of the historic nature of this race and its premiere contribution to his legacy.

“We felt that this was the venue, despite the dollars being more attractive elsewhere. To me, winning today with all the superstition and hyperbole of a graveyard, I was very glad the horse showed what he is and we won. It was very important.”

The first reigning Horse of the Year to run at Saratoga since Fav­orite Trick in 1998, Curlin banked $300,000 for the victory, pushing him past Skip Away and into second place in all-time North Amer­ican earnings with $9,796,800.

He trails only two-time Horse of the Year Cigar, who won back-to-back Woodwards in 1995 and 1996, when it was run at Belmont Park, and finished with $9,999,815.

“He was great,” Albarado said. “He’s the consummate professional now. He showed his professionalism going out there. It was great for the crowd to see Curlin run here in New York, and he displayed what kind of horse he is on the racetrack.”

Breaking from post five, Curlin got out with the rest of the group, but was carried out by Divine Park and brushed with Out of Control

going into the first turn. He emerged to run four wide down the backstretch as Past the Point outran Wanderin Boy through fractions of :22.89, :46.20 and 1:09.61.

“He seemed to be bounced around in between those horses,” Asmussen said, “but he’s a big enough horse to stay up in there and hold his spot. About halfway down the backside, Robby was very comfortable with him and felt very good from there. Curlin takes it all extremely well. He’s meant for the big moment.”

Albarado began to ask Curlin as they rounded the far turn, and the imposing chestnut colt responded on cue, drawing up on the outside to challenge Past the Point at the head of the stretch.

As Albarado smacked him right-handed, Curlin gradually edged away for his 10th career win, fourth in five starts this year and ninth of 12 on dirt.

“They went so fast, and here at Saratoga, I think if you can kick on from the quarter-pole home, it’s hard to run down any horse, much less these Grade I horses,” Albarado said. “They stretched the race out pretty good, so I had to make a little longer run than I wanted to get him going.

“I don’t like it, but I had to hit him a couple times, just to get him going because he’s getting older now. Once he got going and got by that horse, he eased up a bit the last three, four strides. I felt like if they would have come to him late, he would have re-broke for me.”

The outcome was an ideal present for Banke, celebrating her birthday on Saturday. Curlin also provided a measure of vindication for Albarado, who lost last week’s

$1 million Travers by less than a nose, and furthered the healing process for a barn still dealing with the sudden death of exercise rider Parker Buckley.

“Curlin is the horse of a lifetime,” Asmussen said. “We’re very for­tunate to be involved with Curlin. He makes it all possible.”