A Life in the Year of Curlin
One of the highlights of 2024 will be what one can call the “Autumn of Curlin,” which has already seen the 20-year-old stallion shine as bright as ever at the Keeneland September yearling sale. And then from October 11 to 13 he will be honored at the “Legends of Bourbon County Festival Celebrating Curlin” in Paris, Kentucky with a Friday night gala and special farm tours to visit him, as well as his illustrious son Good Magic, at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm at Xalapa. What better time to tell the story of Curlin’s life with all its wild twists and turns. ~ Steve Haskin
A Life in the Year of Curlin
By Steve Haskin
It is safe to say that no stallion ever dominated a single session of a yearling sale the way Curlin dominated session 2 of the 2024 Keeneland September sale, with 16 yearlings selling for $15.3 million, including one colt who sold for $5 million and four others who sold for over $1 million.
And so the Curlin dynasty continues, with the Hall of Fame stallion celebrating his 20th birthday this year. The two-time Horse of the Year and Longines World’s Best Racehorse of 2008 has sired two classic winners, six champions, and seven Breeders’ Cup winners, including back-to-back Dirt Mile winner and Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish and Classic winner Vino Rosso..
As a racehorse, in addition to winning back-to-back Horse of the Year titles, Curlin captured the Preakness, Dubai World Cup, Woodward Stakes, and back-to-back Jockey Club Gold Cups, retiring with earnings of $10.5 million, a North American record at the time.
That basically is the Curlin we all know. But it is the Curlin we don’t know that makes his story so compelling. Despite all the fame and all the riches he has amassed he surely was not born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth and in fact is quite a success story having come a long way from the yearling whose owners didn’t want to keep him after they bought him, and from the unraced 2-year-old who was beaten in a quarter-mile exhibition race at Churchill Downs to entertain a group of legislators attending a convention in Kentucky.
Curlin’s story begins at the now defunct Fares Farm (owned by Issam Fares) in Lexington, Kentucky, with the arrival on June 1, 2002 of an unraced Deputy Minister mare named Sherriff’s Deputy, who vanned there from Fredericksburg, Texas, along with three other mares and six llamas, all of whom had to be vacated from their former farm. And it was the llamas that were considered the precious cargo more than the mares.
Curlin as a weanling at Fares Farm in the summer of 2004.
Fares Farm general manager Shannon White was determined to breed Sherriff’s Deputy to Smart Strike, but she kept getting turned down, so she turned to Mr. Fares’ childhood friend and horse breeder Walid Bohsali and asked him if he could find her a Smart Strike season. But he did one better; he gave her his season to the stallion, canceling his own mare’s booking.
On March 25, 2004, Sherriff’s Deputy gave birth to a big strong chestnut son of Smart Strike, who was as feisty and tenacious as his dam, according to White. Shortly after the colt was born a procedure was done to correct a slight toe-in problem, which left a calcification on his left front ankle that no doubt would turn off prospective buyers at the sale, but would not affect his performance as a racehorse.
The colt’s more immediate problem that remained over the next year was his habit of sleeping all the time and not wanting to train or prep for the yearling sale. When bloodstock agent Mike Ryan saw the colt he called him a couch potato. White said he was obstinate and a bully, and when you brought him out to train he would just lower his head and start grazing. It took a 13-year-old Quarter-Horse gelding named Tex, who they bought to use as his pony, to straighten him out. When the colt tried to bully Tex, he paid the price.
Finally he was off to the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale. One trainer who had a good deal of interest in the colt was Kenny McPeek, who had developed a reputation for turning inexpensive yearlings into major stakes winners and was willing to overlook small imperfections.
McPeek first made a name for himself in 1995 when he took a $20,000 yearling he had purchased named Tejano Run and won six stakes and over $1.1 million with him, including a second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. It was in 2002 that he really burst on the scene with Take Charge Lady, who he purchased for $175,000 at the July Fasig-Tipton yearling sale and wound up winning nine graded stakes with her for earnings of $2.4 million. She later was sold at the Keeneland November sale for $4.2 million. That same year there was Harlan’s Holiday, a $97,000 yearling purchase by Jack Wolfe at the same Fasig-Tipton sale who would finish first or second in his first 10 starts for McPeek, including victories in the Florida Derby and Blue Grass Stakes. In April of that year McPeek took over the training of a former English colt named Sarava. Less than two months later, Sarava won the Belmont Stakes at odds of 70-1.
McPeek went to the 2005 Keeneland sale looking for more bargains to sell to his clients. Two of his clients were partners Shirley Cunningham and William Gallion, who only had a limited budget, but instructed McPeek to try to find a colt who had the look of a mile and a quarter horse.
One horse who caught his eye was the chestnut son of Smart Strike selling as hip number 2261, who McPeek felt he would be a bargain due to the fact he had that unsightly calcified ankle, which he thought might have been from an old OCD lesion. But in the eye of the buyer it did not look good. McPeek was sure It was something that would not affect the colt and here was an opportunity to get a potential $300,000 yearling for far less than that.
McPeek wound up purchasing the colt for $57,000, but the first six clients he contacted all turned him down for one reason or another. With the colt falling right in line with Cunningham’s and Gallion’s budget, McPeek offered him to them and they accepted.
Curlin sells for $57,000 as a yearling at the 2005 Keeneland Sale
But that’s where the story really gets interesting. When the horse arrived at Cunningham’s Hillcrest Farm his ankle was a complete turn-off. McPeek was contacted and questioned if he had looked at the horse before he bought him and if so why he would he buy him with such an ugly ankle. When Cunningham and Gallion were told what they had bought they also called McPeek and were furious, telling him he bought them a bad horse and they didn’t want him. McPeek tried to explain that when you get a horse like this with a $50,000 budget you have to allow for some imperfections, assuring them the horse was fine and was an exceptional colt. But they wanted no part of him. McPeek, unperturbed, offered to take the colt off their hands.
When Gallion asked McPeek what he going to do with him, he said he would keep 25 percent and sell the rest to other clients. Gallion, realizing that McPeek must think a lot of him to invest his own money, began to feel they may have acted hastily and said he would take 25 pecent. Then Cunningham decided to get back in for a half. By the time it was over, both partners were right back where they started when McPeek first bought him, and would race the colt under their name Midnight Cry Stable.
Earlier that year in April, 2005, McPeek had found out his mother was terminally ill. Looking at life in a different perspective and feeling he owed her so much and with her having had to live for years with his “raging alcoholic” stepfather, he decided to back off from training to take care of her and handle all her needs, both physically and financially. He told his clients he would still run the stable business, but he would not be training the horses in his name, turning them over to his assistants. He added he could be back in six months or six years, or never. He would also continue to do bloodstock work, buying horses, especially in South America..
Meanwhile, the Smart Strike colt was starting to show some promise at Hillcrest Farm. After 60 days of unwinding and being turned out in a paddock, he began to grow up and act more professional, but was still considered a big, playful kid who was full of vinegar. After a while he started showing off that big stride of his while doing everything easily.
One day in 2006, McPeek was with Dominic Brennan, who currently is McPeek’s trainer at his Summerfield Training Center in Florida, and they watched the 2-year-old Smart Strike colt work, and when he drew off by 15 lengths without raising a sweat, Brennan told McPeek , “You better get your trainer’s license back.”
The Smart Strike colt, now named Curlin. was originally to go to McPeek’s assistant Patrick Daly, according to McPeek, but when Daly died of an aneurism McPeek contacted Cunningham and said he would like to train just the Smart Strike colt, but Cunningham explained, “I just promised him to Helen (Pitts) yesterday.“
Pitts was a valued part of McPeek’s stable and had been named head trainer in July, 2005. Later that year on October 15 she won her first Grade 1 stakes when the former McPeek-trained filly Sweet Talker won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland by a nose at 18-1. Pitts came fom a steeplechase background and was an accomplished rider, competing in steeplechase and pony races and fox hunting. Later in 2005, she took over the training of a Brazilian-bred colt McPeek had bought named Einstein, who would go on to earn almost $3 million, winning several Grade 1 stakes on grass and the Santa Anita Handicap on dirt.
But the horse that seemed destined to make Pitts famous was Curlin, even though the young colt proved to be a challenge. Pitts, along with her assistant and exercise rider Hanne Jorgensen, did a fantastic job with Curlin, nursing him through a number of maladies. With Jorgensen getting on him every day they could see they had something special. When Jorgensen first worked him she came back and told Pitts, “I’ve never sat on a horse like this before.”
And she had been the regular exercise rider for Sarava, taking care of the colt at Belmont prior to the Belmont Stakes while McPeek was in Kentucky. But Curlin was still learning and needed his mind to catch up to his big muscular frame.
On July 29, 2006, the Southern Legislative Conference convened at Churchill Downs, where the legislators were treated to a night at the races, which included three exhibition races. When Churchill Downs’ senior vice president of racing, Donnie Richardson, asked Pitts to help out and put a couple of her 2-year-olds in the races, she chose Curlin, who wound up finishing third behind the Bernie Flint-trained Speedway, who had already broken his maiden by three lengths, but was still green and needed more experience.
Riding Curlin that night was Hanne Jorgensen’s husband, Mick Jenner who had been the regular exercise rider of 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem. “Curlin had worked a couple of half-miles, but he was just a big old 2-year-old who had never been asked to do anything at that point,” he said. “Everything he’d done was on the bit. The race was only a quarter of a mile and he was bucking and rearing, and I was hanging on for dear life. So I not only got Curlin beat, I got him well beat.”
As Curlin kept maturing after turning 3 he began to convince Pitts and Jorgensen that he could be something special. They were expecting big things first time out on February 3, 2007, as, apparently, was everyone at Gulfstream Park who sent him off as the 2-1 favorite.
Pitts and Horgensen had to be seeing visions of roses and mint juleps as they watched their unraced 3-year-old demolish his opponents by nearly 13 lengths, running the seven furlongs in a snappy 1:22 1/5, earning a sensational 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Unfortunately for Pitts, others with deep pockets were watching as well.
For a new trainer like Pitts, it’s a very fine line between joy and dread when a young 3-year-old runs off the screen in his debut. The crashing sound you usually hear afterwards is that of the rich folks breaking open their piggy banks. You know the million-dollar offers are going to start pouring in for that brilliant ready-made Derby horse, and that a sale is most likely going to result in the horse being given to the buyer’s trainer, especially if he’s Pletcher or Asmussen or Mott or Baffert.
So, when Curlin rocked the Derby trail in his debut, Pitts knew there was a good chance she could lose the horse. Ironically, at the time of Curlin’s victory, Steve Asmussen just happened to be stabled in her barn, preparing Leprechaun Racing’s Gunfight for the 6 1/2-furlong Swale Stakes, his only starter at the meet. Asmussen had recently lost his big Derby horse, Tiz Wonderful, owned by Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stables, to injury and had no idea how he was going to replace a horse of that caliber, one who was undefeated and had already won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Because Asmussen was stabled in Pitts’ barn, he had gotten to see Curlin close up on a daily basis and was impressed with everything he saw. When Curlin romped in his debut, it set the wheels in motion. Watching the race on simulcast at the Ocala Breeders 2-year-old sale was John Moynihan, who was Jess Jackson’s bloodstock manager. Watching from his home in San Francisco was owner George Bolton. Both had the same reaction – “Wow!” Asmussen, after seeing the race, watched the colt cool out and said to himself, “We’ve got to get that horse.”
Bolton contacted someone at the Ragozin Sheets and found out Curlin had run a “5 3/4,” an extraordinary number for a first-time starter. The pieces were beginning to come together.
Moynihan knew that the offers would start to pour in for the colt, so he drove down to Gulfstream to see the horse and then contacted Cunningham and Gallion. As he figured, an offer had already come in, this one from Barry Irwin, president of Team Valor, who offered $1.75 million, but, as Irwin put it, his bid was “blown out of the water” by subsequent bids. As it turned out, there were 15 bids on the horse, each with different stipulations.
Curlin’s victory had made such an impact across the racing world, even Shannon White got a call immediately after the race from a breeder offering to buy Sherriff’s Deputy.
Cunningham and Gallion wanted to stay in for a minority interest, and the day after the race, Super Bowl Sunday, Moynihan began negotiations, representing Jackson, Bolton, and another interested party, Satish Sanan. By 2 a.m. Monday morning, the deal was completed.
Although Cunningham and Gallion had received larger offers for the whole horse, the Moynihan group’s selling point was allowing them to stay in as minority partner.
The only thing left to be done was for Moynihan to look at Curlin on the racetrack to see how he had come out of the race and to make sure he was sound. So, Pitts brought him to the track that morning and when Curlin began bucking and squealing, the deal was finalized for a reported $3.3 million. That would be the last time Pitts would lead him to the track.
Asmussen was delighted, having found his Derby horse. He felt everything was meant to be, because if Tiz Wonderful hadn’t gotten hurt, Jackson would not have been looking for a Derby horse to replace him, and, as he put it, he’d be trying to figure out how to beat Curlin instead of training him.
Pitts and Jorgensen were devastated, especially having to watch their dream horse depart after devoting so much time and effort getting him through his physical issues and becoming so close to him.
“I cried my eyes out when they sold him,” Jorgensen said shortly after the sale. “We babied him for such a long time. He bucked his shins twice and we tried to get him through it and worked hard with him. And then, one big race and he’s gone. We felt he was something special before he even started, we really did. I understand it’s hard to turn down that kind of money, and they did keep a piece of him, so it wasn’t hard for them. But it’s hard for us because you get so attached to them.”
But Pitts and Jorgensen had to move on, and they did have many great moments with Einstein. It was Einstein who brought Pitts to Pimlico on Preakness Day 2007 to saddle the horse in the Dixie Stakes on the grass. As if it weren’t tough enough being stabled near Curlin and watching all the media flock to him, she had to then endure the unthinkable.
In the Dixie, a horse in front of Einstein fell, causing him to stumble so badly he unseated jockey Robby Albarado, who was also Curlin’s rider. Pitts then had to watch Einstein run loose the rest of the race, returning with a grabbed quarter.
But her emotionally draining day was far from over. She then retreated to the hospitality tent at the end of the stakes barn and watched Curlin, who appeared to be beaten at the top of stretch, stage a sensational late rally to win the Preakness by a head over Derby winner Street Sense. Although she wanted only the best for Curlin, it had to be difficult seeing her dream horse, who she had nurtured through so many problems, win a classic for someone else.
“I have mixed feelings,” Pitts said following the Preakness. She was trying hard to say the right things, but it was obvious she was struggling trying to hide her feelings, especially having to deal with the trauma of the Dixie and Einstein’s injury.
“I really don’t want to say anything,” she added. “I’m just happy for Steve and Scott (Asmussen’s assistant Scott Blasi). Horses like this are hard to come by, and I feel honored to have been a part of him at some point. But what can you do? It’s hard.”
Curlin, of course, would ride into the history books, romping by 10 1/2 lengths in the Arkansas Derby, defeating Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense in the Preakness, and later that year beating the top older horse Lawyer Ron in The Jockey Club Gold Cup before easily defeating Street Sense, Lawyer Ron, and Hard Spun in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to nail down the 2007 Horse of the Year title. The following year he broke new ground by not only winning the Dubai World Cup, but going to Dubai early for a prep race, winning the Jaguar Trophy under 132 pounds, conceding 15 pounds to the second and third-place finishers. After returning home he won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster, Woodward, and The Jockey Club Gold Cup (for the second time) and concluded his second straight Horse of the Year campaign finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita over a synthetic track he never got hold of.
Curlin wins the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic over Street Sense and Hard Spun at Monmouth Park.
Retired to Lane’s End Farm, he got off to a big start siring Belmont Stakes and Met Mile winner Palace Malice. In May of 2015, Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm’s John Sikura purchased a 20 percent interest in Curlin in a sealed bid auction, along with four annual breeding rights for a total of $6.2 million, as part of the liquidation of Cunningham and Gallion’s assets. Stonestreet Farm maintained their 80 percent interest in the stallion. In September of that year, following Curlin’s son Keen Ice’s shocking upset of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes and his daughter Curalina’s victories in the Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks, it was announced Curlin would relocate to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm.
After that the Grade 1 winners kept coming, highlighted by Exaggerator’s win in the Preakness, Good Magic becoming the first maiden to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and Vino Rosso easily winning the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic. In 2022, Curlin’s son Keen Ice sired 80-1 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike. In 2023, Curlin sired Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish, as well as three Breeders’ Cup winners in a single day — Cody’s Wish (Dirt Mile), Elite Power (Sprint), and Idiomatic (Distaff). That same year, his son Good Magic sired Kentucky Derby winner Mage, and in 2024, Good Magic’s son Dornoch, a full-brother to Mage, won the Belmont Stakes.
Curlin as a stallion at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm at Xalapa in Paris, Kentucky.
The story of Curlin had a number of scriptwriters, each with his or her own story.
Helen Pitts would be rewarded in the end, as Einstein took her on a magical journey of his own, racing until he was 7. In 2008, she married Churchill Downs outrider Greg Blasi, whose brother Scott helped guide the career of Curlin, staying with him throughout his two-race campaign in Dubai. Unfortunately Pitts has had only one stakes winner, Athena, since Einstein and her last stakes victory came in 2017 in the listed American Beauty Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Shannon White left Fares Farm in 2013 after managing its bloodstock dispersal and disposition of Fares’ assets. She now lives in Palm Beach as a “dog mom” and has three grown daughters who are involved in showjumping. She manages branding and marketing nationally for several equine-centric companies and consults Thoroughbred clients who have been with her since the early days at Fares Farm.
Hanne Jorgensen eventually moved to her hometown of Rotnes, Norway, where she lives with her son.
George Bolton continued to own top-class horses, by himself and in partnership with Stonestreet Stables.
In 2019 Shirley Cunningham and Bill Gallion were sentenced to 25 and 20 years in prison, respectively, after their convictions for fraud and conspiracy in the infamous fen-phen drug scandal, in which the two lawyers pocketed more than $94 million of a $200 million settlement.
Jess Jackson bought out Bolton and Sanan’s interest in Curlin and was the colt’s sole owner throughout his 4-year-old campaign. He died of cancer in April, 2011 after racing the sensational filly Rachel Alexandra. The Stonestreet operation has actually expanded and flourished since under the supervision of Jackson’s wife, Barbara Banke, who sold Curlin’s $5 million yearling this past week.
Steve Asmussen was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016 and on August 7, 2021 he became North America’s all-time winningest trainer. Just over 18 months later he became the first trainer in North America to win 10,000 races.
Kenny McPeek returned to training full-time and has built up his stable once again into one of the top operations in the country, winning the 2024 Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan after capturing the Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna the previous day. It was the first time a trainer completed the Oaks-Derby since Ben Jones in 1952.
There are so many pieces to the Curlin story, which spanned both the East and West coasts of the United States and halfway around the world, complete with an eclectic cast of characters from all walks of life. He passed through many hands, with each guiding him in some way into the history books. But there is something even more important that those who touched him have in common. They can all say Curlin changed their lives forever.
Photos courtesy of Bobby Shiflet, Shannon White, Breeders’ Cup Ltd.
Racing historian, author, and award-winning retired journalist for the Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse, Steve Haskin was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame’s Media Roll of Honor in 2016. Known for his racing knowledge and insightful prose, he has been an exclusive contributor to Secretariat.com since 2020.
I’ll never forget watching Curlin come into view as he made his way down Secretariat Way to the track at Saratoga Race Course. Excited fans were lined up 10 deep, and you could feel Curlin’s charisma and power as he walked by in the Breeders Cup Classic Winner’s blanket. It had been a long, hard 4-year old season, but he gutted out another Grade 1 win in the Woodward Stakes. The Saratoga grandstand rose in a standing ovation as he passed by. At the rail, I saw that he was breathing hard-he was exhausted. But two months later he won the Breeders Cup Classic for the second time, beating the best in the world. I’ve been lucky to see many wonderful Thoroughbreds run, such as American Pharoah, Rachel Alexandra, Arrogate, Lady Eli, and Wise Dan. But Curlin’s Woodward at Saratoga made the strongest impression of all.
Way to go Shannon White and Curlin!
Earlier today, Steve posted an article on the similarities between Zandon and Sierra Leonna, but the article has since been dropped. Not sure works going on, but there’s a possibility it will be reposted soon.
An interesting analogy to say the least.
I was just looking for it – read it earlier, and thought the comparison was very interesting. I have to wonder if Chad Brown feels just a little snake bit?
Its still there. Just click on my name. Dont look on the drop down anymore.
I got to take pics of Curlin at Santa Anita on the backside. He was magnificent! I did a painting of him that I still have. It’s available in the Champions Gift Shop at Santa Anita.
Would add a photo of it if I could.
Nuk Soo Kow is a white faced blue eyed beauty….
(And he knows his name)….
By McKinzie/Curlin…only cost $32K as a yearling but sold for $350 this year, as a two year old….has been working at Saratoga but doesn’t look ready to debut…I would live to get an up clise look at this guy, Steve if you can….bring your camera!….
By McKinzie/Curlin…only cost $32K as a yearling but sold for $350 this year, as a two year old….has been working at Saratoga but doesn’t look ready to debut…I would live to get an up close look at this guy, Steve if you can….bring your camera!….
It’s a thrilling video to watch Curlin accelerate into the stretch in Dubai. Loved watching him run. Steve, I love the way you capture the early years of all the great horses with such detail from all connections involved. Thank you!
Mr. Haskin, I read all your posts and don’t always get a chance to reply in a timely manner. I’ve been following horse racing since the early 60s; reading about Kelso, Carry Back and the horses they raced against reminds me about how popular horse racing was back then. Curlin was an easy horse to appreciate and follow because he raced as a four year old. Thank you for mentioning Lawyer Ron – not a world beater – but a really nice horse to like and who was pretty good on his best day, especially at 1 and 1/8 miles around 2 turns. Today it’s more about the breeding part of it and I still blame the Breeders Cup for a negative impact on the sport.
Mary Lou, your mention of Carry Back ignites a flame in my heart. Carry Back was the first horse that I bet on in the Kentucky Derby. I had saved $80 from my pay, working at my dad’s grocery store, and put it all on Carry Back to win. He paid $7 and I collected $280. As a teenager back then, it was a big deal. A tip of the hat to John Sellers for a fine ride.
Also, I must agree with you about the negative impact the Breeders’ Cup has had in taking some of the glow off the traditional big stakes that are run in the Fall. There seems to be more and more horses whose connections choose to lay up after the summer and wait for the Breeders’ Cup. That just doesn’t work for this fan.
Steve,
As always you never cease to amaze me with article like this one on the great Curlin. As others have pointed out below your attention to detail is astonishing. And the way you do it with that Paul Harvey ” The Rest of the Story” presentation icing on the cake.
Always looking forward to the next week column. Have a Great New Week !!!
Thanks so much. I really appreciate it. I loved listening to Paul Harvey.
Hooray for Thorpedo Anna and Seize the Grey!
What an exciting day of racing! Anna is so special. I cannot wait to see what she’s got when she gets in with the likes of Randomized, Adare Manor, and Idiomatic. The BC Distaff is going to be a treat if everyone can stay healthy and come in at their best!
Seize the Grey looked great striding out today. I liked getting to see him lengthen out. I really do like that horse, and I was glad to see him looking like the horse we saw in the Pat Day and Preakness.
In other grey horse news, Batten Down looked good in BT stakes at Churchill. I think he’s going to be good at 4.
She’s really exceptional, isn’t she Katy? I think she could whip that field, even if all the top older fillies and mares runs.
Katy I’m not sure about Adare Manor…..”tying up”, before the Pacific Classic?…She has not worked this month, she’s had a marvelous 2024, 3 fir 4 losing only to Sweet Azteca, who is a superb filly—mehopes Adare is allright….
I had not looked for Adare’s recent works, Matthew W! That’s very concerning, to say the least. I hope they will do what is best for her, even if it means sitting her out – or retiring her. Do you have a theory? Because my mind goes to worst-case (a la Lady Eli), and then to conspiracy.
The lack of transparency in horse racing is incredibly frustrating. If a pitcher needs Tommy John Surgery, they just tell us. We would all say, “What, another one? OK, fine.” And then we’d grumble about bad mechanics for a while. With horse racing, all we get is radio silence, and it’s kind of devastating. I think they underestimate the number of fans and horse players who care about the horses. Barns that give fans a look inside just seem really rare. And it isn’t like this is a stallion prospect, where being cagey about perceived problems is so common.
It’s a dumb soapbox, so I’ll get off it.
As you know, the fabulous Sweet Azteca is yet another of my greys, which I swear is not on purpose or actually based on color. I’m for her all the way in the F&M Sprint!
As I recall Lady Eli stepped on a horse shoe nail, developed a hoof infection that caused laminitis.
Chad Brown at the time said they almost lost her.
She did recover and returned to the track before she was retired.
I do not think she returned to the level she was it before the horseshoe nail inciden
Last I checked she has been sucessful as a broodmare snd has had several foals.
Hello Lynda King good to see you here.
I just read an interesting article the other day about Lady Eli and trainer Cherie DeVaux. DeVaux was an assistant trainer for Chad Brown and cared for Lady Eli for 7 days a week for nearly a year nursing her through laminitis. She wasn’t sent to the vet’s hospital for care as she was extremely difficult to care for. I think they didn’t want her to further injure herself by transporting her anywhere else.
Never mind same level. Very lucky to recover.
I respect Bob B and I like the man and I like his wife Jill….that said there is, as you said a lack of transparency with his horses, when I heard Adare tied up—I was immediately wondering if it was something else, horses tie up and are fine, the next day—heck I have seen horses limping into the winners circle, after a Quarete Horse stakes, and they come back and win another stakes race…and limp back into the winners circle….I played basketball…after a game I became lame, and suffered from hip pointers, always ready for the next game—Bob doesn’t run them, unless they are 100%—so I guess there’s more to the tying-up store, for “Big Ears Adare” ..
Bob trains too hard and no matter how much you like him, fact remains.
Tying up syndrome much like laminitis can have multiple causes. In the case tying up it can be genetic, stress related, intense training and diet. In mares it can be hormone related. It is common in Thoroughbreds.
If left untreated it can be fatal.
Years ago tying up was usually associated with the draft horse breeds after long hours in field.
The fact that Adare Manor has not returned to the work MIGHT indicate that the root cause has not been identified or treatment has not been successful.
As expected sure-to-be Champion filly, Thorpedo Anna won the Cotillion Stakes easily despite the margin of a head over a very stubborn Gun Song with John Velazquez up.
You may have noticed that there was a sort of complot of Mike Smith (with Mystic Lake inside Thorpedo Anna), Johny V (with Gun Song to her right) and Prat (with Tarifa outside the champ). The three were boxing Thorpedo the whole race making it difficult for her to find openning for her final kick. Finally, Hernandez Jr. was able to open a running path by pushing Tarifa wider coming to the stretch.
I wonder what Brian Hernandez Jr. was telling Johny V at the finish line…
The Cotillion Stakes was a nice prep for the BC Distaff in seven weeks … which is enough time for Thorpedo Anna to face the best older mares at top form…
On tv they complained cause of her narrow win,however greater concern if she lost.
Yes Mike ..I was surprised by those comments…I believe it was decided that the champ had to do the *bare minimum* to win the million-dollar Grade One race as a good springboard for the big one in November…hope she is in good order after this race
Your comments are more spot on as opposed comments stated post race. Some are never happy!
Thanks MIke … but don’t tell them that … LOL
We will have to open our own YouTube channel then…
I would watch it!
I can remenber some analysts saying the same thing about the great Zenyatta…there are trsits that speed ratings will never account for
Beyer stated Zenyatta was slow. Lol
He also thought Slew was slow….and just a mediocre horse, until the Jockey Club Gold Cup
Betsy, he’s very foolish. Everyone knows it but him.
TBF, many people though Slew was slow and not that good
I hate Eddie Arcaro for that, among others, lol
Good morning Mike Relva–
Beyer’s observations about Zenyatta went over like a lead balloon in Southern Cal. And he had the nerve to say it while he was there prior to seeing her race. What a schmuck! Show me a deep closer who has won so many races, with a second in her last race.
He’s an angry little man. Roger Stein didn’t agree with his views…..at best! Saw Zenyatta race three different times.
I remember he said she had lost a step. ..before her 14th start (and win) in the Classic… I sawall I needed to see when she came running and even thought it was only Latent Heat, she made a huge move–I ended up keying her on top of four horses and didn’t use Gio Ponti! She paid 5/2 and I didn’t hit, I always tried to beat her!!!
Matthew, regarding Beyer stating Zenyatta losing a step. Never did I pay attention to his opinions. Proved wrong in many instances.
When I lived in Oregon a small bay named Jumron came along, getting 75 Beyer numbers…..goes down to Bay Meadows gets a 107, same horse, complete different Beyer number, that informed me of his limitations….at major tracks and on dirt-only—I respect his numbers….that is all, Zenyatta was hard to quantify, she had that kick that was like no other’s,
Good morning Nelson Maan,
Most closers, especially deep closers, need the race to set up for them.
Zenyatta was going to win if they were walking or even napping on the front end. She was something else.
And she started her races by giving a show on the walking ring and on the track. She was a one woman show.
Good morning Terri… I concurr with your statement there…
couple of things that speed ratings cannot measure is the will to win and the potential upsides. A brave heart like Zenyatta’s is able to overcome any advesity while having a winning mentality aided by a powerful physique. Hence, you will see in her speed-figure tallies increases of 12 points from one race to another when she was really challenged.
Before the Travers some SF devotees where doubtful about Thorpedo Anna winning it because of her numbers where not as high as the … did not win but she nonetheless was up to the challenge defeating all but one with a soaring speed figure this time …
Good morning Nelson,
Thorpedo Anna reminded me of the late great Black Caviar and her race at Royal Ascot in the Diamond Jubilee. Her jockey stopped racing before the finish line and she showed her class by winning by a nose.
The late Queen Elizabeth II had that special race as a sprint so that the Equine Queen from Australia could come to Ascot. They also had invited Zenyatta for a fully paid trip to Royal Ascot and to the Guiness Factory in Ireland; however, Zenny did not tolerate traveling.
P.S. We never got to see a showdown between Frankel and Wise Dan as Frankel also did not travel well.
Hernandez didn’t ask her he tried saving horse, mewonders if a little break might’ve been best, for her…..what a class filly! Idiomatic will give her a race, that is for sure….
No whip on Anna, if you look. Brian showed her the whip to ask her to go on, but he never touched her. Who cares about it being a neck when she can do it like that, without making her resent the job she loves? A win is a win, and a little race riding was overcome. I liked it.
Power Squeeze must have left it all at Saratoga, but Gun Song sure proved that she belongs.
I love Brian, but he gets no kudos from me for no whip…..he got very lucky that the wire came when it did because the other filly was coming back. It literally was a lucky bob
Good Morning Betsy, Some horses despise the whip. And if the rider uses rather than shows the whip, the whip will have the opposite effect.
Brian knows this filly well and he knows what works with her.
Hi Terri – that’s a great point!
Thanks Betsy.
As far as Beyer’s comments on Seattle Slew, he is a jerk.
It would be good if we could start a write-in campaign for his wonderful trainer, Billy Turner, and his jockey, Jean Cruget, to be admitted into the Hall of Fame.
Maybe Steve Haskin can suggest to whom we address this matter.
I’ve never minded Andy Beyer being provocative. I may agree or disagree with some of his opinions, but I enjoyed his books and his passion for the sport. I know I have offered unpopular opinions on this site, but I own them , and if someone offers information contrary to my opinions, that’s fine, although gratuitous sniping is less interesting than honest debate If we all agreed on everything, what’s the point? And this response is directed at no one in particular.
Oh don’t get me started on Cruget….let’s just say that Angel Cordero loved and appreciated Slew, and he’ll always be my favorite jockey because of that
Billy Turner? Yes!
And someone at NYRA needs to explain why there is no race named after Slew
Terri, yes Beyer is a jerk for sure! Always took himself too seriously!
Slew’s final three races….bearing Affirmed in FAST time in the Marlboro…..easily beating Exceller, who won a bunch of Gr1s that year…..then his tour d’force SECOND—his greatest race– the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup, getting passed late by Exceller then coming back on and nearly winning!..
We also do not know what Kenny McPeek told Brian to do/not do.
Terri and Betsy, it sort of reminds me of Peter Moody saying: “I told Luke (Nolen) that if he hit her, I would hit him!” That particular “her” was the late GREAT Black Caviar, and Moody was responding to criticisms that she had not been “as impressive” winning the Goodwood.
I read that Brian Hernandez was fined and suspended one day for hitting Thorpedo Anna seven times in the Travers when he was only allowed to use the whip six times. I was thinking that in that race during that stretch run he certainly had better things to think about than counting strokes of the whip. Maybe he chose not to take that chance again. While of course no horse should be abused during a race–or any other time–I find it ridiculous to use numerical limits to regulate whip use and to punish jockeys who fail to keep an accurate count.
Hernandez was well aware of the historic significance of what they were attempting, with Thorpedo Anna, it was a huge shot in the arm, for Saratoga and for Horse Racing, but Hernandez got suspended, letter of the law/spirit of the law they went letter….
For fans of good baby races, there’s a top notch MSW at BEL/AQU on 9/27 at 1 mile
There are a couple of Todd’s, two Chad’s (one if whom finished behind Ferocious) the Mott colt, Sovereignty, and a McPeek horse who I think VERY highly of…Spurgeon
Thanks for the alert Betsy… As I mentioned before, I believe Sovereignty got a brilliant future… he will be showing his best at that mile contest.
Also, the son of Curlin, Classisist will cherish the distance … he got a regal pedigree top and bottom …!
You’re welcome, Nelson! I can’t root for him despite being out of a Bernardini mare, but he’ll be the one I want to win if Spurgeon doesn’t !
RE: G1 Cotillion Stakes (R12) Parx.
I’ll key Power Squeeze and Thorpedo Anna on top in the first two slots with ALL underneath in the 3rd and 4th slots.
1,6/ 1,6/ ALL/ All in a $1.00 Super P/W, cost: $60.00
Next may be my favorite of my favorite grey horses running right now – which is quite a few. He is gorgeous to me in every way. “Doing it for fun!” I don’t care that it was a G3, that’s one cool customer.
I’m usually for horses being tested, but I enjoy watching Next do what he does. Just winning the same four races every year may be enough.
I wish he could be tested! No one else wants to send them that far on dirt, sadly. I know that time was underwhelming compared to, say, a Secretariat Belmont, but I just liked how Luan must have clucked to him at the mile pole and off he went.
The feat of Kelso winning three Jockey Club Gold Cups at 16 FURLONGS seems to have mithological proportions in modern racing …
It should be! Even at legit classic distance, that race is a shadow of its former self. Kelso would have run the 2024 field off of their feet at whatever distance they picked, IMO.
Muhimma, by Munnings, out of a Tapit mare, was super impressive in her debut race at Churchill Downs on Friday, 9-20. She rated off a fast pace, (22.36, 45.11, 1:09.05) drawing off by 7 1/2 lengths in a good time of 1:15.55 for the 6 1/2 furlong, $120K MSW race.
Trained by Brad Cox, with Florent Geroux up, Muhimma was 3-1 on the morning line, but dropped to less than even money when the gates opened.
Her pedigree reflects speed on top from the Mr. Prospector line, with plenty of stamina influence headed by Tapit and A.P. Indy on her broodmare sire line.
Muhimma sold at auction for $700K, so there were high expectations from the get-go.
Now, the question is, will her connections point her to the BC Juvenile Fillies race?
I say, why not.
At any rate, Muhimma appears to be an exceptional 2yr. old filly to keep an eye on moving forward.
Exceptional indeed this beautiful grey filly … I love to see General Assembly in her female family side.
Let’s see if she can be as fast going two turns… The Shadwell filly Muhimma is in my A+ list already.
Thanks for the reminder Bill…
You’re welcome, Nelson.
Do you think Muhimma’s connections will point her to the BC Juv. Fillies, or try her in a two turn stakes race down the road?
Shadwell will most likely take the route they plotted for Malathaat … Perhaps the Tempted Stakes (listed) and then the Demoiselle Stakes (G2 at 1 1/8 mile), all at Aqueduct, will be her schedule this year. If she does well there hen she can then try Grade 1 company next year…
Thanks for the input, Nelson
Yeah, the race schedule that you pointed out makes more sense than the BC Juvenile Fillies which could be too much, too soon for Muhimma to handle coming out of her maiden win.
Bottom line, the sky’s the limit for Muhimma moving forward.
For sure Bill… you may remember another daughter of Munnings named Im a Chatterbox who was a Grade 1 winner at 10 furlongs.
If Chatterbox was able to do it with Lost Soldier as a broodmare sire imagine what Muhimma potential thanks to her maternal grandsire TAPIT…
love, love, love Curlin! Thank you as always for your beautiful words about the horses and stories we love!
Thanks Leah
Curlin is represented by Timeout in tomorrow’s Pennsylvania Derby. Dragoon Guard is favored to continue his winning streak this time in a Grade One. The son of Arrogate is just a neck (2nd in debut) from being undefeated and has been opening up rather easily over the final furlongs in all his four wins.
The other favorites, Seize the Grey and Unmatched Wisdom got the same running style as Dragoon Guard so it will be a Jockey chess game. On the other corner, Joel Rosario with Timeout and Irad Ortiz with Protective will likely be stalking the three speedsters waiting for a sign of weariness in the greys.
Timeout shows an upward trend in form according to ThoroGraph while Protective seems to have regained his form shown in the Wood Memorial and the Peter Pan Stakes.
I am not sure if the two (numbers 4 at 10-1 and 5 at 8-1) are good enough to win the Penn Derby but nonetheless they both got good chance to fill the exotics…
BTW the late Arrogate got two sons running in the Penn Derby and two daughters in the Cotillion Stakes. Having 4 progeny in two Grade One races the same day is quite remarkable for any Stallion.
Tomorrow will be a horse racing Nirvana with Thorpedo Anna attempting her fourth Grade One win of the year in the 1 1/16- mile of the Cotillion Stakes. Four Grade Ones will be good enough to earn her the Horse of the Year title against an inonsistent bunch of colts and older horses…
I am hoping for a win for Dragoon Guard.
Yes ..the son of Arrogate looks really energetic in the post parade…lets see how all plays out now
Well..the grade one horses proved their worth in the Penn Derby…interesting to see the coach plans for his small speedball
Nelson: He handled the rest of the field easily, didn’t he? I was rooting for the Curlin winner, Unmatched Wisdom, to take a step forward, but he disappointed. Seize the Grey and Stronghold simply outclassed the rest. Glad for Coach, getting another one for the Preakness winner. I haf forgotten Stronghold finished 7th in the Derby and he acquitted himself well today. He bears watching as a 4-year-old next year.
Yes Ms Blacktype … they employed the very same Preakness tactic and it worked well today.
There will be a very nice group of 4-year-old runners next year. You may remember an illustrious list I posted in this blog…
Kenny McPeek sure has a wonderful eye for horses at a very reasonable price. It’s no mistake that he had a Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks winner this year. I also like that he has his own farm and training facility. He owns a percentage of many of the horses he trains. He has a horse racing app: Horses Now.
Thanks for all the great information about Curlin and his history. It’s sad that his original trainer, Helen Pitts, is hardly mentioned recently. The same can be said for Mucho Macho Man’s trainer, Cathy Ritvo.
P.S. Thanks for mentioning the Legends of Bourbon Country Festival Celebrating Curlin.
I went to the Secretariat Festival several years in Lexington with farm tours and it was fabulous. It was such a pleasure to have such excellent tour guides: yourself and Pat Day. I hope that you and Ms. Tweedy will be having another event in the near future. I highly recommend it as one doesn’t have to locate the farms; tour buses pick you up.
P.S. The Florida Derby has been the Curlin Florida Derby for the last few years; of course, Curlin’s son won the first time the Derby was sponsored by Curlin
Bill Spawr gets little mention, for developing Midnight Bisou….
Matthew W
What a sad part of racing.
Bill,
I saw your early top 10 on the previous blog. Did you evaluate the debut win for Godolphin’s East Avenue?
He is by Medaglia D’ Oro out Dance Music by Ghostzapper an unraced daughter of Dance Card the dam of Cody’s Wish.
In the capable hands of Brandan Walsh, I expect this colt to be heard from on the KD Trail.
Hey Counter Point
Thanks for the heads up on East Avenue. To be honest with you, I missed his very impressive maiden win at Ellis Park, drawing off by 8 lengths, in a good time of 1:10.56.
I will certainly add him to my Derby watch list.
BYW, I noticed an earlier comment you posted today stating you will be betting against Thorpedo Anna, in Saturday’s Cotillion Stakes. Good luck betting against the best 3yr. filly in the country.
In an additional comment, you mentioned your support of Al Qudra over New Century, winner of the Summer Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 14th. I’ll just post what the Footnotes stated, “Al Qudra was no match for New Century”.
We could see a rematch in the BC Juvenile Filly Turf, stay tuned for that.
Good luck, Counter Point.
Oh, nice one to profile, Counter Point. On my list now.
Thank you Steve for a fascinating story, wonderfully told. My mom was a big fan of Curlin who was and clearly remains a very special horse. And as an aside, it always made us smile to see the Canadian horses in his pedigree.
Dawn
What a great story. I always loved Curlin since I got to see him race at Oaklawn. I knew pieces of his backstory, but thank you Steve for putting those pieces together. It’s always sad to see a trainer or a jockey have a horse taken away from them to put into “better” hands, but I guess that’s the game horse people play. As much as I would love to be an owner, I would probably be a bad one. Now onto another Haskin story I have been saving, Powerhouse of the Rising Sun. I just saw a repeat of Amante Bianco’s race the other day. He looked pretty good.
MATT W Why woud not want a horse who runs races about once a mouth and got race fans something to look foreword too. Fierceness about once every 3 or 4 mouths. GO FIERCENESS GO ROGER
I love horses that run once a month and got race fans something to look forward to ..
I saw a picture of Native Dancer walking off the Pennsylvania Railroad train car, at Santa Anita, as a two year old—I did not know he wintered at The Great Race Place….
I’m looking forward to the G1 Cotillion Stakes, at Parx, coming up on Saturday (R12)
It’s good to see Torpedo Anna back with her own kind in this race, a possible tune up for the BC Classic, which I feel would be a mistake. In my opinion, the BC Distaff would be a better fit for this impressive filly, but what do I know.
I’m looking forward to that race too, and also looking forward to seeing Seize the Grey and Dragoon Guard square off against each other.
After the Travers, Kenny McPeek indicated on Bloodhorse that he would be pointing Anna to the BC Distaff.
Bill I think they are staying in the Distaff lane now, they made their point—she nearly won The Travers! If she wins The Distaff there will be only one horse that can deny her Horse of the Year: Fierceness, McPeek played his cards well! This upcoming Classic might have a terrific horse coming from England…a three headed monster from Japan….and a few nice three year olds, and older horses from America….I sure hope they will run The Distaff on Saturday, preceding The Classic!
I will be betting against Thorpeda Anna. The Godolphin stable filly Tarifa didn’t raise a gallop on the Sloppy/Sealed CD surface on Oaks Day. Her 18L defeat and Equibase 67 represented the worst result of her career.
Tarifa has raced once since the KY Oaks and that was over 7F a distance too short for her liking. But she was competitive. She enters the Cotilion fresher than TA and will likely race on fast surface. These factors could produce a significantly better performance than when the two last met.
RE: Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
New Century, by Kameko, out of a Street Cry mare, won the G1 brt365 Summer Stakes, at Woodbine, going a mile in 1:32.80, about a second of off the track record, (1:31.73).
He earned an impressive 103 Equibase Speed Figure for his winning effort. What really stands out is the way he closed from far back, running the last furlong in 12.08.
In the event his connections point him to referenced race, I would think he’ll be one of the top contenders.
Initially, New Century raced three times in GB, before shipping to Woodbine for the G1 Summer Special.
Keep an eye on this colt moving forward.
Bill I thought the horse that ran a pretty good 4th, in that race—Godolphin’s First Report—did exemplary, considering it was his turf debut….he changed course, in the stretch and ran on well….trained by Harty…and the beaten favorite that finished 2nd was impeded in deep stretch, by the 3rd place finisher, a possible key race!..
Thanks for the reply, Matthew W.
Not to take anything away from First Resort’s 4th place finish, but the way New Century closed from dead last, during the backstretch run, and finish the way he did, is indicative of the amazing potential of this colt moving forward.
He beat First Resort fair and square in the Summer Stakes, I predict he’ll beat him again in the BC Juvenile Turf.
I would think you might give a little credit to New Century, rather than your continued support of the 4th place finisher whose performance you described as “exemplary”. How First Resort performs moving forward remains to be seen.
Clearly, New Century was the class of the Summer Stakes field. I’m confident he’ll replicate that class moving forward.
Have a nice day Matthew W.
Bill I BET on New Century, I was merely pointing out a couple of the others, is all….I was not intending on insulting you! I closed out pick threes with the #sale 4 & 10, First Repirt and New Century, and I did nor include the big favorite, who ran well AND was impeded late—Talking horses, here, is all!
No problem, Matthew W.
Peace Brother.
Bill, I was very impressed with New Century’s race – especially how fast he ran. His 103 Equibase figure pairs up with a 93 Beyer. That’s an exceptional number for a Canadian 2YO on turf. I like him a lot for the Juvenile Turf. He’ll get bet, but probably not as much as the Europeans, whoever comes, so he offers good value. I love watching and hearing about Canadian 2YOs — I’m always looking for the next Northern Dancer.
Bill,
I am surprised you didn’t mention the Godolphin colt Al Qudra that finished 2nd. He came out and bumped New Century and was then placed in a pocket when Dream On drifted over. Al Qudra experienced a rough trip in the stretch and could have held on for the win if not for same.
I am of the opinion that over a mile, Al Qudra has an advantage over New Century. Why? Stride turnover! Al Qudra has a faster stride turnover rate and should he be pointed to the BCJ turf on a tack with configuration featuring tighter turns. Th colt with quicker turn of foot has an advantage.
I came late to the thoroughbred game——was awed by Curlin’s Preakness & he was ‘my’ horse from then on. I admire his record as a racehorse and have been thrilled by his prowess as a stallion. So now I root fervently for all of his progeny and now for their progeny. Curlin is the complete package, imo—sturdy, durable, tenacious, gorgeous and sound. To have a great race record and stud record is remarkable. When comes such another? Thanks Steve—my eyes lit up when I saw this article!
Curlin’s yearlings seem to have generated bidding wars in the 2024 September Kneeland Yearling Sale. These bidding wars resulted in the stallion being associated with the $5M Sale Topper.
Despite Curlin’s dominance. There is another stallion who also hails from the Mr. Prospector sire line, that might have outperformed Curlin, just as his sire did in the 2007 Kentucky Derby. That stallion is Maxfield.
Come on CP! Have you taken leave of your senses with the above claim? The race record of Curlin’s progenies is the driver behind his sale appeal and success. Whereas Maxfield is a freshman sire with his first crop to pass through the sales ring.
How can the unproven stallion be viewed comparably to a proven stallion with an impressive progenies record?
EXTRACT FROM BOODHORSE
‘Maxfield has had 41 horses sold so far during the September Sale, with an average of $275,366 and a gross of $11,290,000 including private sales. he had two yearlings sell for $1m during the boutique Book1 portion of the sale.’
The son of a KD winner and Champion 2YO, out of a mare sired by a Preakness winner and Champion 3YO, is a rarity in the breeding shed. An unproven stallion with an average $275K after 41 lots sold has to be some kind of record. It is unlikely there are many freshman sires that have experienced those kinds of numbers.
Maxfield didn’t win any of the major G1 races at ages 2, 3 & 4. He secured no year-end awards. His claim to fame is winning all 5 starts at Churchill Downs. In fairness, he should have been voted Champion 2YO for his demolition of the G1 Keeneland Futurity field.
I recall Steve’s very favorable comments in 2020, regarding Maxfield’s physical impressiveness whilst being saddled for his return race in the Matt Winn G3, after being away for 7 months. It appears the stallion has transferred his physical impressiveness to his progenies. How else could he be experiencing such success.
Maxfield has the physical appearance, the pedigree and race performance that makes him an interesting stallion. His grandsire Stret Cry sired a winner of three of the world’s biggest G1 races on 3 different surfaces – Street Sense (KD-Dirt); Zenyatta (BCC- All Weather) Whobegotyou (Melbourn Cup – Turf). If there were thoroughbred swimming races, Street Cry would have probably sired a winer at the highest level.
If Maxfield is comparable to his grandsire. The American Breeding Industry will be well served.
Unmatched Wisdom is 8-1 this Saturday? He threw in a clunker, in The Travers, I noticed one if his rundowns had unraveled, and was trailing three feet ..probably didn’t affect his race, but he might have turned off, because of it he didn’t run a jump—8-1, huh? Brown and Prat? I WISH to get 8-1, I’m not confident I’m going to GET 8-1, or anything close to it…
Also…..that Travers—top three ran lights out, I don’t see any of those three in The Pennsylvania Derby…
Take a ‘Stronghold’ of your emotions
Poor post….good horse, and they pointed for this….but 5/2?….D’amato can train….
Another wonderful story. I was not a Curlin fan cause I closely followed Street sense and Hard Spun and he was beating them ! But I came to respect him as a first class race horse. He has trumped that now in the breeding shed.
Liked him,not his connections.
What an enjoyable read, Steve. It was really cool to get the backstory on Curlin. His somewhat humble beginnings are endearing, and i loved reading about the “characters” who touched his career.
My sister got married on Preakness Day, 2007. She had a noon wedding and reception, and had everyone cleared out by 4:30 so we could all get back to our respective living rooms to watch Curlin pull that win out. All three classic races that year were so exciting! I always tell her “Happy Anniversary” on Preakness Day, and have no clue what the actual date is!
That was such a happy and hopeful time in my life, enriched so much by the exploits of the foal crop of 2004. (My daily life is still bettered by a buckskin AQHA Doc Bar x Peppy San gelding of the same vintage, who has no idea that he turned 20 this year!)
Being from SC, we were big Palace Malice fans during his entire campaign, and so proud and excited that Cot kept him in Aiken for a time, so people here could go see him… and they did!
What struck me about Curlin’s BC winners of 2022 was how similar they all looked – he really stamped them. They were like cookie cutter horses with different paint jobs. If you could stand Cody’s Wish, Elite Power, and Malathaat up together without their tack, I think they would still be easily identifiable as “Curlins.” They look like big, fine QHs to me, and most have his pretty head. (Idiomatic sort of bucked that trend the next year, rangy through and through. I love how she runs, so will forgive that she doesn’t look like the rest of the fam.)
My last observation: I am thrilled at the success Good Magic is having. I love that he is by Curlin, and out of a (rival) Hard Spun daughter. If Good Magic’s success – and that of his sons – continues, the foal crop of 2004 may go down in history as fairly hard-knocking racehorses and enormous breed shapers at stud.
As always: thank you, Steve!!
Thank you Katy, and thanks for sharing/
Well Steve it’s 2:00 am & I was having trouble sleeping so I checked Facebook & saw your post about this article on secretariat.com & said I’ve got to read this about the “mighty” Curlin. It had so many facts I did know about this horse I followed & I thoroughly enjoyed it! If something doesn’t interest me I read slowly having to go back & reread things because it didn’t click with me. I read this so quickly taking in all the facts I didn’t know about Curlin. I supported him in all his races except the one I must confess again that I felt like I was a traitor to this magnificent colt; it was the 2007 Belmont Stakes & I had picked Curlin to win, I had just got to my daughter’s horse (I was cat sitting for her & had just come from the stables where my own horse, now just 2 yrs older than Curlin) & was just in time for some of the pre race announcements. As they were talking about the entries & they mentioned a filly named Rags To Riches. I thought to myself well I hope she does fairly well & doesn’t get injured. It was that final stretch that Rags & Curlin came battling each other & I guess it was that girl power thing came over me & I started screaming for her to win. I was glad for her but to this day I am guilty to have betrayed the horse I love so much, the “mighty” Curlin. Anyway sorry for all the run on sentences & thank so much for an excellent article! 🏇🏆
I really appreciate it Cara. Thank you very much/
Awesome tale brought to light by Steve, many interesting twists and turns that I never knew.
Thanks very much, Nick One thing I have found about jhorse stories. Theee is always more to them than you know.
many many years ago i got lucky n caught DWayne talking about picking out yearlings first thing he said, n i will never forget this look at their head, look at curlins head very majestic, your attention to detail is really mindboggling, tat is what makes yr articles so neat love e ery one of them
Thanks, Steve! These days rarely have time to read your wonderful in-depth horse histories, but lucky tonight had the time- for Curlin!
Also can’t believe he is 20! He ran during those great years of Street Sense, Hard Spun, and Rags to Riches – with Rachel soon to come – when I also had the chance to be at the races often. It was an unforgettable memory – joyfully jumping up and down in the rain at Monmouth during his BC Classic – because that was history.
There has always been something about Curlin that just endears him to everyone.
A hunk of a horse who certainly has proven just how special he is.
Thanks for sharing all the details, and thanks to all who had a part in bringing him to his place in Thoroughbred history.
Thanks Peggy. glad I was able to catch you at the right time.
Thanks Steve for sharing the saga of Curlin to become the last American great horse.
Your article details all the challenges horsemen face in order to build a racehorse. I learned that Ken McPeek was the first one to foretell that Curlin was a special racer.
We can say now that Curlin actually ran as a 2-year-old (albeit in an exhibition race) but patience really paid off as he still needed to grow mentally that summer of 2006.
And Curlin grew alright to be one of the most powerful and beautiful Champions since the great Secretariat.
I remember how Jess Jackson mused about running Curlin in the Arc de Triomphe and all the discussions in favor and against the idea. I believe the European trip was put aside after Curlin’s runner-up effort in the Man O’War Stakes behind turf specialist Red Rock…
Jess Jackson received a ton of appreciation from the fans for deciding to keep Curlin as a 4-year-old. The late American Billionaire proved that you can have a star (by running brilliant 4-year-olds) and a breeding stallion as well. Jackson wanted to show that Curlin was in the same class as Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Spectacular Bid.
There was also a lot of excitement about a possible match with Big Brown in the 2008 BC Classic; but the Derby winner was retired after winning the Monmouth Stakes on September 13.
Being a superstar runner and top sire is a real marvel. Curlin is the only Stallion siring three Breeder’s Cup champions the same day twice (Cody’s Wish, Malathaat and Elite Power in 2022 and Cody’s Wish, Idiomatic and Elite Power in 2023).
Curlin had sons running in every Derby since his first crop from 2013 to 2018. He was also represented by sons in the 2021 and 2023 Derbies.
Two paternal grandsons of Curlin (Rich Strike and Mage) won the 2022 and in 2023 Derbies. Curlin had 3 paternal grandsons running in the Derby this year.
The only Derbies without Curlin hoofprint were the 2019 and 2020 editions.
Given the results of the recently finished Keeneland auction, Curlin is bound to maintain his genetic presence at the highest levels in the foreseeable future.
It would be a tall order for any progeny of Curlin to emulate his feats but we wiil nonetheless be full of hope while following them …
Great response!
Thanks Solo Solo… I appreciate it your feedback.
People forget how excited everyone was for a showdwn between Curlin and Big Brown. Really peaked after the Haskell.
Thanks Steve, another great piece that brought me back to one of happiest time in my life! My love of racing and fortunate handicapping was only eclipsed by my love for my wife and hers for me!
Happy to bring you back there.
Effervescing was the first horse that made my jaw drop—before him Triple Bend and His Majesty turned my head, but Effervescing dod more than that—Flying Paster at age five blew me away….Precisionist as well…a Quarter Horse named Dashingly….the big Tiznow gelding Well Armed….today, it’s Express Train, horses that give me goosebumps, in their looks…..Curlin was one of those, SHOCKINGLY beautiful!….Probably the best combination of looks and talent I ever saw…..
I cannot believe Curlin is 20. I watched horse racing from time to time before, but Curlin is the reason I fell in love with racing and he will always have a special place with me because of that. I was lucky enough to meet him in person after he retired and he was just as majestic and wonderful in person as I had always imagined him to be. Thank you for sharing his story.
Mr Haskins there is one thing that really bugs me how you are able to be so attentive to detail, it is mind boggling, i know you hv yr daughter helping, may be some day you will let us all in yr secret, i read a lot of horse stories no body writes one like you do, course it does help to hv a lot of years under year belt like i do so i can relate of to it from my years aroundtrack
I’m not sure what bugs you, but thanks. I dont know why you think my daughter helps, b ut she is far too busy with her job and raising two snall children to pay any attention to my columns.
Wow what can i sat absolutely one great,great story, Hv to feel real sorry for Helen Pitts and her rider for what they put into this horse, as is the same story on a lot of horses, the behind the scene, nevr hear of people that really had a lot to do with horses, have to give Jesse Jackson his due, great person and he was directly responsible for the accomplishments of RA Great horse really top of the line stallion, jus ask Mike Repole he has owned a bunch of his offspring again Thanks for a really insight to a great horse
Thank you Henry. I feel badly for Helen as well.
Steve, thank you so much for all the time and effort you put in to tell the story of Curlin.
Amazing how the human interest side of this story came full circle in so many ways.
For a sire who had a slow start, he has risen to the top echelon on the sire’s list many times.
Ms Banke I think made a very wise decision to move him to Hill N’ Dale.
One interesting little tidbit. On his dam side way he goes back to Somethingroyal through her son Sir Gaylord.
Thanks very much Lynda.
I just love when the pieces of a grand puzzle are found and now you can see the whole picture. Thank you for sharing his story.
Thanks Malaine.
Great tribute to a n exceptional racehorse, sire and sire of sires.
I have kept a record of the most successful sire line in TC history i.e., The Mr. Prospector sire line. It is therefore not surprising that Curlin hails from the most successful category of male line descendants of Mr. Prospector.
History reflects that the grandsons of Mr. Prospector have been the most impactful in the breeding shed. The likes of Unbridled, Elusive Quality, Distorted Humor and Street Cry have produced many champions. Obviously very few of the aforementioned can match Curlin’s race record and year end accolades.
Other grandsons of Mr. Prospector worth mentioning are Quiet American, Lookin at Lucky and Dubai Millennium. The first two, sired KD winners Real Quiet and Country House. Dubai Millennium was phenomenal as a racehorse and who belongs in the category of Curlin. He was associated with one crop before his untimely passing. That crop produced Dubawi a mega European based sire who is tied with 3 other stallions for the most Breeders cup winners.
Despite’s Curlin success and impact in the breeding shed. He has some ways to go to match the like of Street Cry and Unbridled despite neither experiencing the Sales Ring appeal during their stud careers. But his current successes put him on course to equal and eclipse both.
I have often referred to Unbridled’s dynasty. He is undoubtedly one of the most successful grandsons of Mr. Prospector. Not only is Unbridled the last KD winner to sire a KD winner. He like his grand sire, completed the Triple Crown with 3 different sons i.e., Grindstone, Red Bullet and Empire Maker. The likes of American Pharaoh and Arrogate trace back to Unbridled.
Street Cry a multiple surface stallion was a big lost to the breeding community. He sired KD winner Street Sense, the phenomenal Zenyatta (BCC winner; 20 wins from 21 starts); Winx (37 wins from 43 starts with 33 consecutive wins); Whobegotyou Melbourn Cup winner.
Curlin was destined to be great if he could transfer his genes to his progenies. So many phenomenal racehorses proved to be disappointing in their second job. Curlin is a stud in every respect.
NB: Secretariat and Mr. Prospector were folded in 1970. One foal became a legend as a racehorse but disappointing a sire. The Secretariat sire line is all but extinct. Mr. Prospector who possessed a modest race record at best, has emerged the patriarch of a Dynasty that just keeps on producing winners at the highest level.
The Secretariat line is far from bring extinct!
Perhaps you should spend some time reading Steve’s previous article on the impact of his daughters.
My reference was to his sire line. Can you cite either one or more male line descendant at stud in the USA for Secretariat?
The last major runner in the USA from Secretariat’s sire line is possibly Express Tour who swept the 2000 FL Stallion Series. He was a son of Tour d’ Or who was a grandson of Secretariat via Medialle D’ Or. who was produced from a Norhtern Dancer mare but was modest as a racehorse. It is unknown if Express Tour was used for stallion duties.
I welcome being enlightened of a prominent stallion from the Secretariat sire line in the USA.
I am aware of the success Secretariat broodmare line. Despite its success it doesn’t compared to that of Northern Dancer.
Bernardini’s early success as a broodmare sire and should it continue. He is on course to eclipse both Secretariat and Northern Dancer.
The section of my post wasn’t to discredit Secretariat’s sire line. But rather to express surprise that it appears to no longer exist in the USA. The same can be stated about fellow TC winner Affirmed.
I endeavor to call ball and strikes a task that requires the suppression of emotions.
Hey Counter Point
Every year, I securitize the pedigrees of 2yr colts that could be potential Derby prospects.
When I state “Derby prospects” I’m referring to colts have won their maiden races in impressive fashion, and/or colts the have won stakes races in impressive fashion as well.
The first thing I look at is the sire line. If it leads to Mr. Prospector, that is certainly a major plus, IMO. The following 2yr. old colts meet the criterion that I mentioned.
Bullard, Chancer McPatrick, Gaming, Getaway Car, Jonathan’s Way, McKinzie Street, Mo Plex, Owen Almighty and Pharoah’s Dynasty.
I suspect there will be many more 2yr. old colts that descend from the Mr. Prospector sire line that have yet to race but will do so later on down the road. I’ll keep an eye on those moving forward on the Derby trail.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the success of descendants from the Mr. Prospector sire line.
Bill,
Thanks for your kind comments. They are the very few directed towards me and consequently are very appreciated.
I had Curlin tagged to be an impactful stallion due to what my records reflect regarding the success in the breeding shed of Mr. prospector’s male line descendants in general and his grandson in particular.
I had Smarty Jones also tagged to be a potentially impactful sire. But alas, he has proven to be a bust. Probably breeders gave up on him early.
I mentioned Unbridled. His impact is unparallel. Four generations of triple crown race winners. See below:
UNBRIDLED:
Sire of a winner of each leg of the TC.
Dam Sire – KD winner Orb; Preakness winner Shackleford
Sons –
Grindstone – Sired of Birdstone winner of Belmont
Unbridleds Song – Sire of Eight Bells (Filly) – 2nd KD; Arrogate
Empire Maker – Pioneerof the Nile 2nd KD; Boemiester 2nd KD
Grandsons –
Birdstone – Sire of Mine That Bird/Summer Bird (KD/Belmont)
Pioneerof The Nile – American Pharoach (TC); Classic Empire 2nd Preakness
Arrogate – Secret Oath -Kentucky Oaks; Arcangelo – Belmont; Seize the Grey Preakness
Great Grandson –
Bodemiester – Always Dreaming KD winner
Given Arrogates early success, his untimely passing has certainly robbed the Breeding industry of a stallion that appeared poised to continue Unbridled’s Dynasty.
You’re welcome, Counter Point.
Thanks for the additional information on Unbridled, and the success he has achieved as an outstanding stud.
Showcase, by Uncle Mo, out of a Violence mare, is a 2yr. old colt that is high on my Derby watch list. He won the Saratoga Special, by 3 1/4 lengths, in an excellent time of 1:16.40. Unbridled, appears in his fourth generation on the tail-female side, so keep eye on Showcase moving forward.
BTW, we don’t always agree, but I’ve always enjoyed reading your comments year after year.
Please keep them coming.
Thanks, Counter Point.
Thanks. It s the Fappiano sire line that is potent. Unibridled is a major part of it.
Yes indeed, as you mentioned in a comment a few years back, Fappiano made breeder John Nerud a rich man.
I’m very high on Jonathan’s Way and Gaming because their sire line is identical starting in the 2nd generation on the sire line. That is, Candy Ride, Ride the Rails, Cryptoclearance, Fappiano and Mr. Prospector.
I know it’s very early to rate this year’s crop of 2yr. old colts, but I would appreciate any thoughts you might have on Jonathan’s Way and Gaming as potential Derby prospects.
Thanks Steve.
Great, great story, Steve, and beautifully told. No doubt it took you quite some time to dig up all these details! I’ve always been a big fan of Curlin, back before the Preakness. He impressed me the first time I saw him. And what a sire he’s turned out to be! Good looking too, never mind the ankle. I really enjoyed this one.
Thank you Beth.
Steve this reads like a movie script.. i raced thru the reading .. wonderful like a book i could not put down
I apprreciate it Marc. thank you. It almost felt like one of my books writing it.
Great story Steve. I have been one of the leaders of his band wagon for years and to see all of his success and the success of his progency has been a joy to watch.
What a history of this magnificent horse! Thanks Steve. I remember the first time I got to meet Curlin. He was at Hill & Dale, the “original” farm and then was later moved to Mr. Sikura’s newest farm, Hill & Dale @ Xalapa.
I’m always so honored to be able to have a photo taken with him or any other “warrior of the track”. It never gets old!!
Thank you Karole.
I have to ask why KY is celebrating Curlin – seems kind of odd, unless this is a yearly thing where they honor a particular sire
Curlin has never been a favorite of mine except that he nicks incredibly well with Indy & Bernardini. But he’s pretty incredible…
Recently I’ve been rewatching that epic Belmont where the incredibly underrated Rags to Riches beat Curlin – the race gives me chills
It’s the Legends of Bourbon County celebrating, of course, a legend. Curlin. Secretariat was last year on the 50th anniversary of his Triple Crown win. Next year it will be yet another legend.
Thank you, Karole!
Fantastic, Steve! Curlin’s backstory was completely unknown to me. I wonder though, who named him and what meaning his name held.
If I’m not mistaken, Curlin was named after one of Shirley Cunningham’s distant cousins
Curlin was named after an enslaved African-American named Charles Curlin from Kentucky who fought with the Union Army during the Civil War.
Thanks AK. Glad you learned his story.
My first thought when I saw this piece was Curlin is 20? I still think of him as a “young” stallion, but obviously that isn’t the case. He is one of the last of a vanishing breed: horses who ran championship seasons at 3 and 4 on the dirt. (Not to slight California Chrome, who had three great years from 3 to 5.) And his stud career is nothing short of magnificent. He touched so many lives as he passed through various hands, not to mention the thrills he gave all of us who watched him duel Street Sense, Rags to Riches, and Hard Spun — all really exceptional horses — as he earned back to back championships and HOY honors.
Thanks, Steve, for bringing his story so vividly back to life.
Well don’t forget Curlin is a Graded 1 stakes placed horse on Turf as well
Hi Steve
An outstanding tribute to one of the great ones, and the lives he touched.
I was very high on Getaway Car (by Curlin) going into the Del Mar Futurity, but after setting a torrid pace on the front end, he weakened approaching the stretch.
It’s been said the Curlin’s are late developers, so possibly we haven’t seen the last of Getaway Car moving forward on the Derby trail.
BTW, did you purposely drop “Septembers to Remember” or was it dropped inadvertently?
Thanks, Steve, great article, as always.
Bill, you can still get to “Septembers to Remember”–it’s just a little harder. If you CLICK “Steve Haskin” on the title page, you get a list of many columns including that one. I just did that, and it worked fine.
Hey Jiffy
Yes, that’s always been the case. However, “September to Remember” was conspicuously absent earlier this evening.
Obviously, someone got it fixed.
And a good thing because that’s a particularly beautiful and moving column. That one certainly shouldn’t be hidden.
Exactly!
I agree!
Thanks Bill