Parsimony Puts It Together In Curlin

Trainer Doug O'Neill can surely count his maiden voyage to Dubai as a successful one, with two winners-both of stakes-and 13 runners in the money from 22 starts through Thursday. And there is a chance that Parsimony (Dominus) could lead him to bigger and better things after an eye-catching victory in Thursday's Listed Curlin S.

Parsimony is apparently a horse that took his accomplished trainer some time to unravel; not only did it take the grey 18 starts to break his maiden, but within his first year on the track he was tried from as short as five furlongs on the dirt to up to 1 1/8 miles on the turf. Parsimony made a remarkable 16 starts at three last year, and O'Neill regarded the horse highly enough to try him in a pair of GI Kentucky Derby preps, the GII Rebel S. and GII Blue Grass S. Later, in the midst of seven consecutive tries on the grass midway through the year, he ran second to 2-year-old champion Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GII Los Alamitos Derby on the dirt. Parsimony at last broke through when dropped back down to six furlongs on the dirt at Santa Anita last October, and had stepped back up to 2000 metres for his carnival debut in a Jan. 23 handicap, where he was beaten four lengths in fourth after setting the pace.

The Korean raider Today broke sharply from the four hole and Parsimony and William Buick went right with him from the five and breathed down their rival's neck through the first turn and down the backstretch. That pair broke away from the field rounding the bend and had a lead of six lengths turning into the straight. The writing appeared on the wall for Today as he came under the whip shortly thereafter, and although the chestnut stayed on gamely until the final furlong Parsimmony had more in reserve. The grey swept to the lead approaching the furlong marker and pulled away under minimal urging.

“That was very pleasing,” said Leandro Mora, assistant trainer to Doug O'Neill. “It was a perfect ride from William. We said when we arrived that this was the horse we hoped could be a Dubai World Cup night horse. He ran very well first time, but we knew he would improve from the run, so we came here today pretty hopeful.”

Curlin and California Chrome both won this race before it carried black-type en route to their respective G1 Dubai World Cup wins. Connections of Parsimony will have the option to wheel back off a short break in next Saturday's G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3, or roll the dice that they make the field for the main event on Mar. 28.

Parsimony is by Spendthrift Farm's Smart Strike son Dominus and is the fifth foal out of the stakes placed Lil Cora Tee (Lil E. Tee). That mare's first foal was the triple listed winner and dual Grade III placed Lovely Loyree (Cactus Ridge), and she has a yearling colt by American Pharoah to come.

CURLIN H. (SPONSORED BY MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM CITY-DISTRICT ONE)-Listed, $175,000, Meydan, 2-27, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 2000m, 2:05.05, ft.
1–PARSIMONY, 122, c, 4, Dominus–Lil Cora Tee (SP-US,
$146,619), by Lil E. Tee. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($41,000 yrl
'17 KEEJAN; $85,000 yrl '17 KEESEP; $400,000 2yo '18
OBSMAR) O-Reddam Racing LLC; B-Maria Montez Haire (PA);
T-Doug O'Neill; J-William Buick. $105,000. Lifetime Record:
GSP-US, 22-2-7-3, $305,974. *1/2 to Lovely Loyree (Cactus
Ridge), MSW & MGSP-US, $411,098.
2–Today (Kor), 119, g, 6, Drosselmeyer–Gone Goodbye, by
Gone For Real. ($52,000 in utero '13 KEENOV). O-Ko Jeong-Su.
$35,000.
3–Ambassadorial, 132, g, 6, Elusive Quality–Tactfully (Ire), by
Discreet Cat. (20,000gns HRA '19 TATFEB) O-Jane Chapple-
Hyam. $17,500.
Margins: 2 3/4, 2 3/4, NK. Also Ran: George Villiers (Ire), Dehbashi, Great King, Tried and True, Assimilation (Ire), Red Cactus, Grand Argentier (Fr), Baengmunbaekdap, Barreesh (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.