Curlin

I Got It Wrong, Cody's Wish Is Horse Of The Year

What I wrote in Monday's TDN, that Idiomatic (Curlin) should be Horse of the Year, well, never mind. It took the tragic news of the passing of Cody Dorman for me to wake up and realize that while Idiomatic had a terrific year, voting for her for Horse of the Year would mean not voting for Cody's Wish (Curlin), and what a mistake that would be. Everything I had to say about the on-track credentials of the two remains the same. Both won a Breeders' Cup race, both won three...

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Elite Power Goes Out On Top With Successful Title Defense In Sprint

A rivalry in any sport makes it more exciting. People tune in to watch a pair of foes with a well-established history of beating one another give it another go. And so it was that Elite Power (Curlin), in his final start before retiring to stud next year, came home first in front of his long-time rival Gunite (Gun Runner) to defend his title in the GI Qatar Breeders' Cup Sprint. Last year's Eclipse Champion Male Sprinter, Elite Power kept his good form going into 2023 and defeated Gunite for...

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Juddmonte's Distaff Win by Idiomatic Helps Curlin Equal his Own Breeders' Cup Record

In 2022, Hill 'n' Dale's super sire Curlin got a record-setting three winners on Saturday's Breeders' Cup card. In 2023, the remarkable sire equaled that as Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic (Curlin--Lockdown, by First Defence) gave her sire a hard-fought victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff sandwiched between the encore wins by Cody's Wish in the GI Dirt Mile earlier on the card and Elite Power later in the GI Sprint. Idiomatic, who has had a stellar year with eight wins from nine starts, has almost certainly sewn up the Eclipse...

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Nov. 5 Insights: Half to Grade I Winner Big World Debuts in Florida

1st-AQU, $85k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6fT, 12:20p.m. ET The lone firster in the field, Team Spoor's CURLIN'S GIRL (Curlin) will open her tab in this maiden baby dash on the back of a string of bullet works. Starting Oct. 7, when she went five furlongs in 1:01.88, she flashed speed Oct. 14 going five panels in :59.44 (1/6); Oct. 23 in company with $475,000 KEESEP grad Shop Lifting (Into Mischief)--who ran second by a head on her debut at Saratoga to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies victress Just F Y...

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Jess's Dream Gelded, Will Pursue Under-Saddle Career For Stonestreet

Jess's Dream (Curlin), a son of Hall of Fame mare Rachel Alexandra, has been retired from stud duty at Florida's Ocala Stud and gelded accorded to a social media post from Stonestreet Farm. Posted to X, the message reads: "Jess's Dream (Curlin x Rachel Alexandra) has been retired from duty & is healthy & happy at the Stonestreet Training Center where he will begin his third career as our track pony. He has been gelded & we look forward to restarting him under tack in the new year." A winner...

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'Solid Sale Getting Better Every Year:' Fasig-Tipton October Sale Concludes

LEXINGTON, KY - The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale concluded Thursday with a solid renewal which very nearly kept pace with its record-setting 2022 version even in the midst of a softening yearling market and a backdrop of uncertainty in the global economy and geo-political landscape. "It was a very successful 2023 Fasig-Tipton October sale," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said after the last horse went through the ring Thursday evening. "The results were very similar to last year and very similar to the 2021 results, which is pretty remarkable when...

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Curlin's Rocketeer Wins Nicely In Keeneland Debut

8th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-26, 2yo, 7f, 1:28.82, ft, 4 lengths. ROCKETEER (c, 2, Curlin--Thirteen Arrows {MSW, $277,375}, by Indian Charlie) went off at 3-1 in this debut spot and was forwardly placed just off pacesetting World Fair (Tapiture). The top pair moved through opening fractions of :22.97 and :46.63 before Rocketeer made his run to strike the front with an outside move passing the quarter pole. The class of the field in the run to the wire, the Brad Cox trainee cruised home to win by four lengths over 25-1...

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Friday Insights: Homebred Curlin Colt Debuts For Gary And Mary West

1st-KEE, $100K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:00 p.m. A Gary and Mary West homebred, HOLLYWOOD ENDING (Curlin) makes the races Friday for trainer Brad Cox. The colt is the fifth foal out of Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Milwaukee Appeal making him a half-brother to MGSW Actress (Tapit), herself the dam of GIII Withers S. winner Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}). On a steady work tab at both Turfway Park and, more recently, Churchill Downs, Hollywood Ending comes in with a good foundation and picks up Flavien Prat for his debut. TJCIS...

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$725K Justify Colt Vaults to the Top as Action Heats up at Fasig-Tipton October Sale

LEXINGTON, KY-The Fasig-Tipton October Yearlings Sale produced its strongest session of the week Wednesday at Newtown Paddocks, bringing its cumulative figures within striking distance of its 2022 record levels. Through three sessions, 790 yearlings have grossed $38,981,000 for an average of $49,343 and a median of $23,500. The average is down just 4.5% from the same point of last year's sale and the median is down 6%. "It was another solid day," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "Today the numbers were up over the similar session last year and...

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Nest to Bypass Breeders' Cup Distaff

Reigning champion sophomore filly Nest (Curlin) will not contest next month's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed Saturday. Campaigned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House, the 4-year-old was last seen finishing fourth in Keeneland's GI Spinster S. Oct. 8. Additionally, plans have yet to be solidified whether the filly will be retired after the sale or will return in 2024. "While Nest has been galloping well since the Spinster, we just don't feel she's at her best for the Breeders' Cup Distaff," Pletcher told TDN...

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Saturday Insights: $1.3m Into Mischief OBS April Grad Makes Santa Anita Debut

9th-SA, $61K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 8:11 p.m. ET. The rail-drawn URBAN LEGEND (Into Mischief) is one of three Bob Baffert trainees to debut in the Santa Anita finale. Out of MSW Singing Kitty (Ministers Wild Cat), the bay colt went for $300,000 at Keeneland September before bringing $1.3 million at the OBS April Sale. He is campaigned by Morplay Racing LLC, Rosedown Racing Stables, LLC and Kerri Radcliffe. The Hall of Fame conditioner will also saddle Nysos (Nyquist), who was purchased by Baoma Corp. for $550,000 at OBS April, and...

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Curlin's $250,000 Stud Fee At Hill 'n' Dale A Match For Into Mischief's

Hill 'n' Dale Farms multiple leading sire Curlin will have a stud fee equal to Spendthrift Farm's Into Mischief at $250,000 LFSN, as the breeding operation published its roster for the 2024 season in a press release Thursday morning. Farm stalwart Curlin, who has defined himself as one of the most preeminent sires at stud today, had his fee raised from $225,000. The 19-year-old is the sire of five individual Grade I winners this year, including Idiomatic, Cody's Wish, Clairiere, Elite Power and Bright Future. Curlin's champion son Good Magic...

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