By J. Keeler Johnson (“Keelerman”) Twitter: @J_Keelerman
Over the past decade, few stallions have achieved as much success as Curlin. It’s safe to say that the Hall of Fame inductee is as good a stallion as he was a racehorse, and now his sons are emerging as stallions as well. enjoy.
Curlin is an elite racehorse that has successively won Horse of the Year and $10,501,800 over two racing seasons. His life record of 11 to 16 includes victories in Preakness S. (G1), Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), Dubai World Cup (G1), Stephen Foster H. (G1), Woodward (G1) and two versions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), as well as finishing second in Belmont S. (G1) and third in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Curlin has demonstrated classic prowess by winning or reaching all three stages of the Triple Crown, and his descendants have followed as formidable players in the Spring Classics. Over the past 10 years, Curlin’s sons and daughters have included:
- Palace Malice, 2013 Belmont winner.
- Ride On Curlin, 2014 Preakness runner-up
- Keen Ice, third place at Belmont 2015.
- Exaggerator, 2016 Preakness winner and runner-up in the 2016 Kentucky Derby.
- Irish War Cry, Belmont 2017 runner up.
- Good Magic, runner-up at the 2018 Kentucky Derby.
- Ten times, third in Preakness 2018.
- Nest, Belmont 2022 runner-up.
In addition, Curlin is the son of Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner and two-time Malathaat champion, Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner and champion Vino Rosso, and multiple-time 1st Place champion Stellar Wind. All three of those prominent competitors have done their best in the long run.
Curlin is yet to produce a Kentucky Derby winner, but in the meantime, his sons are dominating the race. Keen Ice is the male of Rich Strike, the 2022 Kentucky Derby winner, while Good Magic is responsible for Mage, the 2023 Kentucky Derby winner, as well as the 2023 Preakness runner-up Blazing Sevens.
With Curlin emerging as a “breeding line”, I’m excited for the first litter of ponies bred by the aforementioned man Vino Rosso. The successful chestnut is retired in 2020, which means his first starters have already started racing and he will have three-year-olds on the Kentucky Derby in 2024.
Although Vino Rosso won both starts at the age of two, practitioner Todd Pletcher was not really the type to mature early and looked like a work in progress at the age of three into 2018. An extended win in the Wood Memorial (G2) ranked as his only win in seven starts that season, and his Triple Crown run fell short of a ninth-place finish. in the Kentucky Derby and Wednesday in Belmont.
But Vino Rosso made his impressive debut at just four years old. In his final racing season, Vino Rosso won the Gold Cups at Santa Anita (G1) and Stymie S., placed in the Whitney (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cups, and finished the season with a scoreline. decided 4 1/4 scoring length in Breeders’ Cup Classic. It’s no wonder why he was voted the older men’s champion at the Eclipse Awards.
Vino Rosso is at his best distance of 1 1/4 mile, the distance he has won both of his 1st Division victories. He also crossed the rope first in the 1 1/4 mile Jockey Club Gold Cup, only to be disqualified for colliding with an opponent.
Considering how Vino Rosso matured late and thrived in the classics, I don’t expect his two-year-olds to light up the track this year. I would be surprised if Vino Rosso ended the year near the top of the first-season brooding rankings compiled by Bloodhorse.com; Faster and more precocious athletes such as the champion male sprinter Mitole and multiple Omaha Beach Class 1 winners appear to be more likely to achieve early success as racers. stallion.
However, Vino Rosso had a promising start in college. His son Laugh Now pulled a special 4 1/2 girls’ dumbbell at Horseshoe Indianapolis in two lengths, while another son—Zaino—excelledly assembled to the finish line. third in the Royal Palm Juvenile S. $100,000 five-span sprint on the Gulfstream Park turf.
Those are encouraging developments and I expect Vino Rosso’s descendants to significantly improve with distance and maturity. In late fall, races like 1/8 mile Remsen S. (G2) and 1/16 mile Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) may be ripe for Vino Rosso’s sons to conquer. And next spring, I believe we will see at least one son of Vino Rosso make a splash in the spring classics. Can Curlin’s son become a Kentucky Derby winner for the third year in a row?
Here are a few of Vino Rosso’s sons that I’m excited to see in action in the future:
- Sold for $180,000 as an aspiration for the Shortleaf Stable, Yell County produced by runner-up Matron S. (G1) Featherbed, daughter of Mr. Curlin, Smart Strike. This means that Yell County was bred 3×2 with Smart Strike, a strategy that has previously worked with Rich Strike, produced by Smart Strike mares Gold Strike. Featherbed beat Illinois Derby winner (G3) Dynamic Impact and winner Sanford S. (G3) Mo Strike, so there’s a lot of potential in the Yell County pedigree. He recently took his training seriously by tossing three feathers in year:40 at the Thoroughbred Center.
- Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables bought a Vino Rosso’s unnamed son in Fair Huntress for $400,000 as an aspiration. Fair Huntress has never been in a race, but she is the daughter of Tiznow, a two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic champion, recreating the Vino Rosso/Tiznow cross that created Laugh Now.
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handmadesold for $375,000 as a tribute to the Purebred Winchell. The flying pony was produced by maiden winner Storm Raven, daughter of Kentucky Derby runner-up and Preakness Bodemeister, who is best known as the male of 2017 Kentucky Derby winner. Always Dreaming. Crafted has posted workouts at Lone Star Park, most recently half a mile from the starting point at a pace: 47.20. - Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables spent $300,000 to get one Vino Rosso’s unnamed son outside of the Bible Belt, daughter of winner Blue Grass (G2) and successful male Pulpit. Previous Bible Belt ponies include third place Bashford Manor S. (G3) Hardworkcleanlivin, third place Oaklawn S. Happy Boy Rocket and Display S. Gospel Way runner-up.
- ONE Vino Rosso’s unnamed son other than Azalea Belle sold for $300,000 to Albaugh Family Stables. Azalea Belle is the daughter of Haskell Invitational winner H. (G1) Dixie Union, best known as the son of 2012 Belmont winner Union Rags. Thus, this Vino Rosso pony is a half-brother to Iowa Oaks (G3) runner-up Aurelia Garland.
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Summer dietwas purchased by Kenny McPeek (acting as an agent) for $250,000. The Summer Diet is produced by Melody Girl, daughter of Breeders’ Cup winner Juvenile (G1) and the famous male father’s song Unbridled’s Song, whose daughters have won the Triple Crown title of Japan Contrail, Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) Tourist and two-time Eclipse Unique Bella Award Winner, just to name a few. The Summer Diet twice knocked a bullet twice in: 24.20 at Silverleaf Hills Training Center last month.
Do you think Vino Rosso will stand out in stud?
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J. Keeler Johnson (also known as “Keelerman”) is a writer, cinematographer, voice actor, disabled athlete, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A huge fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager the greatest racehorse ever made in America, but considers Zenyatta his all-time favorite.
