Big spring for Curlin

Curlin’s incredible streak of classic success is likely to come to an end this season. The stallion, who produced a classic winner or classic-placed runner from each of his first six crops, didn’t have a starter in this year’s Kentucky Derby or Preakness, and does not have any progeny currently under consideration for the Belmont Stakes. However, the Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm stallion is streaking through an outstanding spring, and is set to be represented on the star-studded Belmont Stakes undercard.

Curlin’s graded stakes winners this spring include Vino Rosso, who earned his first Grade 1 victory in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 27. His Beyer Speed Figure of 105 is the top figure by one of Curlin’s offspring this season and is tied for the third-highest Beyer overall of the year at a route on dirt. Curlin’s daughter Lady Apple, who won the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes on April 12 at Oaklawn, returned to finish third in the Kentucky Oaks.

Curlin’s other graded winners in April and May are Campaign (Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup, April 14, Santa Anita), Electric Forest (Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes, April 19, Keeneland), Global Campaign (Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes, May 11, Belmont), Tenfold (Grade 3 Pimlico Special, May 17, Pimlico), Point of Honor (Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan, May 17, Pimlico), and Mylady Curlin (Grade 3 Allaire duPont Distaff, May 17, Pimlico). Curlin leads all North American stallions with nine graded stakes winners this year, and sits fifth on the general sires earnings list. Electric Forest is expected to meet another graded stakes-winning daughter of Curlin, Pacific Wind, in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Campaign is expected to contest the Grade 2 Brooklyn Invitational.

Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin himself competed with distinction in all three legs of the 2007 Triple Crown, finishing third to champion Street Sense in the Kentucky Derby, besting that rival in the Preakness Stakes, and being edged by champion Rags to Riches in the Belmont. Curlin’s first crop was led by 2013 Belmont winner Palace Malice, and the following year he turned out Preakness runner-up Ride On Curlin. Keen Ice finished third to American Pharoah in the Belmont Stakes before eventually defeating the Triple Crown winner in the Travers Stakes. Exaggerator, runner-up in the 2016 Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness two weeks later. Irish War Cry was second in the 2017 Belmont, and last year, against Triple Crown winner Justify, Curlin was represented by Derby runner-up Good Magic and Preakness third-place finisher Tenfold.

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