Curatolo joins Southern California jockey colony
The well-traveled Ryan Curatolo is the newest member of the Southern California jockey colony.
Curatolo, 29, has spent the past eight years abroad, most recently in Dubai. He also has ridden in Japan, Macau, Qatar, Singapore, and South Korea.
A native of France, Curatolo began his career in earnest in North America and had his best year in 2011, when he won 115 races and his mounts earned more than $4 million. He was a finalist for champion apprentice jockey, which went to Kyle Frey, who also is riding here now.
Curatolo is represented by Mike Ciani, who also is the agent for Geovanni Franco.
Kid Corleone impresses
Kid Corleone scored a game win against maidens sprinting on Saturday at Del Mar, but his trainer, Doug O’Neill, believes he’ll be even better when he gets to go two turns.
“We always thought he’d be better stretching out,” O’Neill said Sunday morning. “We think he’ll develop into a two-turn horse. That was a happy surprise yesterday.”
Kid Corleone, a 2-year-old colt by Preakness winner Shackleford, debuted on turf and was making his second start, and first on dirt, on Saturday. He got a Beyer Speed Figure of 82.
“That was impressive,” O’Neill said of the way Kid Corleone fought on. “We liked him, but I’d be lying if I said we thought he’d go wire to wire.”
*** Flavien Prat has dropped an appeal of a three-day suspension and will serve those days this week, Friday through Sunday, but he can ride in both the Native Diver on Saturday and Cary Grant on Sunday.
*** The brilliantly fast Flightline, scheduled to make his stakes debut in the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, worked a half-mile in 46.60 seconds on Sunday morning at Santa Anita for trainer John Sadler. The time was the fastest of 30 at the distance.
*** Nearly a full year after the race, Roses and Candy has been disqualified from victory in a starter-allowance last Nov. 22 at Del Mar, per a stewards’ ruling issued Friday. Roses and Candy was found to have a metabolite of Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD. She is trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally. When the positive was first called, Geovanni Franco, who rode Roses and Candy that day, admitted to McAnally’s long-time assistant, Dan Landers, that he had used a cream prior to the race that contained CBD.
*** David Randall, who owned a van company, trained a small string of horses, and was known for passing out candy he kept stuffed in his pockets, died late last month at age 68. Randall had one win in four starts this year: Double Whopper at Del Mar on July 31. His best horse was Kaydetre, who earned $209,000 racing from 2017 to 2020
*** Rene San Miguel, a former jockey agent who was a well-liked local youth baseball coach, died Nov. 8. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help defray funeral costs.