Curlin relocating to Hill 'n' Dale Farms

Hall of Famer Curlin, who is in the midst of an outstanding summer season with runners such as Travers Stakes winner Keen Ice, will relocate to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington, Ky., for the 2016 breeding season.

Curlin, a two-time Horse of the Year, has stood at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Ky., since beginning his stud career in 2009.

Hill ‘n’ Dale purchased a 20 percent interest and four annual breeding rights to the horse in May for a total sum of about $6.2 million, after that interest was offered at auction as part of the asset liquidation of former owners Shirley Cunningham Jr. and William Gallion’s Midnight Cry Stables. Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables owns the majority 80 percent interest in Curlin.

"We believe that the owners of the horse are in the best position to direct his stallion career,” Banke said. “[Hill ‘n’ Dale owner] John Sikura has assembled a unique world-class broodmare band and has pledged his best mares to the sire. This year, we bred multiple graded stakes winner Dayatthespa and multiple graded stakes winner and producer Dream Rush to Curlin and will continue to support him with top-quality mares."

Curlin, an 11-year-old son of Smart Strike, stood for an advertised fee of $35,000 in 2015.

"I want to thank Lane’s End Farm for launching his sire career and look forward to working with them in future endeavors,” Banke said. “This move was made to best direct Curlin’s career under a new ownership structure. We look forward to working with Hill ’n’ Dale to further our strategic plan to ensure that the world's highest-rated racehorse becomes amongst the world's most important stallions."

Curlin is the sire of four crops of racing age, with 189 winners and combined progeny earnings of more than $22 million. His leading runners include 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice, produced from his first crop. Curlin added three additional Grade 1 winners this year, led by Keen Ice, who defeated Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes after finishing behind the champion when second in the Haskell Invitational and third in the Belmont Stakes.

Curlin is also represented this year by multiple Grade 1-winning fillies Curalina and Stellar Wind and juveniles Exaggerator and Off the Tracks, both graded stakes winners at the Saratoga meeting. His other career standouts include Grade 2 winners Diversy Harbor and Moulin de Mougin, Grade 3 winner Ocean Knight, and 2014 Preakness Stakes runner-up Ride On Curlin.

Curlin was named Horse of the Year in 2007 and 2008 and finished his ontrack career as North America’s highest earner, winning 11 of 16 career starts for $10,501,800. Curlin earned victories in the Dubai World Cup, Preakness Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Stephen Foster Handicap, Woodward Stakes, and two editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Curlin also finished second in the 2007 Belmont Stakes and third in the Kentucky Derby. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Bred in Kentucky by Fares Farm, Curlin is out of the unraced Deputy Minister mare Sherriff’s Deputy, who is the dam of four winners from six foals to race. He is from the family of Grade/Group 2 winners Barbarika and Red Spada and Grade 3 winner Lucky Lady Lauren.

Hill ‘n’ Dale also stands Stonestreet homebreds Atreides, a stakes-winning son of Medaglia d’Oro, and Maclean’s Music, a son of Distorted Humor whose first foals are yearlings of 2015.

"An opportunity to invest in a proven stallion is rare, so we are honored by Barbara’s trust in us to stand Curlin,” Sikura said. “Of course, his addition to our roster is a huge boost for us.”