Curlin's Approval ready to break distance barrier in Royal Delta

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Owner and breeder Happy Alter has predicted that 2017 will be a breakout year for Curlin’s Approval, who kicked off the campaign with an impressive victory in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie. But to gain any real national attention, Curlin’s Approval will have to prove her mettle around two turns, a step she’ll try to take for the first time Saturday at Gulfstream Park when the goes 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 2, $200,000 Royal Delta.

Formerly known as the Sabin, the Royal Delta was renamed in 2015 in honor of the three-time champion, who died suddenly last week. Royal Delta won the Sabin by five lengths in 2013.

To win the Hurricane Bertie, Curlin’s Approval will have to reverse her setback at the hands of Eskenformoney in the Grade 3 Rampart in her 3-year-old finale here Dec. 17. Curlin’s Approval was pressed on the lead from the outset by Eskenformoney’s uncoupled stablemate Genre in the one-mile Rampart. She disposed of her early challenger before succumbing grudgingly to Eskenformoney down the stretch, finishing second while beaten less than a length.

“She really seems to be a special filly,” said Alter. “She’s already proven herself at six and seven furlongs and even ran very well at a mile. The bloodlines are there to go two turns, and I think she’s going to open the eyes of the racing world and show them how good she is on Saturday.”

Alter said Curlin’s Approval couldn’t be doing better coming into her two-turn debut.

“I’ve been working on some longer gallops so she’ll be up to the extra distance,” said Alter, a former Grade 1-winning trainer who oversees the majority of the training for Curlin’s Approval, whose listed trainer is Marty Wolfson. “Eskenformoney beat us before and is obviously a horse to be respected and concerned with. But she beat us before with the help from her stablemate, and I think we can reverse it this time.”

Eskenformoney skipped the Hurricane Bertie following her big effort in the Rampart to await the Royal Delta. Owned by Star Ladies Racing and Lisa Troutt, Eskenformoney has won three of five starts locally and was second here a year ago behind Birdonthewire in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks.

“She likes Gulfstream,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “We intentionally gave her plenty of time between her last race and this one, and she’s training well.”

Curlin’s Approval and Eskenformoney will face just four others, including the dangerous Verve’s Tale, who needed eight starts to finally win her maiden during the fall of her 3-year-old campaign but only one more to become a graded stakes winner. Trained by Barclay Tagg, she upset the Grade 3 Comely going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct to close out the year. Verve’s Tale completed a series of five works at Palm Meadows in preparation for the Royal Delta with a bullet half-mile in 48.40 seconds Wednesday.

Mo’ Green, an optional-claiming winner at a mile here Jan. 19, and the Angel Quiroz-trained pair of Caboclo do Rio and bottom-level claimer Venom Girl complete the lineup.

Key Contenders

Curlin’s Approval, by Curlin

Last 3 Beyers: 93-89-88

◗ She’ll be ridden for the second straight time by leading jockey Luis Saez while receiving a two-pound weight concession from both Eskenformoney and Verve’s Tale under the allowance conditions of the race.

Eskenformoney, by Eskendereya

Last 3 Beyers: 90-73-63

◗ Although she’s got a huge experience edge around two turns over Curlin’s Approval, she’s won only once in nine starts at 1 1/16 miles, taking an optional-claiming test last spring at Belmont Park.