Curlin's Approval won't run in Grade 1 La Troienne

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Owner and breeder Happy Alter said that Grade 2 stakes winner Curlin’s Approval came out of her fifth-place finish as the odds-on favorite in Saturday’s Grade 2 Inside Information in good order, although he’s now scrapped plans to bring her back on the Kentucky Oaks undercard in the Grade 1 La Troienne.

“People say she bounced off her previous start, when she ran such a big race and a big number going two turns for the first time in the Royal Delta,” Alter said. “And I would agree with them if she hadn’t come out of this race so well. She’s been on her toes and hasn’t missed a grain of feed since she ran. It was like the race didn’t take anything out of her, and that’s the most important thing. She came back 100 percent sound.”

Alter theorized that cutting Curlin’s Approval back from 1 1/16 miles to seven furlongs might have been the main reason for her lackluster performance Saturday.

“I think going from a 24 opening quarter around two turns to 22 and change the other day, it was like pulling the rug out from under her,” he said. “That and the fact she got caught out very wide after the break. I’m not looking for excuses, I’m just saying I believe it was more that than her bouncing as to why she didn’t run up to expectations.”

Alter said he will skip the La Troienne to give Curlin’s Approval a little more time before bringing her back in the Grade 3 Matron at Churchill Downs on May 20.

“The plan is to keep her at two turns the rest of the year, but I wouldn’t want to run her back in a Grade 1 off this last race, so I’ll just give her the extra time and then send her for the Grade 3 at Churchill two weeks later,” he said.