Curlin
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When Secretariat retired from racing at the end of his three-year-old season the expectation was that he would become a “super sire“. While not a total flop at stud, he came nowhere close to satisfying the expectations of the breeding industry. 35 years later, Curlin started with a somewhat similar situation, although on a much smaller scale in comparison to the greatest horse of all time, Secretariat. Now, in 2012, his first crop will seek to make their papa proud. Bred to some of the best mares in the country, he has been given every opportunity to succeed.
Curlin race record is nearly impeccable. He burst onto the scene on February 3, 2007 with a monstrous 12 ¾ length victory against maidens going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park. Making his first start at the age of 3, he earned a monstrous 102 Beyer Speed Figure for that debut effort.
In his next start, Curlin was thrown to the wolves in the Grade 3 Rebel Stakes. He passed the test with flying colors, drawing off by 5 ¼ lengths. Sent off the favorite in his third race, the Arkansas Derby, the colt won by 10 ½ lengths. He wasn’t quite up for the task in the Kentucky Derby, where he finished third, but he did take the Preakness Stakes next out.
He would go on to post wins in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (’07 and ’08), Breeders’ Cup Classic, Dubai World Cup, Stephen Foster Handicap and Woodward Stakes. He won a total of 10 races from 14 starts for earnings of $10,501,800, making him the richest racehorse in American history.
The expectations for a stallion like Curlin, retiring as one of the best in recent history, are sky high. All of the early indicators are that he will meet those loft expectations.
Curlin boasts a beautiful pedigree as a son of 2007 and 2008′s #1 sire, Smart Strike. A son of Mr. Prospector, Smart Strike has produced a laundry list of top horses, including champions like Lookin At Lucky, English Channel and My Miss Aurelia. He has been a successful sire of all types of horses, including sprinters, routers or grass types.
The broodmare sire for Curlin is Deputy Minister, who was a precocious runner that won an Eclipse Award for his magnificent juvenile campaign. Deputy Minister is responsible for horses like Go For Wand, Dehere, Awesome Again, Better Than Honour, Open Mind, Touch Gold and Deputy Commander.
Within the first three generations, Curlin is kin to Barbarika, Smarten, Raise a Native and Bates Motel.
Curlin did not race at two, but because of his awe inspiring debut early on in his three-year-old year, we can forgive that. There is no reason to think, given his pedigree and what we have seen on the track, that he wont produce precocious individuals capable of winning out of the box. People will always judge by “what have you done for me lately” so it is important for his first crop, or any sires first crop, to get off on the right foot.
His first crop has done incredibly well at auction. In 2011 he had a staggering 20 yearlings sell for at least $100k with the highest reaching $700k. In total, he saw 41 yearlings go through the ring for an average of $136,780 and a median price of $80k.
The saying goes breed the best to the best and hope for the best. That is exactly what has happened for Curlin. If he isn’t top freshman sire, it certainly wont be for lack of trying. All things considered, he is the early favorite to best rivals like Big Brown and Henrythenavigator for the honor.
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