The long-awaited debut of Curly occurs this Saturday at Oaklawn Park.  Regular readers will recall that Curly is, in the words of Blood-Horse Staff Writer Claire Novak, just 2 letters away from being horse of the year. That alone was enough to endear him to our hearts, but Curly was also no slouch in the sales ring where he brought $145,000 as a weanling (at a sale where the average weanling price was $62,347).  He also has some bloodlines worth boasting about. He is by Gulch out of the Kris S. mare, Fount, who earned $45,260 at the track.  Fount has had only one offspring reach the track, but that foal, a filly by Street Cry, won her debut and earned $29,845. Fount is also a half-sister to 6 winners including Salt Ridge who finished 3rd in the Gallant Fox (gr. III) and earned $150,400. 

Let's take a look at the competition:

April 12, 2008
Oaklawn Race 6
Maiden Special Weight
1 1/16 miles
Three, Four, and Five Year Olds
Post Time: 3:48 PM; HRTV 

Curly is the only first-time starter in the race. Castillo Del Sol (El Corredor - Color Me Special by River Special) is a four-year old who has started 10 times, recording 2 seconds and 4 thirds to earn $34,500.  He also sold for $240,000 as a yearling. His dam was a stakes-placed earner of $225,760.

Another four-year old in the field is Hollywood Handsome (Include - Jewel Dance by Robyn Dancer) who has started 6 times with a 2nd and a 3rd (both placings this year). He is a half-brother to 3 winners.  

Placing third in one start out of three is the 3-year old Stirrup Excitment (Evansville Slew - Deanne's Lady by Dancing Champ). Stirrup Excitment is out of a dam who earned $91,526. Five of her offspring have won and three of them have won stakes.  The latter include Cowboy Stuff who earned $428,280. 

There is also a stakes-placed runner in the race, Letmeby (Orientate - Saramah by Forty Niner) who finished 3rd in the Skyy El Joven Stakes in 2007 as a 2-year old.  Overall, he has 3 thirds in 5 starts and has earned $17,081. His dam has produced 3 winners including the stakes-place Voodoo Lady who earned $145,135.

Orientate Express (Orientate - Waterwild by River Special) who sold for $40,000 as a yearling, has placed 2nd twice in two starts.  He is a half-brother to one winner who has earned $158,200 through 2008.

And how about Curly Cameli (Petionville - Kennedy's Angel by Boston Harbor)? He certainly would make an interesting sounding exacta with our boy Curly.  Curly Cameli has finished 2nd once in 4 starts to earn $11,560. His dam has produced one winner. 

2-Year Old Works

Returning to the WorkTab (horses previously mentioned in this blog)

Peace Town (colt; Peace Rules - Darnestown by Williamstown) and Valid Rule (colt; Peace Rules - Valid Bonnet by Valid Appeal) both worked 3 furlongs at Vinery Stable on 4/11.  Peace Town recorded a time of :37.20 and Valid Rule recorded a time of :37.00.

Also recording a time of :37.00 for 3 furlongs on 4/11 was Prime Time (colt; Medaglia d'Oro - Sioux City by Carson City) who did his running at Keeneland.

New to this blog

The Medaglia d'Oro filly, C. S. Silk (Medaglia d'Oro - Remember the Day by Settlement Day), went 4 furlongs at Elloree Training Center on 4/10 recording a time of :52.80. C. S. Silk's dam was a stakes winner who earned $39,090.  She has produced 8 winners including graded-stakes winner Remember Sheikh who earned $227,495.  Remember Sheikh won his first start as a 2-year old and also captured the Barretts Juvenile Stakes that year.