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. 

March 27, 2008 

Gulfstream Race 5

First-Timer Cherokee Queen looked home free, but Rich Citizen kept coming and just got her head in front.  Go Go Pink, who was the best looking horse in the post parade, went off as the favorite, but she couldn't keep pace with the top two.  The other first-timer, Dancingcolors, was bumped at the start which may have discouraged her, as she was soon behind the pack.  She made little impact on the race.     

Equibase Chart

Workouts

The filly One Perfect Karat (Pleasantly Perfect - Golden Fanfare by Seeking the Gold) worked 1 furlong at Fairplex Park in :11.40 on 3/4/08 (sorry for the late notice about this one, but the email notification was only received this week). The dam of One Perfect Karat is a daughter of Jeanne Jones who won $694,900 and won or placed in nine stakes including a win in the Fantasy Stakes (gr. I) and 2nds in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) and Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). She has also produced 6 winners including Beautiful Gem who earned $155,051 and was stakes-placed. 

A returnee to the worktab was Storm Leopard (Pleasantly Perfect - Thiscatsforcaryl by Storm Cat) who worked 3 furlongs from the gate at Palm Meadow on 3/25/08 recording a time of :35.80.

Prime Time (Medaglia d'Oro - Sioux City by Carson City), a bay colt, worked 2f in :26.80 at Payson Park.  The dam of Prime Time has produced 2 winners including the stakes winner, Santerra who earned $303,552 in her career.

Peace Rules had 3 2-year olds work at Vinery Stable, all working 3 furlongs.  Peace Conference, a colt out of the Dayjur mare In Conference, recorded a time of :39.40.  In Conference won the Humana Distaff (gr. III) and placed 3rd in the Honorable Miss (gr. III) and earned $178,932.  She has produced 5 winners including Settle Up who finished 3rd in the Tropical Turf Handicap (gr. III) and earned $191,520. Also working in :39.40 was Valid Rule (Peace Rules - Valid Bonnet by Valid Appeal), a bay colt.  Valid Rule's dam, Valid Bonnet, won or placed in 10 stakes including wins in the Honeybee (gr. III) and the AKsarben Oaks (gr. III) to anchor total earnings of $387,335. Valid Bonnet has produced 4 winners from 4 to race including Little Bonnet a stakes-placed earner of $143,716. Peace Town (Peace Rules - Darnestown by Williamstown), a chestnut colt, worked in :38.80.  His dam earned $94,280 and placed in multiple stakes and is a half- or full- sister to 9 winners.  Peace Town is her first foal.