FRIDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 2019 BLUE ON POINT AT MEYDAN BRIDGING THE GAP: By Kelsey Riley = Last year=s G1 King=s Stand S. winner Blue Point (Shamardal) CURLIN S TURF FRONTIER towered above his G2 Meydan Sprint rivals on paper, and he ran to form on Thursday to win eased down by five lengths on seasonal debut. The 5-year-old will now target the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Mar. 30. He was scratched behind the gate of that contest last year as the favourite after blood was discovered in his nostrils. Rerouted to Hong Kong=s G1 Chairman=s Sprint Prize over six furlongs a month later, the >TDN Rising Star= trailed home last of nine but he looked much more like himself back to five furlongs in the King=s Stand in June, winning by 1 3/4 lengths from the highly regarded Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Back up to six for the July Cup, he was beaten 4 3/4 lengths in seventh and was 2 1/4 lengths off the near dead heat of Alpha Delphini (GB) (Captain Gerrard {Ire}) and Mabs Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) when third when last seen in the G1 Nunthorpe S. in August. Sitting back in third on Thursday as Faatinah (Aus) (Nicconi Curlin has been chosen as the first mate {Aus})Bhis closest-rated rival and the winner of a handicap over for Lady Aurelia | Sarah Andrew this track and trip on Jan. 3Bset the pace, Blue Point responded when given a shake of the reins by William Buick at the 300- meter mark. He swiftly overtook that rival and was being eased By Kelsey Riley by the time he hit the wire. The winning time of :56.52 was the When Barbara Banke bought out partner Peter Leidel to take fastest for the course and distance thus far at this year=s home Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) for $7.5-million at Fasig-Tipton carnival. Cont. p7 in November, she admitted she was considering stallions in both Europe and closer to home in Kentucky for her dual Royal Ascot IN TDN AMERICA TODAY and G1 Prix Morny winner. HALL OF FAME NOMINEES ANNOUNCED The fact that Curlin was last month revealed as the G2 Queen Five contemporary horses, among them three-time champion Mary and G1 King=s Stand S. winner=s first mate shouldn=t have Royal Delta (Empire Maker), three trainers and one jockey are come as a great surpriseBnot only did he also race in the nine finalists on the ballot for induction as part of the class of Stonestreet=s red and gold silks, but he has shaped into one of 2019 for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Click America=s very best sires. Cont. p2 or tap here to go straight to TDN America. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 11 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 15 FEBRUARY 2019 Sprinting is a trait of broodmare sire Forest Wildcat, who never raced beyond six furlongs and sired mostly sprinters. Curlin=s Turf Frontier Cont. from p1 There are thus far just two foals of racing age by Curlin out of On the surface the mating looks like a cross Scat Daddy mares and one winner, but the cross of Curlin over between a middle-distance dirt sire and a turf Scat Daddy=s grandsire Hennessy has produced a stakes winner. sprint specialist. On closer inspection, however, Daughters of Hennessy=s sire Storm Cat have produced five the pedigrees and performances of both Lady stakes winners when bred to Curlin, and Storm Cat-line stallions Aurelia and Curlin bring plenty more to the table. that are broodmare sires to Curlin stakes winners include Giant=s Everyone remembers Lady Aurelia=s demolition displays at Causeway, Stormy Atlantic and Tale of the Cat. Royal Ascot in 2016 and 2017. Fewer probably recall that, prior As I write this, Curlin, a son of the versatile sire Smart Strike to winning the Queen Mary by seven lengths, Lady Aurelia won out of a Deputy Minister mare, is coming off a big weekend led on debut at Keeneland on the dirt by 7 1/2 lengths, becoming a by new stakes-winning 3-year-old filly Point of Honor and new >TDN Rising Star=. >TDN Rising Star= Global Campaign, who led home a trifecta by Lady Aurelia=s dam, D=Wildcat Speed (Forest Wildcat), was his sire at Gulfstream. Curlin=s newly turned 3-year-olds are Horse of the Year in Puerto Rico and won seven stakes on the hitting the ground running, and the intriguing thing is that this is dirt on the island before being sent to the mainland, where she his last crop bred at a five-figure fee. His 3-year-olds of 2019, won Gulfstream Park=s 1 1/8-mile GII Rampart S. on the dirt by conceived in 2015, were bred at $35,000, his second-lowest fee six lengths. D=Wildcat Speed won at up to 1 3/16 miles (and as since he retired to stud 10 years ago. Curlin went on to have an little as six furlongs, on three occasions), but interestingly none outstanding year on the track in 2015, his headliners including of her five progeny to race has won beyond seven champion 3-year-old filly Stellar Wind, GI Travers S. winner Keen furlongsBrarely, however, have they been tried. From those five, Ice, dual Grade I-winning filly Curalina and graded-winning 2- Lady Aurelia aside, two others did their best running on dirt year-olds Exaggerator and Off the TracksBthe former would go (including the stakes-placed Titletown Five), one on the turf and on to win the GI Preakness S. the following year. one on the all-weather. Cont. p3 TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 11 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 15 FEBRUARY 2019 Bridging the Gap Curlin=s Turf Frontier Cont. In the fall of 2015, John Sikura=s Hill >n= Dale Farms and partners purchased 20% of Curlin for $6.2 million as part of the asset liquidation of his former part owner, the embattled Midnight Cry Stables, and he was relocated from Lane=s End Farm to Hill >n= Dale for 2016 and given a fee hike to $100,000. Banke owns the other 80% of Curlin. Vice President, International Operations Gary King Curlin=s stock has only continued to rise since his relocation. Twitter: @garykingTDN Stellar Wind added five more Grade Is before selling to [email protected] Coolmore for $6 million at Keeneland November; Exaggerator + 1.732.320.0975 won the Preakness, Off the Tracks won the GI Mother Goose S., Good Magic was the 2017 champion 2-year-old and won the GI International Editor Breeders= Cup Juvenile and GI Haskell, and Connect won the GI Kelsey Riley Cigar Mile. His fee climbed to $150,000 in 2017 and 2018 and is Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN set at a career-high $175,000 this year. [email protected] Stonestreet has staunchly supported Curlin from the start, and European Editor has been rewarded as the breeder or co-breeder of Good Magic Emma Berry and Stellar Wind, among others, while Sikura has now thrown Twitter: @collingsberry his weight behind the horse. [email protected] AHis books have been tremendous,@ said Hill >n= Dale General Manager Jared Burdine. ASince Curlin came to Hill 'n' Dale, we Associate International Editor have supported him heavily with our top families and mares. Heather Anderson Stonestreet has continued their strong support with their world- Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN class broodmare band and most of the top breeders in the world Marketing Manager have sent mares to him. His books have been a who=s-who of Alayna Cullen broodmares filled with high-class race mares and producers.@ Twitter: @AlaynaCullen [email protected] Contributing Editor Alan Carasso Twitter: @EquinealTDN Cafe Racing Sean Cronin Tom Frary [email protected] Irish Correspondent Daithi Harvey Regular Columnists Chris McGrath | Andrew Caulfield | John Berry Lady Aurelia before selling at Fasig-Tipton in November Kevin Blake | Tom Peacock for $7.5-million | racingfotos.com In the last three years Curlin=s books have included the 11-time Grade I winner and multiple champion Beholder (Henny IN TDN AUS/NZ TODAY Hughes); GI Queen Anne S. winner Tepin (Bernstein), bought by DUNDEEL: OFF TO A BRIGHT START DOWN UNDER Coolmore at Fasig-Tipton for $8 million; and GI Breeders= Cup John Berry examines the burgeoning stallion career of Juvenile Fillies winner and champion Take Charge Brandi Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) Click or tap here to go (Giant=s Causeway). Cont. p4 straight to TDN Aus/NZ. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 4 OF 11 • THETDN.COM FRIDAY • 15 FEBRUARY 2019 Bridging the Gap Curlin=s Turf Frontier Cont. Burdine said that of 10 select 2-year-olds retained to race by Hill >n= Dale this year, eight are from that first $100,000 crop by Also on the two-time Horse of the Year=s dance card the past Curlin. three years are: Grade I-winning sprinters Indian Blessing (Indian A[Bloodstock agent] Donato Lanni, along with other astute Charlie), Judy The Beauty (Ghostzapper) and Taris (Flatter); GI horsemen, tell me great things about their early training,@ he Acorn S. winner Carina Mia said. AWe keep a fairly small (Malibu Moon), GI Kentucky racing stable and I believe of Oaks winner Blind Luck the 10 2-year-olds we retained (Pollard=s Vision) and GI to race, eight are Curlins. All Belmont S. winner Rags To are great physicals from top Riches (A.P. Indy).