Stallion Synopsis – Curlin’s Honor

Prepared by: Alan Porter – Pedigree Consultants

“A record-breaking $1,500,000 two-year-old in training purchase, Curlin’s Honor was a multiple stakes winner who scored on dirt, turf and all-weather surfaces, running six furlongs in 1:08 and change on five separate occasions. By Horse of the Year, Curlin, outstanding sire, and now a sire of sires, he has 11 grade one sires under his first five dams, including Fappiano and Quiet American”

Smart Strike, the sire of Curlin, had a tremendous success rate with mares from the Danzig branch of Northern Dancer. Curlin has followed that trend, and there are already 18 stakes winners by he and his sons out of Danzig line mares.  They include Champion Good Magic out of a mare by Hard Spun; Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage out of a mare by Big Brown (by Boundary) grade one winner Bright Future out of a mare by Bellamy Road; a quartet of stakes winners out of daughters of Polish Numbers; and stakes winners out of mares by Foxhound, Pine Bluff and Ascot Knight. This would also make it worth considering daughters of War Front (sire of Declaration of War, The Factor, Summer Front, Hit it a Bomb, Jack Milton and Soldat), Langfuhr (sire of Lawyer Ron) and Belong to Me.  

Curlin is out of a Deputy Minister mare and has enjoyed exceptional success with inbreeding to that strain. On this cross, Curlin sired grade one winner Keen Ice out of a mare by Awesome Again (sire of Ghostzapper, Daheer, Toccet, Awesome of Course and Awesome Patriot), Dehere (whose son, Graeme Hall, is broodmare sire of Curlin grade one winner Curalina), Silver Deputy (sire of Archers Bay, Badge of Silver, Spring at Last and Posse), Forest Camp and French Deputy.

There is a Curlin stakes winner out of a mare by Dixieland Band and another out of a mare by that horse’s son, Dixie Union (sire of Union Rags). This line could also be sourced through High Cotton, Hook and Ladder and Overanalyze. Out of mares from the Nureyev branch of Northern Dancer, Curlin has a classic winner out of a mare by Royal Anthem and a stakes winner out of a mare by that horse’s sire, Theatrical, and a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Great Commotion. This also suggests trying daughters of such as Atticus, Fasliyev,  Spinning World and Unusual Heat. Nureyev is a three-quarters brother to Sadler’s Wells, and from the El Prado branch of that line comes Medaglia d’Oro, the sire of a stakes winner out of the dam of Curlin’s Honor. Medaglia d’Oro is sire of Warrior’s Reward and Violence, and El Prado is also sire of Kitten’s Joy and Artie Schiller. Curlin has developed a particularly strong affinity for mares from the Storm Cat line, and Curlin’s Honori is out of a mare by a son of Storm Cat. He should, however, cross well back over Storm Cat line mares. Curlin has stakes winners out of mares by Storm Cat sons Giant’s Causeway (sire of Not This Time, Creative Cause, Eskendereya, First Samurai, Carpe Diem, Creative Cause and Frost Giant), Hennessy (sire of Johannesburg – who gives inbreeding to the third dam of Curlin’s Honor – Henny Hughes and Cactus Ridge; grandsire of Scat Daddy), Tale of the Cat (sire of Lion Heart, Tale of Ekati and Gio Ponti, and grandsire of Kantharos, Girvin and Uncaptured), and Stormy Atlantic (three-quarters related to the broodmare sire of Curlin’s Honor). Daughters of Bernstein, Bluegrass Cat, Cat Thief, Discreet Cat, Forest Wildcat (sire of Wildcat Heir and D’Wildcat), Forestry (sire of Discreet Cat and Shackleford), Freud (brother to Giant’s Causeway), Harlan (sire of Harlan’s Holiday and Menifee; grandsire of Into Mischief, Shanghai Bobby and Majesticperfection), Pure Prize, With Distinction and Yankee Gentleman are among other Storm Cat sources that could be considered.

Curlin’s champion, Stellar Wind, is out of a mare by Malibu Moon, a son of A.P. Indy. Curlin also has three stakes winners out of mares by A.P. Indy himself, and a graded stakes winner out of a mare by that horse’s son Bernardini (sire of Stay Thirsty and To Honor and Serve). There is also a grade one winner by a son of Curlin out of a mare by Flatter (sire of Upstart). Curlin has a grade two winner out of a mare by Tapit (sire of Constitution, Cupid, Frosted, Tonalist, Tapiture, Concord Point, Tapizar, Hansen – a reverse cross to the broodmare sire of Curlin’s Honor – and Trappe Shot). Tapit is by A.P. Indy son, Pulpit (also sire of Sky Mesa – another reverse cross to the broodmare sire of Curlin’s Honor –Stroll, Constitution, Mr. Speaker, Power Broker, Sightseeing and Parading), and it could also be worth considering mares by Congrats (a brother to Flatter) and Mineshaft (sire of Dialed In – a reverse cross to the broodmare sire of Curlin’s Honor – and Discreetly Mine), Jump Start, Majestic Warrior and Stephen Got Even (sire of First Dude).

A.P. Indy is by Seattle Slew, and Curlin also has classic winner Exaggerator out of a mare by Seattle Slew son, Vindication, and there is also a grade one winner out of a mare by Boston Harbor (by Capote). Curlin also has two graded stakes out of mares by Yes It’s True, whose grandsire Raja Baba is from the same sire line and family as A.P. Indy.

Curlin’s Honor is from the family of Fappiano, and Curlin and sons are beginning to enjoy success over the Unbridled’s Song branch of that line, with grade one winner Idiomatic out of a mare by First Defence, graded winners out of mares by Unbridled’s Song himself and Rockport Harbor, and stakes winners out of mares by Unbridled Express, Old Fashioned, Even the Score and Eurosilver, with other representatives including Songandaprayer, Liam’s Map, Arrogate, Midshipman, Cross Traffic, Half Ours and Will Take Charge. Curlin already has two stakes winners, including grade one winner Collect, out of mares by Holy Bull, and he is sire of Macho Uno, Flashy Bull, Woke Up Dreamin and Giacomo. The cross with mares from the Roberto line has provided Curlin with graded winners out of mares by Dynaformer (sire of Temple City, Point of Entry and Purim)and Red Ransom.  There is a grade one winner on the Curlin cross with a mare by More Than Ready (sire of Ready’s Image, Verrazano and Daredevil). There is also Curlin graded stakes winner out of a mare by Indian Charlie and two graded stakes winners, including grade one winner Muth, out of mares by that horse’s son, Uncle Mo. Indian Charlie isalso sire of Adios Charlie, Liaison and Cindago, and Uncle Mo issire of Nyquist, Laoban and Outwork.

Pedigree Consultants are able to help you in all facets of your thoroughbred investment. Not only are we able to offer proven mating advice but we are also able to advise on mare selection, management and promotion of stallions, and selection and purchase of racing and breeding stock. For more information on the services visit www.pedigreeconsultants.com, email alan@pedigreeconsultants.com or call +1 541 590 3303 or +1 516 528 6559.