Curlina, winner of last year's GI Acorn S., doubled up at the highest level with a dominating performance in the GI La Troienne S. Friday. The chestnut filly was unhurried from her rail post, but pressed the pace under a snug hold as Angela Renee (Bernardini) set fractions of :24.24, :48.38 and 1:12.36. Curalina moved to challenge the pacesetter nearing the stretch and bound to the lead at midstretch before powering clear to an easy win.
“Once I got my position, I made sure to stay there,” explained winning rider John Velazquez. “I wanted to keep Sheer Drama in the tight spot. When we came into the lane, my horse just took off. There was no competition coming after her. She won easy.”
Favored Sheer Drama chased the pacesetters down the backstretch from the rail. She was angled out three wide for running room at the top of the stretch and raced evenly down the lane before getting nipped by Engaginglee for second.
“It was a little too wet maybe for her,” trainer David Fawkes said of the beaten favorite. “I was talking to Joe [Bravo] after the race and he said she never really took a good hold. I don't think she likes the track. She never got a real, good solid footing. We'll wait and see where she goes next.”
The La Troienne was Curalina's first race since finishing third behind Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) and Stellar Wind (Curlin) in the Oct. 30 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. In addition to her Acorn victory, the Eclipse Thoroughbreds colorbearer was promoted to first when I'm a Chatterbox (Munnings) was disqualified in the July 26 GI Coaching Club American Oaks. She was third in the Aug. 22 GI Alabama S. and runner-up in the Sept. 26 GI Beldame Invitational.
Curalina's unraced half-sister by Tale of the Cat sold for $350,000 as a 2-year-old at last year's Keeneland November sale. Her dam, Whatdreamsrmadeof, third in the 2007 GII Fair Grounds Oaks, produced a filly by Jimmy Creed in 2015.
Friday, Churchill Downs
LA TROIENNE S.-GI, $300,000, CD, 5-6, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:42.45, ft.
1–CURALINA, 118, f, 4, by Curlin">Curlin
1st Dam: Whatdreamsrmadeof (GSP, $137,080),by Graeme Hall
2nd Dam: Eastern Ruckus, by Eastern Echo
3rd Dam: Andrea Ruckus, by Bold Ruckus
($125,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners;
B-CASA Farms I, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-John R.
Velazquez. $184,140. Lifetime Record: 9-5-2-2, $1,190,940.
*1/2 to Dream Spinner (Hard Spun), GSP, $145,881.[bullet ad=”denali-congrats-to-eclipse”][bullet ad=”eclipse-tb-partners-purchase”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″] Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
A+++. *Triple Plus*.
2–Engaginglee, 118, m, 5, Fusaichi Pegasus–Lee Gage, by Fit to
Fight. O/B-Paul A. Lichtefeld & Jack D. Stewart (KY); T-Dale L.
Romans. $59,400.
3–Sheer Drama, 118, m, 6, Burning Roma–Riveting Drama, by
Notebook. O/B-Harold L. Queen (FL); T-David Fawkes. $29,700.
Margins: 7HF, HD, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.30, 20.20, 0.90.
Also Ran: Angela Renee, Brooklynsway, Penwith. Scratched: Theogony.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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