Curlin | Horse Racing Free Tips

Thursday’s Insights: Expensive Curlin-Taris Colt Debuts Going Two Turns

7th-CD, $97K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 4:16 p.m. ET
KING FURY (Curlin), the first and only foal out of the late Grade I winner Taris (Flatter), makes his debut in this two-turn affair. King Fury brought $950,000 from Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm as a FTSAUG yearling and is trained by Ken McPeek. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Taris, a $90,000 KEESEP yearling turned $2.35 million FTKNOV horse of racing age, concluded her career with a runaway win for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith in the 2016 GI Humana Distaff S. TJCIS PPs

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Restofthestory Is First Winner For Ocala Stud’s Jess’s Dream

Ocala Stud stallion Jess's Dream sired his first winner when Restofthestory drew off to an impressive 5 3/4-length victory in a Gulfstream Park maiden special weight on Friday, Aug. 28.

Trained by Eddie Plesa Jr. for owners Karl and Cathi Glassman, Restofthestory broke sharply in the 5 1/2-furlong event and quickly assumed command, opening three lengths on her rivals heading into the far turn. She widened her advantage through the lane to score as much the best. It was the second career start for the dark bay filly who finished second in her Aug. 8 debut at Gulfstream.

Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud and a graduate of this year's OBS Spring sale, Restofthestory is produced from the winning Harlan's Holiday mare Holiday Flare, a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Dream of Angels and stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Candrea.

Jess's Dream is a regally-bred son of Horses of the Year Curlin and Rachel Alexandra. A Stonestreet homebred, Jess's Dream was a TDN Rising Star after an impressive winning debut at Saratoga as a 3-year-old for Stonestreet Stables and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

Jess's Dream stood the 2020 season for $5,000 S&N.

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Curlin Colt Graduates in Runhappy Juvenile Stakes

Pico d’Oro stormed to the lead in the dying strides to break his maiden in stakes company Sunday at Ellis Park. The bay colt, a well-beaten sixth on debut at Churchill Downs June 19, overcame traffic troubles to close for second, 3 1/4-lengths behind the front-running Medicine Trail, going six furlongs at this track July 19. With an extra furlong to work with Sunday, Pico d’Oro was at the tail of the field as Medicine Trail battled favored Cowan through an opening quarter in :22.29. Medicine Trail took control turning for home, completing the quarter in :45.64, while Pico d’Oro was systematically picking off foes. The front-runner took a two-length advantage into the stretch, but Pico d’Oro was rallying four wide and uncorked a furious late rally to win going away.

“He ran a really good race today,” jockey Joe Talamo said of the winner. “I was actually pretty confident after watching his last replay. He ran a really good race to run second and galloped out really well. So we definitely thought the seven-eighths would help. I tell you what, he ran, too. The pace was pretty solid up front for us, and he ran them down, very professional too. For breaking his maiden in a stakes, I definitely think he’s got a real bright future.”

Trainer Bill Morey purchased Pico d’Oro for $255,000 following a quarter-mile work in :21 1/5 at this year’s OBS March sale.

“My owner, Gerry Sandlin, was a big part of it,” Morey said. “He’s a good friend of mine. We played Little League baseball together 30 years ago, and this was the first horse we ever bought. So I’m really happy for him, mostly. He was a big part of picking this race and pointing for it and the horse did the rest.”

Asked where Pico d’Oro might go now, Morey said with a laugh, “I’ll talk to Jerry and figure it out. But he’s a nice colt. We think he’ll go a little farther, too. We think he’ll go a mile–I don’t know how much farther. We’ve always thought seven, eight furlongs.”

Pico d’Oro is the first foal out of Michelle d’Oro, a daughter of 2010 GI Acorn S. and GI Test S. winner Champagne d’Oro. The mare also has a yearling filly by Uncle Mo. She was bred to Arrogate this spring. Pico d’Oro is the 39th stakes winner out of a daughter of Bernardini. Click for the Equibase.com chart.

RUNHAPPY JUVENILE S., $100,000, Ellis, 8-9, 2yo, 7f, 1:23.95, ft.
1–PICO D’ORO, 118, c, 2, by Curlin
                1st Dam: Michelle d’Oro, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Champagne d’Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro
                3rd Dam: Champagne Glow, by Saratoga Six
($255,000 2yo ’20 OBSMAR). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Sandin
Syndicate Stable, LLC; B-Southern Equine Stables, LLC (KY);
T-William E. Morey; J-Joseph Talamo. $61,035. Lifetime
Record: 3-1-1-0, $69,517.
2–Medicine Tail, 120, c, 2, Kantharos–Leh She Run, by Pulpit.
($230,000 Ylg ’19 FTSAUG). O-PTK, LLC; B-Highclere Inc. (KY);
T-Dane Kobiskie. $19,850.
3–Perfect Mistake, 120, c, 2, Exaggerator–Rapid Decision, by
Stravinsky. ($20,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-WSS Racing, LLC & 4 G
Racing, LLC; B-Brandywine Farm (Jim & Pam Robinson) (KY);
T-John Alexander Ortiz. $9,925.
Margins: 2, 7, 3HF. Odds: 4.60, 4.70, 25.30.
Also Ran: Waist Deep, Cowan, Heart Rhythm, Libertyrun.

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Point Of Honor ‘Deserves A Shot’ Against Midnight Bisou In Personal Ensign

Proud as he is of the way Point of Honor performed last summer at Saratoga, finishing second in both the Grade 1 Alabama and Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, trainer George Weaver is hoping for a little better this year.

“She ran big here last year, but she got beat,” Weaver said. “Hopefully, she doesn't get beat this time.”

The task will be a difficult one, as Point of Honor will line up against champion Midnight Bisou and four others in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets. The 1 1/8-mile event for older fillies and mares is the first of five stakes, four graded including three Grade 1s, worth $2 million in purses on a 12-race Whitney Day program.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing's Point of Honor won the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan last spring at Pimlico Race Course prior to her Saratoga runs, and did not race back until finishing second as the favorite in a seven-furlong handicap in March at Tampa Bay Downs.

The 4-year-old daughter of Hall of Famer Curlin overcame a slow start to run third in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 18 at Oaklawn Park, and most recently came up a nose shy of winner She's a Julie in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on June 13 at Belmont Park. Both races are contested at 1 1/16 miles.

“I think she's a better filly at 4. I think she's filled out and she's a stronger filly. Her races have all been good this year, though we're still waiting to get that first win,” Weaver said. “It's a tough assignment on Saturday but she deserves a shot at it as much as anybody in there.”

Point of Honor drew far outside in the field of six, while Midnight Bisou will break from post 3 in defense of her 2019 Personal Ensign victory, which came by a nose over Elate with She's a Julie third.

“Midnight Bisou is the champ. If you're trying to pick the horses to run against you wouldn't pick her,” Weaver said, “But, we're here and she's doing well and she deserves a shot at it so we'll see what happens.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, aboard for seven of Point of Honor's nine races including both Saratoga starts and the Black-Eyed Susan, has the return call Saturday.

Weaver also said R.A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' Vekoma, impressive last out winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile on July 4 at Belmont, is doing well and expected to make his next start in the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego on August 29 at Saratoga.

Vekoma has yet to return to the work tab since the Met Mile, a front-running 1 ¼-length triumph that extended his win streak to three races and came 28 days after a 7 ¼-length romp in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter Handicap which, like the Forego, is contested at seven furlongs.

“I was on the fence in running back in the Met Mile after four weeks off the big race in the Carter, and following the Met Mile I was not looking to come back in four or five weeks,” Weaver said. “We're trying to make it to the Breeders' Cup and the Forego is the most logical next spot.

“So far, everything's looking good and we're looking forward to getting him back to the races,” Weaver said. “He's always been a good horse. The sky's the limit for him.”

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