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First Winner For Classic-Placed Ride On Curlin Comes At Gulfstream Park

Classic-placed Ride On Curlin was represented by his first winner at stud on July 15, when Sophisticurl got up at the wire to win a Gulfstream Park maiden special weight by a head, BloodHorse reports.

Sophisticurl dueled with leader Frankly My Dear throughout every step of the 5 1/2-furlong race, until jockey Samy Camacho gained the advantage in the final strides to get a head in front. The filly stopped the clock in 1:05.65 over a fast main track for owner Rolling Meadows Farm and trainer Lester Barbazon III.

Sophisticurl was bred in Florida by Joseph and Helen Barbazon, owners of Pleasant Acres Stallions, which stands Ride On Curlin. She is out of the unraced Tale of the Cat mare Sophisticattin.

Ride On Curlin resides at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Morriston, Fla., where he stood the 2020 breeding season for an advertised fee of $5,000.

The 9-year-old son of Curlin won three of 22 starts during his on-track career, for earnings of $795,175. He set a track record at Ellis Park to break his maiden, winning a 5 1/2-furlong main-track maiden special weight in 1:03 flat, then earned placings in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and Champagne Stakes, G2 Rebel Stakes, and G3 Southwest Stakes ahead of the Triple Crown races.

Following a start in the 2014 Kentucky Derby, Ride On Curlin finished second to California Chrome in the Preakness Stakes.

Ride On Curlin is out of the Grade 2-placed Storm Cat mare Magical Ride, making him a half-brother to stakes winner Space Mountain. His second dam is the Grade 1 winner Victory Ride, and his extended family includes Grade 1 winner River Flyer and Grade 3 winner Don Cavallo.

First Winner For Claiborne Farm’s Runhappy Comes At Indiana Grand

Runhappy, the most heavily-promoted stallion in America, sired his first winner as the 2-year-old Libertyrun rolled to a 6 1/4-length victory in Wednesday's fourth race at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino.

James McIngvale — the Houston furniture magnate and philanthropist known as Mattress Mack — has invested mightily to advertise Runhappy, his 2015 champion sprinter who is a stallion at famed Claiborne Farm. As it turns out, McIngvale got a little piece of his investment back as the owner and breeder of Libertyrun.

“That's the first Runhappy winner, and in Mack's silks as a matter of fact,” said Kelly Wohlers, who serves as assistant to trainer Laura Wohlers, McIngvale's sister in law. The Wohlers oversee McIngvale's racing operation and were very involved in training Runhappy. “So, we're very proud of him. Very happy for Mack.”

Libertyrun — carrying McIngvale's blue, white and red silks to victory four days after Independence Day — was exceedingly professional in his racing debut, breaking from post 12 to press the early pace from the outside and then cruising away in the stretch.

“He's not a very big horse, but he is very professional,” said jockey Miguel Mena. “He came out of the gate great. When we got to the stretch, he had his ears pricked and I hit him once and he took off running. I hit him one more time and he continued on again. I think he is a very nice horse.”

There have been four other 2-year-olds to race so far from Runhappy's first crop, which has 69 named foals.

McIngvale is known for his Texas-sized promotions and charitable works. For instance, he opened up his Gallery Furniture showrooms as shelters in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. He also received worldwide publicity with his “Win It All” promotion where customers who had purchased mattresses or bases totaling at least $3,000 would get their money back if the Houston Astros won baseball's World Series. Those Gallery Furniture consumers cashed in on the Astros' 2017 championship and lost in seven games last year. (Mattress Mack made headlines there by wagering millions through sports books to hedge his bet.)

McIngvale is every bit as enthusiastic in promoting Runhappy by sponsoring stakes and race meets around the country. There also is a $100,000 bonus if a horse sired by Runhappy wins an open maiden race at Belmont Park, Saratoga, Del Mar or Kentucky Downs this summer.

Asked how much his boss has put into promoting Runhappy, Kelly Wohlers said, “Tons. I'm very emotional right now. It's absolutely wonderful.

“He loves to train,” he said of Libertyrun. “He's a very nice athlete. He's got Runhappy's mind, but he's got a little more pep in his step. Runhappy had pep in his step when he got to the paddock. But this horse is all the time on go. He loves what he does.”

Libertyrun, who was born in Louisiana, likely will be pointed to a stakes for Louisiana-bred 2-year-olds, Kelly Wohlers said, though he didn't rule out Ellis Park's $100,000 Runhappy Juvenile on Aug. 9.

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Baytown Bear Notches First Win For Airdrie Stud’s Upstart

Multiple graded stakes winner Upstart was represented by his first winner Tuesday at Indiana Grand when Baytown Bear romped to a 9 3/4-length victory in a one-mile maiden special weight for 2-year-old.

The gray/roan juvenile chased Onenightstandards through six furlongs, and then despite being floated very wide into the stretch when the pacesetter drifted out severely, drew away impressively in the final furlong to win geared down under the wire.

Baytown Bear is owned by McEntree Racing, Inc. and was bred in Kentucky by Airdrie's owner Brereton C. Jones. He is the second foal out of And You Can, who is a half-sister to Jones' Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can.

Upstart won or placed in 10 graded stakes in his stellar career, retiring with more than $1.7 million in earnings. He has been one of the leading first-crop sires at this year's 2-year-old sales, topping all freshman sires by median price and ranking third by average, at $130,555, more than 13 times his stud fee.

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Garoppolo Is First Winner For Grade 1 winner Outwork

WinStar Farm's Outwork, a Grade 1 winner by Uncle Mo, sired his first winner when Garoppolo won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Belmont Park on Friday, July 3.

With Luis Saez riding for trainer Kelly Breen, Garoppolo broke alertly and tracked the early pace from third down the backstretch. He ranged up strongly three-wide on the far turn, assumed command in deep stretch and forged clear late to post a determined one-length victory in his second career start.

Owned by Mr. Amore Stable, Garoppolo was bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds. The bay colt, a $125,000 OBS March graduate, is out the multiple stakes-placed Cuvee mare Romantic Cuvee and hails from the family of multiple graded stakes winner and near-millionaire Senor Swinger.

“We believe the sky is the limit for Outwork,” said Elliott Walden, WinStar's president, CEO, and racing manager. “He has always reminded us of his sire, Uncle Mo, and we're excited to see that he is passing on the speed and precociousness that his sire line is known for.”

Outwork became Uncle Mo's first winner as a 2-year-old when he won his 2015 Keeneland career debut at 4 1/2 furlongs. Outwork registered his biggest career victory in 2016, winning the $1-million Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct for owner-breeder Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher. Outwork retired with earnings of $701,800, having finished first or second in four of five lifetime starts.

The first Grade 1-winning son of Uncle Mo to retire to stud, Outwork is produced from the Grade 1-placed Empire Maker mare Nonna Mia, a three-quarter sister to multiple Grade 2 winner and sire Cairo Prince.

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