Throughout the breeding season, the Paulick Report will be sharing photos of foals from the first crop of Spendthrift Farm's Breeders' Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso in the “Toast to Vino Rosso” series.
Several breeders have discussed how Vino Rosso's generous leg was an important factor in choosing matings for their mares, and how they've been pleased with the results. Coming in a close second for what breeders have been the most pleased with from their Vino Rosso foals is their minds.
Here, we've got a Vino Rosso colt out of the Elusive Quality mare Quality Pearl, who was born on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, at Dove Crossing Thoroughbreds in Paris, Ky.
The dam is a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Matt's Broken Vow, Grade 2-placed High Button Shoes, and two additional stakes producer.
Dove Crossing's Paula Taube said the colt has shown remarkable maturity, both physically and mentally, from the time he was born.
“He's one of those babies that from the time he was an hour old, basically standing and dry, he looked like a little horse,” Taube said. “Some babies look ratty, but he already had the presence, posture, and frame. You could just see right from the get-go that everything was in the right place, and he's just matured from there. Every day, he just gets better and better.”
Taube described the colt as “brazen,” with good control between his mind and his feet. He's smart about where he steps, but he's not afraid to step wherever he needs to go.
“The other day, the wind was blowing so hard, and every horse on the farm was being crazy and spooking, and I thought, 'This is gonna be fun to bring the baby in,'” she said. “He marched into the barn like a little soldier. Never turned a hair, never batted an eye. I was so impressed by him.
“We were walking him through a puddle, and you know how most babies, the first time you go to lead them through a puddle, they act like they're going to go around it or jump over it; he just forges straight ahead,” Taube continued. “Very forward thinking for such a young soul.”
Vino Rosso, a 6-year-old son of Curlin, stands at Spendthrift Farm for an advertised fee of $25,000.
Vino Rosso won won six of 15 starts and earned $4,803,125 on the racetrack. In addition to his signature Breeders' Cup Classic score, the stallion picked up victories in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes, and the G2 Wood Memorial Stakes.
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