Curlin Perseveres to Sire First Kentucky Derby Winner

No question, elite North American stallion Curlin was more than due to become the sire of a Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, which he achieved May 2 when Golden Tempo roared from off the pace in deep stretch to claim the rose blanket by a neck over Renegade. Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa's 22-year-old son of Smart Strike had sired three runners-up in the Derby prior to this year with Exaggerator in 2016, Good Magic in 2018, and Journalism last year. As a racehorse, Curlin became a classic winner after capturing the 2007 Preakness Stakes (G1). He also was second in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and third in the Kentucky Derby. A later victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) nailed down champion 3-year-old male honors for him that year in addition to the first of consecutive titles as Horse of the Year. Curlin became a bedrock sire for breeders once his progeny had the opportunity to showcase their abilities at 3 and older. He ranked third in his second-crop sire class by progeny earnings in 2013 but more importantly sired his first American classic winner in his first crop when Palace Malice won the Belmont Stakes. He then led his third-crop sire class by progeny earnings and by number of stakes winners with 12. He's justified a six-figure stud fee since 2016 and stood for more than $200,000 since 2023. By 2015, he was among the top 10 sires in North America and has consistently been one of the most prominent stallions since then. He has ranked among the top five leading general sires six times and been the second-leading sire three times. He finished 2021 and 2022 as the leading sire by number of grade 1 stakes winners with five and six, respectively. Additionally, Curlin sired three winners during each of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in 2022 and 2023. Curlin fits Phipps Stable's overall breeding philosophy of using primarily proven two-turn horses capable of producing a runner suitable for the American classic races, according to Daisy Phipps Pulito, manager of Phipps Stable, which co-bred Golden Tempo with St. Elias Stable. Mission accomplished. Golden Tempo is out of the Bernardini (by A.P. Indy) daughter Carrumba, whose tail-female line goes back four generations with the Phipps family to Blitey. The specific cross of Curlin with Bernardini mares is represented to date by 72 foals of racing age that include 11 stakes winners, or 26% stakes winners from 43 starters. These stakes winners include six graded stakes winners besides Golden Tempo: Clairiere (G1), Paris Lights (G1), Point of Honor (G2), Cezanne (G2), Cornishman (G3), and Spice Is Nice (G3). Tempo. "It is a really good cross between Curlin and the A.P. Indy line but it also goes a bit deeper than that," Pulito told the BloodHorse earlier this year. "The family seems to really thrive on the Mr. Prospector sire line because of his speed." Curlin's influence was seen through the top finishers of this year's Kentucky Derby. Besides siring Golden Tempo, he is the broodmare sire of second-place Renegade, and is the grandsire of third-place finisher Ocelli, through his sire Connect. Renegade is the first runner for his dam, grade 3 winner Spice Is Nice. Connect, who stands at Lane's End, won the 2016 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G2) among his four career graded stakes wins.