Curlin Second Classic Winner to Sire a Classic Winner

Hill 'n' Dale Farms' prominent sire Curlin  became only the second Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner to sire a Classic winner Nov. 2 when his 4-year-old son Vino Rosso  captured the World Championships' richest prize.

Curlin, a son of Smart Strike, won the Classic in 2007, the same year he won the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) and was honored with the first of two consecutive Horse of the Year titles. This feat followed Adena Springs' recently pensioned veteran stallion Awesome Again , who won a memorable edition of the Classic in 1998 when he beat a field with eight grade 1 winners, six of them multiple grade 1 winners. Awesome Again sired Ghostzapper , who completed an undefeated season in 2004 by winning the Classic and was honored as Horse of the Year.

Three other Breeders' Cup winners this year were sired by World Championships winners: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) winner Four Wheel Drive, who is by 2015 Classic winner and American Triple Crown winner American Pharoah ; TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Storm the Court, who is by 2011 TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner Court Vision ; and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner Sharing, who is by 2004 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Speightstown .

Sharing has a particularly deep Breeders' Cup family history. She is out of Shared Account, who won the 2010 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) and is by Pleasantly Perfect, who won the 2003 Classic.

Curlin progeny have had an exceptionally strong run in 2019. Prior to the Breeders' Cup, the stallion was the fourth-leading North American sire by progeny earnings and the second-leading sire by number of graded stakes winners with 10, behind Gainesway's Tapit  with 11. 

Following the Breeders' Cup, the $3.3 million banked by Vino Rosso went a long way toward elevating Curlin to the runner-up spot on BloodHorse.com's leading sires list with $14,363,162 in progeny earnings. Spendthrift Farm's Into Mischief , who is the sire of Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winner Covfefe, still holds the top spot with $16,397,226 in earnings. 

Vino Rosso became Curlin's ninth grade 1 winner in May when he won the Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1) and in the Classic became his sixth runner to win multiple grade 1 stakes. In all, Curlin has sired 31 graded stakes winners among his 63 (8% from foals of racing age) black-type winners to date worldwide.

Befitting their racetrack success this year, Curlin progeny have been in high demand at auction. His 2019 auction yearlings averaged $590,887 and included eight sold for $1 million or more, led by a $4.1 million colt sold at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. His 2-year-olds averaged $863,429, topped by a $3.65 million colt at The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's 2-year-olds in training sale.

Curlin will stand for $175,000 in 2020.