Another Feat for Curlin

As if Curlin   needed any more exclusive groups to belong to, the victory by his son Exaggerator in the May 21 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) just inducted him into one more. The 12-year-old son of Smart Strike became the 10th Preakness winner to sire a Preakness winner.

Standing at Hill 'n' Dale Farms for $100,000, Curlin has made a career out of accomplishing the rare feat. As a racehorse, he retired with record earnings for a North American-based racehorse of $10,501,800. He was also one of 10 horses since 1939 to win two or more Horse of the Year titles and one of nine to win their titles consecutively.

Curlin won the 2007 Preakness after finishing third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) behind Street Sense and Hard Spun. He would go on to finish second in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) to the filly Rags to Riches.

Among the 10 Preakness winners to sire a Preakness winner, six of the Preakness-winning sons would win the Belmont with four of those sweeping the Triple Crown. The two who won only the Preakness and Belmont were Native Dancer, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby, and Risen Star, who was third in the Derby.

Exaggerator plowed his own ground in the Preakness by becoming the new chief earner for Curlin with $2,971,120 in purse money to date. Exaggerator, out of the Vindication mare Dawn Raid, heads into the Belmont with four graded stakes wins to his credit, including the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and last year's Saratoga Special (gr. II) and Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (gr. III). Curlin's previous earnings leader was Palace Malice  , who won the 2013 Belmont Stakes.

Curlin is solidly planted in the middle of the top 10 leading sires on the general sire list through May 23. Besides Exaggerator, the sire has been represented so far by two other graded stakes winners this year in Curalina, winner of the grade I La Troienne Stakes, and Terra Promessa, who won the Honeybee Stakes and Fantasy Stakes (both gr. III) at Oaklawn Park. Curlin is the co-leading sire with two grade I winners this year. He is tied with Uncle Mo  , Medaglia d'Oro, and the late Unbridled's Song.