Alter Plans Next Race For Curlin's Approval
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Leslie Martin
Curlin's Approval finished second in the Rampart
Owner Happy Alter reported the morning of Dec. 18 that his homebred filly, Curlin's Approval, emerged from her gutsy second-place finish behind Eskenformoney in the $100,000 Rampart Stakes (gr. III) Dec. 17 at Gulfstream Park in good order and is expected to run her back during the championship meet.
Gulfstream's upcoming stakes for older fillies and mares on dirt include the $100,000 Hurricane Bertie (gr. III) Jan. 28 and $200,000 Inside Information (gr. II) March 18, both at seven furlongs, and the $200,000 Royal Delta (gr. II) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 18.
"This was her first race in 56 days. I think she's at her best when she runs every month to six weeks, so we'll see," Alter said.
The Martin Wolfson-trained Curlin's Approval was a strong 1-2 favorite in the Rampart, her fifth career start at Gulfstream, where she now has three wins and a second including her victory in the Added Elegance Stakes Aug. 28 over her elders. She had raced only once since then, finishing fourth behind multiple graded-stakes winner Lightstream in the Lexus Raven Run (gr. II) Oct. 22 at Keeneland.
Making her first start beyond seven furlongs in the mile Rampart, the only 3-year-old filly in the field dueled for the lead with grade III winner Genre through solid fractions before coming up a length short of holding off the Todd Pletcher-trainee Eskenformoney.