Curlin Colts Top OBS Pinhook Prospects

Buying yearlings last year for his pinhooking partnerships, Florida horseman Ciaran Dunne encountered the most competitive marketplace he had seen in a long time. As a result, he and his partners had to step up to get the ones they wanted, including a chestnut son of Curlin   that cost $350,000

Now, Dunne is hoping that lofty price-tag doesn’t scare off potential buyers for the colt, consigned as Hip 74 as part of Dunne’s Wavertree consignment to the March 14-15 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2-year-olds in training sale.

“Sometimes a big price tag as a yearling can scare people (buying to 2-year-old sales) off,” Dunne said, alluding to the perception that a high-priced yearling purchase will have a high reserve price. “I think we’ve been doing it long enough they know we’re here to sell. What they cost is immaterial to what we set our reserve. At the end of the day, people shouldn’t step away from him because they don’t think they can afford him.

“He’s a special horse. He’s a stunning individual and his work (one-eighth of a mile in :10 1/5) was super.”

Bought by JSM Equine from VanMeter-Gentry Sales at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale, the colt bred in Kentucky by Fox Straus is out of the Pleasant Colony mare Party Chatter, who has already produced stakes winner Rock Candy and stakes-placed Status Pending.

Topping the previous purchase price for juveniles cataloged at OBS and not scratched through March 10 is a Curlin colt bought by Zayat Stables for $425,000. Consigned to OBS as Hip 493 by Eddie Woods, as agent for Zayat, the colt was purchased from Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales out of last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale. Hill ‘n’ Dale consigned the colt on behalf of his breeder, Stonestreet Bred & Raised.

The colt is the first foal produced from the grade 3-winning Dixie Union mare Devious Intent.

Not far behind on the yearling price scale is Hip 127, an Orb   colt bought by consignor Crupi’s New Castle for $350,000 from the Denali Stud offerings at Keeneland’s September sale. The colt bred in Kentucky by DATTT Farm was produced from Remember, an unraced daughter of Forest Wildcat who is a half sister to grade 1 winner Dancing Forever. Included in the extended female family are champion Heavenly Prize as well as top-class runners such as Dancing Spree, Furlough, Fantastic Find, and Good Reward, among others.

Crupi also has a Giant's Causeway   colt, Hip 603, entered in the OBS sale after paying $330,000 for the son of the stakes-placed Trippi mare Hot Trip, herself a full sister to grade 1 winner and near-millionaire R Heat Lightning. Bred in Kentucky by Regis Farms, the colt was acquired from the Keeneland September sale when offered by Three Chimneys Farm as agent for the complete dispersal of Regis Farms.