Curlin's Honor Finds Redemption in Woodstock Stakes
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Photo: Michael Burns
Curlin's Honor wins the Woodstock Stakes at Woodbine
Curlin's Honor out-sprinted four sophomore rivals to win the $100,000 Woodstock Stakes impressively May 5 at Woodbine.
The Mark Casse trainee led nearly gate to wire, sprinting six furlongs on the all-weather track in 1:08.85 to come close to Canadian Horse of the Year Pink Lloyd's 1:08.05 track record.
The frontrunning Curlin's Honor marked the quarter-mile in :22.65 and a half-mile in :45.24 as Be Vewy Vewy Quiet and Verboten battled three-across turning for home, but jockey Gary Boulanger was not worried. Down the stretch, the 2-1 favorite raced away to a 2 1/4-length victory over Verboten. Supreme Aura came from last to show, with Marcus and Be Vewy Vewy Quiet completing the order of the finish.
"I'd been on him a few times in the morning and he seemed like a pretty classy horse, you can do whatever you want," said Boulanger, who picked up his second stakes win of the meet. "David (Adams, Casse's assistant trainer) and I talked about it and he said, 'There isn't a whole lot of speed in there so let him break as good as you can and see what they want to do and just ride it as it comes up.'
"He broke solid and I said, 'Well, let's dance boys and see what's going to go on.' He got there pretty easily and being as nice as he is, I wasn't that concerned. At the middle of the turn, I wasn't worried about 'Raffie' (Rafael Hernandez aboard Be Vewy Vewy Quiet) or anybody. He turned for home and gave me a pretty solid gear. He ran home hard."
Bred in Florida by Miller Racing, the son of Curlin was a $1.5 million purchase by owners Breeze Easy and John Oxley from the Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training. Curlin's Honor is out of the Stormin Fever mare Franscat, who has produced grade 3-placed Powhatan County and two other stakes winners. She is represented by eight winners from eight foals to race.
A newcomer to Woodbine, Curlin's Honor is now three-for-four in his career with a perfect sprint record. He broke his maiden going six furlongs at Keeneland in October and followed that with a neck victory over the same distance at Fair Grounds.
Cutting back in distance for the Woodstock after a 10th place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park in March, Curlin's Honor was sent postward as the bettor's choice and paid $6.30, $3.10 and $2.40 across the board.