Idol

By: Alan Porter

An Impressive grade one winner, Idol is by Curlin – already represented by eight stakes siring sons – out of a stakes winning A.P. Indy mare, and is a full brother to the brilliant Nest.

From the Northern Dancer line, Curlin and sons have developed a particularly strong affinity for mares from the Storm Cat line, this cross producing more than 20 stakes winners. In addition to daughters of Storm Cat himself, this cross has produced grade one winner Grace Adler out of a mare by Newfoundland, grade one winner Rattle N Roll out of a mare by Johannesburg (sire of Scat Daddy, and a son of Hennessy, also sire of Henny Hughes – himself broodmare sire of a graded winner by a son of Curlin – and Cactus Ridge), black-type winners out of mares by Giant’s Causeway (who is represented by such as Not This Time, Creative Cause, Eskendereya, First Samurai and Frost Giant), Tale of the Cat (sire of Gio Ponti and Lion Heart; grandsire of Kantharos), Forestry (sire of Discreet Cat and Shackleford), Stormy Atlantic, Stormin Fever, Lion Hearted and Roar of the Cat. Daughters of Bernstein, Bluegrass Cat, Cat Thief, Discreet Cat, Forest Wildcat, Freud (brother to Giant’s Causeway), Harlan (sire of Harlan’s Holiday and Menifee; grandsire of Into Mischief, Majesticperfection and Shanghai Bobby), Pure Prize and Yankee Gentleman are among other Storm Cat sources that could be considered.

Smart Strike, the sire of Curlin, had a tremendous success rate with mares from the Danzig branch of Northern Dancer. Curlin has followed that trend, with such as Champion Good Magic out of a mare by Hard Spun; a quartet of stakes winners out of daughters of Polish Numbers; grade one winner Known Agenda out of a mare by Byron (from the Danehill branch) and stakes winners out of mares by Exchange Rate, War Chant, Foxhound, Pine Bluff and Ascot Knight. This would also make it worth considering daughters of War Front, Langfuhr, Belong to Me and Bellamy Road.

There is a Curlin grade two winner out of a mare by Dixieland Band and another out of a mare by that horse’s son, Dixie Union (sire of Union Rags). This line could also be sourced through High Cotton, Hook and Ladder and Overanalyze. Out of mares from the Nureyev branch of Northern Dancer, Curlin has a classic winner out of a mare by Royal Anthem and a stakes winner out of a mare by that horse’s sire, Theatrical, and a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Great Commotion. This also suggests trying daughters of Atticus, Fasliyev, Unusual Heat and Spinning World. From the sire line of Nureyev’s three-quarters brother, Sadler’s Wells, we have current grade one winner Blazing Sevens out of a mare by Warrior’s Reward, a son of Medaglia d’Oro (himself broodmare sire of a Curlin stakes winner, and the sire of Violence).

Curlin is out of a Deputy Minister mare, and has enjoyed exceptional success with inbreeding to that strain. Among likely sources are Awesome Again, broodmare sire of Curlin grade one winner Keen Ice, and sire of Ghostzapper, Paynter, Oxbow, Daheer, Toccet, Awesome of Course and Awesome Patriot; Dehere (whose son, Graeme Hall, is broodmare sire of Curlin grade one winner Curalina), Silver Deputy (sire of Archers Bay, Badge of Silver, Spring at Last and Posse), Touch Gold, Forest Camp and French Deputy.

Curlin already has two stakes winners, including grade one winner Collect, out of mares by Holy Bull, and he is the sire of Macho Uno, Flashy Bull, Woke Up Dreamin and Giacomo. The cross with mares from the Roberto line has provided Curlin with graded winners out of mares by Dynaformer (sire of Temple City, Point of Entry and Purim) and Red Ransom. Curlin has a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Indian Charlie, a son of In Excess. In Excess is also sire of Rocky Bar, Notional and Bring the Heat, and Indian Charlie is sire of Uncle Mo, Adios Charlie, Bwana Charlie, Liaison and Cinco Charlie.

Idol is out of a mare by A.P. Indy, but it could be worth crossing over mares from other branches of the Seattle Slew. On crosses with mares from the Seattle Slew line other than A.P. Indy, Curlin has classic winner Exaggerator out of a mare by Seattle Slew son, Vindication, and there is also a grade one winner out of a mare by Boston Harbor (by Capote), and stakes winners out of mares by Seattle Slew sons, Avenue of Flags and Slewdledo. Curlin also has two graded stakes winners out of mares by Yes It’s True, whose grandsire Raja Baba is from the same sire line and family as A.P. Indy.

Idol has one strain of Fappiano through Quiet American, and crossing him back over mares from the Unbridled branch of that line should be positive. Curlin and sons have graded stakes winners out of mares by Rockport Harbor and his sire Unbridled’s Song (also sire of Songandprayer, Liam’s Map, Arrogate, Cross Traffic, Midshipman, Eurosilver, Old Fashioned, Zensational, Even The Score, Dunkirk and Half Ours and Buddha). The cross with Unbridled could also be tried through Broken Vow and Empire Maker (sire of Pioneerof the Nile and Bodemeister, and grandsire of American Pharoah, Classic Empire and Cairo Prince). P { margin-bottom: 0.08in }