Curalina Brilliant in Winning Grade 1, $750,000 Acorn at Belmont Park
Curalina had her picture taken in the winner’s circle following the $750,000 Acorn Stakes (Grade I) on Saturday and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and all associated could not be more proud!!!
Curalina, a three-year-old daughter of Curlin, overcame a horrendous start being last early on after being squeezed from both sides at the break and having to check sharply. Curalina recovered quickly and immediately began advancing past rivals in this full field of twelve. Jockey John Velazquez had her positioned in fourth after a half-mile while four wide. In a relentless stretch drive, Curalina caught the leader in the shadow of the wire and proved best winning by a neck.
Aron Wellman, President of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, expressed his feelings saying, “Curalina was brilliant, brave, unrelenting and pure class. Only do the most gifted and rare equine athletes overcome such challenges at the highest level and Curalina stamped herself as extraordinary in proving victorious in this prestigious fixture in New York.”
Curalina has won all three of her starts in 2015. After breaking her maiden at Gulfstream Park in March, she romped to a 8ΒΌ length Allowance race victory at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day. Curalina finished second in her debut at Saratoga last July. Trainer Todd Pletcher stated, “She’s a filly we’d had high hopes for for a long time. We felt she was one of our best 2-year-old fillies last year, unfortunately, she had some baby stuff that she needed time off for.”
Curalina was purchased as a yearling at the 2013 Keeneland September Sale for $125,000 and she has now amassed career earnings of $486,800.
Wellman and Pletcher have announced Curalina will now point for the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (Grade I) going one mile and one-eighth at Saratoga on July 26 followed by the one mile and one-quarter $600,000 Alabama (Grade I) on August 22 also at Saratoga.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners feels very blessed and honored to have the baby blue and black silks represented by Curalina and Feathered. Feathered is a three-year-old filly by Indian Charlie who won the $150,000 Edgewood Stakes (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day. She also finished second beaten less than a length in the $400,000 American Oaks (Grade I) at Santa Anita. These races are turf fixtures. Both of these young lady’s rank in the top tier of the nation’s three-year-old fillies.
BELIEVE BIG!!!