Over the years one of the best foils for Curlin —as it was for his sire, Smart Strike—has been mares from the male line of Danzig (who, probably not coincidentally, was the sire of Smart Strike’s marvelous half sister Dance Smartly). At least 12 of Curlin’s stakes winners are bred on this cross, including champion 2-year-old Good Magic and grade 1 winner Known Agenda . Doubling down on the nick, Good Magic has an even better strike-rate with the classic-winning brothers Mage (2023 Kentucky Derby, G1, winner) and Dornoch (2024 Belmont Stakes, G1, winner) and the 2024 Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) victor Mixto from just 12 starters out of mares by Danzig and his sons and grandsons.
On Dec. 21, the Curlin line repaid the debt, when Built , by Good Magic’s broodmare sire Hard Spun , out of a Curlin mare, placed himself in a prominent position on the classic radar earning 10 points towards Kentucky Derby…
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