Sustained excellence has been a theme of Curlin’s career, first as a multi-time champion on the racetrack and now as one of North America’s established elite stallions. Curlin danced every dance at the highest levels, running around the world and on multiple racing surfaces, winning seven Grade/Group 1 events, and retiring as North America’s leading money winner. He earned two Horse of the Year titles for his owners, Stonestreet Stables, and was voted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. As a stallion, Curlin has found consistent success at the upper levels of the sport. From his first 10 crops of racing age, he has had a Triple Crown race winner, or a runner placed in that series, in seven of those crops. He has also sired winners of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Kentucky Oaks, and other major events. Curlin led the nation by Grade 1 winners for a second consecutive season in 2022, with three Breeders’ Cup winners capping the season. His sons also found breakthrough success on the year, spreading Curlin’s influence through this year’s American classics and other major events, with that trend poised to continue. “He’s a fantastic sire,” said John Sikura of Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm, where Curlin has stood since the 2016 season after standing his first seven seasons at Lane’s End. “He’s a Grade 1 sire, he’s a classic sire – in my opinion, he’s the best classic sire we have in America. They win Grade 1 races, they win Breeders’ Cup Classics, and he will almost certainly have back-to-back 3-year-old filly champions. I don’t think that’s happened since Deputy Minister, with Open Mind and Go for Wand. “So he’s a world-class horse, and we’re proud of him and our association with Stonestreet. It’s nice to have watched a horse climb the ladder and now be an elite sire.” Curlin was the sire of six Grade 1 winners to lead the way in 2022. White-hot second-crop sire Gun Runner, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and the late Arrogate had four Grade 1 winners each. Earnings leader Into Mischief, Flightline’s sire Tapit, and the consistent Speightstown had three each. Curlin also led by the number of Grade 1 winners in 2021, edging Into Mischief five to four. Curlin has been led the last two seasons by Malathaat, who was the Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old filly of 2021 after a campaign in which she won the Kentucky Oaks, Ashland Stakes, and Alabama Stakes; finished second in the Coaching Club American Oaks; and was third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. In 2022, Malathaat concluded the season, and her career, with three consecutive Grade 1 wins, taking the Personal Ensign Stakes, Spinster Stakes, and finally, the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in a thrilling three-way photo. Clairiere, another multiple Grade 1-winning daughter of Curlin, was third, beaten two noses, in the Distaff. Both fillies were finalists for the 2022 Eclipse Award as outstanding older dirt female, with a second divisional trophy going to Malathaat. She retires one of the recent stars of her division, with 10 wins from 14 starts and having never missed the board. Malathaat capped an outstanding Breeders’ Cup Saturday at Keeneland for Curlin, as Cody’s Wish scored his second consecutive Grade 1 victory by taking the Dirt Mile, and Elite Power stepped up to win the Sprint. Curlin became the first stallion ever to have three winners on a single Breeders’ Cup day. European standout Dubawi had three winners in 2021, but they were spread between the Friday and Saturday programs. In addition to his three Breeders’ Cup winners and Clairiere, Curlin’s Grade 1 winners for 2022 were the fillies Nest and Obligatory. Nest, who won the Ashland, Coaching Club, Alabama, and Grade 2 Beldame Stakes, along with runner-up finishes in the Kentucky Oaks and Belmont Stakes, was a lock to succeed Malathaat as champion 3-year-old filly. Malathaat, Next, and Elite Power were all honored with divisional trophies in January. Curlin is poised for a strong 2023 season at the top levels, with Nest, Cody’s Wish, Elite Power, and Clairiere all expected to return to the races. And while Malathaat has retired, she has a full sister in trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn in unbeaten Julia Shining, winner of the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes, a race both Nest and Malathaat won as juveniles. “Physically, they’re a little bit different, but they’re both very impressive fillies to watch train and she’s shown talent from the beginning,” Pletcher said. “I always felt like the farther she gets the opportunity to go, the better she’ll get.” Meanwhile, Curlin has young sons on the upswing, who, true to the line, are continuing to build its reputation for classic success. Calumet Farm resident Keen Ice, best known for his upset of American Pharoah in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, scored an even bigger upset as a sire when his first-crop son Rich Strike became the second-highest-priced winner in Kentucky Derby history. Another son of Curlin, 2016 Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator, sired Belmont third-place finisher Skippylongstocking, who has gone on to become a multiple graded stakes winner. Exaggerator began his career at WinStar Farm in Kentucky, but moves to Elite Thoroughbreds in Louisiana for 2023. Curlin’s son Good Magic, winner of the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to secure a divisional Eclipse, came out firing with his own juveniles. The stallion, who stands alongside his sire at Hill ‘n’ Dale, was a close second on the competitive freshman earnings list, and was the co-leader by stakes winners, with six. That group was led by Grade 1 Champagne Stakes winner Blazing Sevens. Good Magic is also the sire of Curly Jack, who won the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes and finished second in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes; Grade 2 Remsen Stakes winner Dubyuhnell; Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes winner Vegas Magic; and stakes winners Bat Flip and How Did He Do That. With Blazing Sevens, Curly Jack, and Dubyuhnell already contenders for major 3-year-old races this spring, Good Magic added another graded winner in the division with Reincarnate, who took the Grade 3 Sham Stakes in early January. Led by Blazing Sevens, who ran Beyer Speed Figures of 91 in winning the Champagne and 93 while finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Good Magic also led the freshman class on the Beyer Sire Performance Standings. His progeny recorded 12 Beyers of 80 or higher, a benchmark for juveniles, to eight each for Bolt d’Oro and Triple Crown winner Justify, who were first and third, respectively, on the earnings list. Good Magic’s progeny also recorded three 90-plus Beyers, to two for Justify and one for Bolt d’Oro. Overall, Curlin was the sire of nine sons with foals of racing age in 2022. “It’s early yet in his career,” Sikura said. “So he doesn’t have a ton of sons that are out there yet. Good Magic is off to a very good start. Palace Malice is off to a very good start. So I think all indicators are that his sons can be important sires.” Curlin’s nine sons with runners of racing age combined to sire a total of 41 stakes winners, and an additional 50 stakes-placed runners, through Jan. 18, 2023, and seven had stakes horses in 2022. Four of his sons are the sires of Grade 1 winners. In addition to Good Magic with Blazing Sevens and Keen Ice with Rich Strike, Palace Malice, who stands at Three Chimneys, is the sire of 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Structor; and Connect, standing at Lane’s End, sired Rattle N Roll, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity in 2021 in his first crop. Rattle N Roll was a multiple stakes winner in 2022. Some of Curlin’s better-performing sons are just coming to hand at stud, meaning the future will be bright for this sireline. Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and champion Vino Rosso will have his first runners this year for Spendthrift Farm. “He’s a very good-looking horse,” Pletcher, who trained Vino Rosso, previously said. “He resembles Curlin a lot.” Also with first juveniles this year are Solomini at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in New York, and First Mondays at Northview Stallion Station in Maryland. Grade 1 winner Global Campaign, standing at WinStar, will have yearlings this year, along with Curlin’s Honor at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida and King Zachary at Solitude Thoroughbreds in Texas. Grade 1 winner Known Agenda, also at Spendthrift, currently has his first foals arriving, while Grade 1 winner Idol, a full brother to Nest, enters stud this year at Taylor Made Farm.