Two-time Horse of the Year Curlin enjoyed a monster summer at Saratoga – both on the racetrack and in the sales ring. As the calendar turns to fall in Kentucky, the stallion, who stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in partnership with Stonestreet Farm, is again poised for a big season. Several of Curlin’s top runners will be eyeing the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland – but first, the stallion has a stellar group, including a sibling to an Eclipse Award champion, set for the Keeneland September yearling sale. Curlin swept the major events for two-turn dirt fillies and mares at the Saratoga meet. His daughter Nest – already a Grade 1 winner who was second in both the Kentucky Oaks and Belmont Stakes – seized control of the 3-year-old filly division by sweeping the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama, winning those Grade 1 events by a combined 16 1/2 lengths. In the older filly and mare division, Curlin is represented by last year’s Kentucky Oaks winner and champion Malathaat and Grade 1 winner Clairiere, both bred by Stonestreet. Clairiere carried Stonestreet’s colors to wins over Shadwell’s Malathaat in both the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park and the Grade 2 Shuvee at Saratoga. Malathaat turned the tables by winning the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 27 at Saratoga. Earlier on that same card, Curlin’s son Cody’s Wish gave his sire another Grade 1 victory by rallying to victory in the Forego. Curlin is the sire of yet another Grade 1-winning filly this year in Obligatory, who took the Derby City Distaff in May at Churchill Downs. She continued the good meet for her sire by finishing third in the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 28 at Saratoga. Curlin’s five Grade 1 winners place him atop the national sire list in that category, and he is fourth on the national earnings list. By North American earnings, Curlin, with $10,993,339, is second to three-time leading sire Into Mischief, with $15,740,166. With the Breeders’ Cup and other major fall races on the horizon, Curlin could be within striking range. In the midst of his strong Saratoga meet, Curlin also starred at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale in early August. The stallion was the leading sire by gross over the two-day sale, amassing $8,575,000 as all eight of his yearlings led into the ring sold, with no buybacks. He averaged a strong $1,071,875, led by a $2 million filly who is a full sister to graded stakes winner First Captain. Full siblings to some of Curlin’s other stars are among his 31 yearlings initially cataloged in Keeneland September’s marquee Book 1, with 72 yearlings representing the stallion in the entire sale. Although some have been withdrawn, their presence demonstrates the strength of mares Curlin continues to attract. A full brother to Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Eclipse Award champion Vino Rosso was cataloged but withdrawn, while a full sister to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and divisional champion Good Magic, who went on to be classic-placed, is still set to be on offer. The full sister to Good Magic was bred and raised by Stonestreet, which continues to support the young stallion as he stands alongside Curlin at Hill ‘n’ Dale. He is one of several rising young sons by Curlin, which could make his colts particularly attractive at the sales. Curlin’s son Keen Ice is the sire of this year’s Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, while Exaggerator is the sire of Belmont third-place finisher Skippylongstocking. Palace Malice and Connect are the sires of multiple graded stakes winners from their early crops. From his freshman crop on the racetrack this season, Good Magic is represented by Grade 2 Sorrento winner Vegas Magic and stakes-placed Curly Jack. Meanwhile, Vino Rosso’s first yearlings have helped place him among the early leaders of his class. It’s a measure of the overall strength of Curlin’s book of mares leading to this yearling crop, however, that these two full brothers to champions are just part of an outstanding Keeneland September contingent. Glennwood Farm, which bred Vino Rosso and his full brother, also sent Stage Magic to Curlin in 2020, resulting in a half-brother to Triple Crown winner and leading freshman sire Justify. Other prominent outlets supporting Curlin included Summer Wind Farm, which owns a yearling half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Flightline, out of Grade 3 winner Feathered. Following Flightline's dazzling score in the Pacific Classic to remain unbeaten, Summer Wind elected to withdraw and retain this yearling. In addition to the full brother to Good Magic, the yearlings by Curlin bred by Stonestreet from its stellar broodmare band include a filly out of New Zealand champion Bounding; a filly out of stakes winner Exotic Bloom, the dam of Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Stopchargingmaria; and a colt out of graded stakes winner Teen Pauline, the dam of stakes winner Cambria. Other standouts by Curlin in Keeneland September’s Book 1 include a half-sister to Eclipse Award champion Drefong; a full brother to classic-placed Ride On Curlin; a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and young classic sire Constitution, as well as a colt out of that stallion’s Grade 3-winning half-sister Jacaranda, who has already produced a stakes-placed runner by Curlin. Also in Book 1, Curlin has a filly out of Grade 1 winner American Gal, as well as a filly out of that runner’s dam; a colt out of Grade 1 winner Icon Project, the dam of Grade 2 winner Fashion Business; a half-sister to Canadian champion Lukes Alley; and yearlings out of Grade 1 winners Carina Mia, Dream Tree, Harmonize, Let Faith Arise, and Separationofpowers.