A Curlin half sister to 2021 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Rock Your World (by Candy Ride ) brought $825,000 Sept. 14 on the second day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, one of two fillies by the Hill 'n' Dale stallion to hit that pricepoint Tuesday.
Consigned by Winter Quarter Farm as Hip 307 and bred in Kentucky by the Curlin Syndicate and Ron and Deborah McAnally, the daughter of the black-type winning mare Charm the Maker went to Matt Dorman's D Hatman Thoroughbreds and will be trained by Phil Schoenthal.
"We are trying to buy fillies that have a residual value and big pedigrees, future broodmares for us as well as future fun racing," Schoenthal said. "She checked all those boxes, she's a big, beautiful filly. You watch horses like Malathaat and Souper Sensational run and who doesn't want to own a Curlin filly right now?
"We got outbid on several other high-end fillies yesterday and today, so we were thrilled to land one; she was probably our favorite."
The filly comes from an extensive family of graded stakes winners, including her second dam, black-type winner Charm the Giant, who saw wins in the 2007 Wilshire Handicap (G3T), Hillsborough Handicap, and Intercontinental Handicap. She is also the dam of 2018 John Henry Turf Championship Stakes (G2T) winner Liam the Charmer.
Third dam Olympic Charmer is a multiple graded stakes winner with victories in the 1999 Railbird Stakes (G2) and 2000 El Encino Stakes (G2) and was runner-up in the La Brea Stakes (G1) in 1999 as well.
Dorman was happy to secure the filly and said he knew he would have to compete this year.
"The market is getting stronger; demand is going up," he said. "Last year I was pretty happy; this year you have to stretch a little bit more. Again, we are big fans of Curlin. (Hip 307 is) a big, strong, athletic horse. Made a lot of sense, great family.
"For the better ones you are going to have to reach... we were underbidders on some of the big ones, so it was nice to get one."
Hip 335 Tops Mike Ryan's Quartet
The other Curlin filly to bring $825,000 was consigned by Glennwood Farm as Hip 335 and was purchased by agent Mike Ryan.
Bred in Kentucky by John Gunther, Eurowest Bloodstock Services, and Tony Chedraoui, the filly named Modern Love is out of 2011 Chicago Handicap (G3) and 2010 Lucy Scribner Stakes winner Devil by Design (by Medaglia d'Oro ). She is also the dam of Competitionofideas (by Speightstown ) who won the American Oaks (G1T) in 2018.
Ryan purchased three other hips, including a Medaglia d'Oro filly consigned as Hip 265 by Gainesway for $550,000. Bred in Kentucky by Green Lantern Stables, the filly is out of the graded stakes-winning Uncle Mo mare Auntie Joy. Second dam Rejoicing produced multiple graded stakes winner Divine Oath.
Also bred by Green Lantern and consigned by Gainesway was Hip 215, a City of Light filly added to Ryan's collection for $450,000. The filly is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Ultimate Cause, who is a half sister to the 2021 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) winner Silver State .
Another purchase by Ryan was Hip 328, a $400,000 Candy Ride colt consigned by Mill Ridge Sales. Bred in Kentucky by Colts Neck Stables, the yearling is out of the grade 1-winning Speightstown mare Dance to Bristol, winner of the 2013 Ballerina Stakes (G1) and the Honorable Miss Handicap (G2).
