"History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes" is supposedly a quote by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). There's actually no evidence he ever said such a thing—although he did state the far more poetic "History never repeats itself, but the Kaleidoscopic combinations of the pictured present often seem to be constructed out of the broken fragments of antique legends."
Regardless of attribution, the idea of history rhyming—following or mirroring earlier patterns—is not without accuracy, even in our own microcosmos, and we were gifted an example this weekend.
In December 2017, Solomini crossed the line first in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1), three-quarters of a length ahead of McKinzie , with Instilled Regard just a neck back in third. In what was a highly controversial decision, Solomini, who had delivered his challenge on the outside, was judged to have impeded Instilled Regard even though that one had appeared to be carried out by Solomini's stablemate, McKinzie, who was nearest the rail. As a result, Solomini, who appeared to be the best horse on the day, was disqualified and placed third.
Six years on, Wynstock, a member of Solomini's first crop, crossed the line a half-length in front of Stronghold in the 2023 Los Alamitos Futurity (now a grade 2). That was not the end of matters, though, as Wynstock and Stronghold, challenging to his inner, brushed midstretch before Wynstock came in and bumped Stronghold and the inquiry sign was duly hoisted. This time, however, the fates—or at least the stewards—came down on the Solomini side of the equation, and the order of finish was upheld.
At the time of his Los Alamitos demotion, Solomini remained a highly promising colt. A winner in his debut, he'd then taken second behind Bolt d'Oro in the FrontRunner Stakes (G1) and second to Good Magic in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), with Bolt d'Oro back in third. But while McKinzie and Instilled Regard would go on to grade 1 glory, Solomini would win just once more in 12 subsequent starts. His 3-year-old season started reasonably enough, with a second in the Rebel Stakes (G2) and third in the Arkansas Derby (G1), but he could only finish a distant 10th in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Two subsequent starts that term brought a third in the Affirmed Stakes (G3) and a ninth in the Malibu Stakes (G1), 6 1/4 lengths back of the winner, his old rival McKinzie. At 4, a victory in a one-mile allowance/optional claiming test at Santa Anita Park raised hopes that the son of Curlin might be returning to form, but in his only other black-type outing Solomini could do no better than fifth in the Ben Ali Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.
In 2020 Solomini retired to stud in New York at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, standing at a fee of $6,500, which has risen to $7,500 for the coming season. Prior to the weekend, he had already been represented by a black-type winner in the shape of Soloshot, successful in the Lady Finger Stakes, and just a few hours prior to the Los Alamitos race, another daughter, My Shea D Lady, captured the $500,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes. He's the 11th son of Curlin to sire a stakes winner, and the seventh with a graded scorer.
A $50,000 Keeneland September yearling, the New York-foaled Wynstock resold for $700,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sale Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. His connections must have had some concerns about the wisdom of that investment when Wynstock began his career with a fourth in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Del Mar and a fifth in a similar race at Santa Anita, starting as the favorite on both occasions. Things took a brighter turn, however, when Wynstock—this time dispatched at odds of 13.30-1—went wire-to-wire to score by 7 1/2 lengths over a mile at Santa Anita, earning his way into Saturday's field.
Wynstock's dam, the Flatter mare Timberlea, was acquired for only $10,500 as a racing or broodmare prospect at the 2020 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. She managed just one third in eight starts, but is a half sister to Untrapped, winner of the 2017 Oklahoma Derby (G3) and placed in five other graded stakes. Both the granddam Exit Three and third dam, Castanea, were unraced, but the fourth dam, Yarn, is dam of Minardi, champion 2-year-old colt in England and Ireland, and winner of the Phoenix Stakes (G1) and Middle Park Stakes (G1); Tale of the Cat, a brilliant winner of the King's Bishop Stakes (G2) and a highly successful sire; stakes winner Spunoutacontrol, dam of three-time grade 2 scorer Fed Biz and stakes winner Spun Silk (herself dam of group 1 winner Joking); and Myth, whose son Johannesburg owns the unique achievement of earning honors as champion 2-year-old colt in the United States, England, Ireland, and France, having captured group/grade 1 contests in all four countries. By Mr. Prospector out of the Honest Pleasure mare Narrate, Yarn is a sister to another notable mare, Preach, winner of the Frizette Stakes (G1), and dam of Pulpit. The third dam of Yarn and Preach is Monarchy, a stakes-winning sister to the great runner and sire Round Table.
Wynstock is the third stakes winner and second graded stakes winner by Curlin or a son out of a mare by Flatter. This is a version of the Curlin/A.P. Indy cross that has 35 stakes winners, including champions Malathaat, Stellar Wind, and Cody's Wish , as well as Jantar Mantar, winner of Japan's Asahi Hai Futurity (G1) this weekend. We can also note that Solomini's dam is by Storm Cat out of a mare by a son of Seattle Slew, and Timberlea, the dam of Wynstock, is by a grandson of Seattle Slew out of a mare by a son of Storm Cat.
