$5 Million Colt Courting Scores in New York

This column highlights the performances of 2-year-old maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Aqueduct Racetrack

The pricey Curlin  colt Courting made amends for a mediocre debut performance with a 2 1/2-length victory in a one-mile maiden special contest Nov. 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack. It wasn't the first time the scopey chestnut left onlookers talking, and chances are, it won't be the last. 

Courting headed to the ring at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale as the literal epitome of the Stonestreet Stables' breeding program. Produced from the grade 1-winning Bernardini mare Cavorting and a son of top sire Curlin, he was a full brother to Stonestreet's star filly, Clairiere, who had only just retired the year before with four grade 1 wins and $3.2 million in career earnings. In the days leading up to session one of the sale, Courting had left such an impression on buyers that the bidding scaled well into seven-figure territory and didn't stop until the gavel pounded at $5 million. The price was the highest paid for a colt at the September Sale since Meydan City sold for $11.7 million in 2006.

Whisper Hill Farm signed the ticket on Courting, but when the colt paraded postward for his debut over a year later, the operation was joined by Stonestreet and Windancer Farms as owners of the colt. Like many of Stonestreet and Whisper Hill's best horses, Courting joined the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

First surfacing on the work tab at Saratoga Race Course over the summer, Courting closed from seventh to be fourth behind the highly-regarded Igniter and fellow Maiden Watcher Rebel Instinct in a one-mile maiden special at Aqueduct Sept. 27.

Facing a smaller field of foes second time out, jockey John Velazquez hustled Courting to the front, where he dueled a rival to his inside through early fractions of :24.11, :47.94, and 1:12.08 before gaining the upper hand turning for home. Under steady handling from Velazquez, Courting streaked to the wire a comfortable winner in a final time of 1:36.03.