August 2019

This sensational sale-topping colt is son of two champions. His sire, Curlin, was Champion Three-Year-Old Colt, Champion Older Male and two-time Horse of the Year, his eight graded stakes triumphs including the Dubai World Cup (G1), Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), Woodward Stakes (G1), Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), and back-to-back runnings of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

As a sire, Curlin has been no less impressive. He is already sire of more than 60 stakes winners, including Champions Stellar Wind and Good Magic; classic winning colts Exaggerator and Palace Malice; Keen Ice – who defeated American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes (G1) – as well as other grade one winners Curalina, Connect, Vino Rosso and Off The Track. With five grade one winning young sons at stud, he also looks likely to become an important sire of sires.

This colt’s dam, Wapi, is a Chilean-raced daughter of Scat Daddy. America racing has long since learned to respect horses from Chile, a region famed for producing runners notable for their toughness and durability. As far back as the early 1970s, Chilean-bred Cougar II became the first foreign horse to earn over $1,000,000 on U.S. tracks, and subsequently sired Kentucky Derby (gr. I) victor, Gato Del Sol. In the same era, Tizla, captured a trio of graded events, and is ancestress of Cee’s Tizzy, sire of Tiznow. We might also note such Chilean-bred stars as Miss Brio, who defeated Winning Colors in the Maskette Handicap (G1); Host who took the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1); Puerto Madero, conqueror of Silver Charm in the Donn Handicap (G1);  Lido Palace, who took back-to-back renewals of the Woodward Stakes (G1); as well as grade one winners Malek, Mash One, Noches de Rosa, Cocoa Beach, Wild Spirit, and Scat Daddy’s daughter Dacita, a multiple grade one winner in the U.S.

Wapi proved herself a sensational performer in her native country. At two she was a multiple graded stakes winner who showed blazing speed, winning four times and running five furlongs in :56.53; six furlongs in 1:07.8; and 6½ furlongs in 1:14.51. She was even better at three, earning honors as champion of her generation, taking Las Oaks (G1) and the Clasico El Ensayo (G1).

Wapi’s immediate family has been a dominant one in Chile. She is half-sister to stakes winner Lucky Winner (Lookin at Lucky, like Curlin, a son of Smart Strike). Her dam, We Can Leave, is a stakes winner and grade one placed performer, who is a sister to Champion and classic winner We Can Seek and Champion Weekend Trip. Wapi’s second dam Weekend Leave is a Phipps-bred granddaughter of multiple graded stakes winner Blitey. A daughter of Champion Riva Ridge and Lady Pitt, Blitey is ancestress of nearly 40 stakes winners, including other grade one winners Heavenly Prize, Dancing Spree, Finder’s Fee, Good Reward, Fantastic Find, Furlough, Oh What a Windfall, Dancing Forever, Persistently, Bigger Picture and Furia Azteca.

This colt is a product of the Smart Strike/Scat Daddy cross that has already produced a trio of graded stakes winners, two grade one. Scat Daddy is a Storm Cat line stallion, and the Curlin/Storm Cat cross has already produced 12 stakes winners, including graded scorers Diversy Harbor, Current, Gladiator King, Ocean Knight and King Zachary.