77th stakes winner and 13th Grade One winner for Curlin
Saturday’s Florida Derby (Gr 1, 9f) at Gulfstream Park was won by Known Agenda (3 c ex Byrama by Byron) who provided Curlin (Smart Strike) with his 77th stakes winner and 13th Grade 1 winner.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and raced by breeder St Elias Stable, Known Agenda settled down midfield racing on the rail. He was asked to quicken approaching the home turn, went wide and then ran on well in the straight to pull away from Soup And Sandwich (Into Mischief) and score by two and three quarter lengths. The favourite Greatest Honour (Tapit) finished in third, another three lengths back.
"He certainly stamped his ticket today (to the Kentucky Derby) and the one exciting thing about him is, we've always felt distance was not an issue for him. We feel a mile-and-a-quarter is going to be right up his wheelhouse,” said Pletcher.
"You want to have five healthy weeks and have everything go smoothly between now and (May 1) but that was a huge, huge step in the right direction today," said Pletcher after a record sixth Florida Derby victory. "It's a meaningful grade 1 win for a really good-looking son of Curlin, so it's exciting."
Known Agenda is the only winner out of Grade 1 winner Byrama (Byron) who is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Klammer (Exceed And Excel) who raced in Hong Kong as Elegance Klammer and Listed placed gelding The Warrior (Exceed And Excel).
Byrama’s Bodemeister (Empire Maker) weanling filly was bought as a foal for US$9,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale by Willowby Bloodstock, while her filly by Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) was bought for US$17,000 by Old Mill Farm at the Keeneland January Horses Of All Ages Sale in January.
Curlin stands at Hill ‘N’ Dale in Kentucky where his 2021 fee is set at US$175,000.
