|05/21/2023|8:30 p.m
Trained and co-owned by Gustavo Rodriguez with Andrew Gurdon and Anil Poyah, the 4-year-old colt Curlin broke alertly under Jose Lezcano to take the lead in the one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and older.
The gelding posted splits of :22.68 and :45.90 over the sloppy, sealed main track as he raced wide down the backstretch before stalling on the turn and opening up by 5 1/2 lengths after three quarters in 1:10.84. Mistical Curlin enjoyed a 12-length lead at the call and was held off by Lezcano as he graduated in his 12th career start in a final time of 1:35.90. He posted a 106 Beyer speed figure.
“I was training very well. He ended up running well and he loved the grade, too,” said Rodriguez, who is the older brother of fellow Belmont trainer Rudy Rodriguez.
Mystical Curlin, the second-longest shot on the board at 11-1, returned $25.40 for a $2 win bet and triggered a Pick 6 carryover as the only uncovered contender in the six-horse field.
Rodriguez said he noticed a potential trend at the end of Saturday’s card that saw five wire-to-wire winners in the final seven races.
“Yesterday we were watching all the races and if you break and stay there, they win,” Rodriguez said. “Then I said to Lezcano, ‘Let’s try to break well and if you take the lead and get comfortable, go for it. If someone tries to pick on you, stay back. But it broke like a rocket. He ran beautifully.”
The $375,000 Ken McPeek Agency purchase in the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Selected Yearlings Showcase, Mistical Curlin is out of the 2008 Grade 1 winning Grade 1 Princess Rooney dam Mistical Game Plan. at Calder Race Course. Mystical Plan posted an 18-5-1-2 record for purse earnings of $816,790, competing exclusively in stakes following his first start in August 2006 at Santa Rosa. He also captured the 2007 Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks en route to an outstanding fifth in that year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, his only start in an upset, won by Rags to Riches.
Mistical Curlin was held up for $20,000 in the sixth asking for a runner-up effort in a nine-furlong tilt at Saratoga Race Course. He has hit the board in two other starts since Rodriguez developed the colt, who he said has overcome bleeding issues.
“We’re always looking for horses to claim and one of my owners, Anil Poyah, asked me to look at the horse,” said Rodriguez, who oversees a stable that ranges from 15 to 20 horses. “We had a look and ended up falling on him and we got lucky – it was a four-way shake.”
Rodriguez said Mistical Curlin came off his memorable maiden win in good order and will aim for an early bonus event.
“He can run a mile to a mile and an eighth with no problem,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a big, beautiful horse. He was big, so we’ll give him at least four or five weeks.”
