This 3-year-old colt didn’t really get the attention he deserved in the Kentucky Derby after his impressive move down the final stretch, going 5-wide from the back of the pack and hauling past the other horses to finish in second, 1¾ lengths behind California Chrome. Skipping the Preakness to rest for the Belmont Stakes, the 1½ mile distance looked favorable for the colt and according to his connections it did not seem to be of concern. When he did not show and hit the wire in 9th, that day, his connections described the outcome as a “total head scratcher”. Bred in Kentucky by T.F. VanMeter, Commanding Curve is a son of Master Command (’02) and is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds.


Commanding Curve
March 23, 2011
(Master Command – Mother, Lionhearted)

Career Starts: 10-1-2-2Jockey: Shaun BridgmohanTrainer: Dallas Stewart


 

Recent Starts:
Travers Stakes G1 [1¼] – 9th Place (V.E. Day-1st, Wicked Strong-2nd, Tonalist-3rd)
Jim Dandy G1 [1 1/8] – 4th Place (Wicked Strong-1st, Tonalist-2nd, Kid Cruz-3rd)
Belmont STK. G1 [1½] – 9th Place  (Tonalist-1st, Commissioner-2nd, Medal Count-3rd)
Kentucky Derby G1[1¼] – 4th Place   (California Chrome-1st, Danza-3rd)
Louisiana Derby  G2 [1 1/8] – 3rd Place (Vicar’s in Trouble-1st, Intense Holiday-2nd)
Risen Star STK G2[1 1/16] – 6th Place  (Intense Holiday-1st, Albano-2nd, Vicar’s in Trouble-3rd)
CD MSW[1 1/16] – 1st Place – by 1½ lengths – Final Time 1:44.34  (Harbor Bound-2nd, Irish You Well-3rd)

Bloodlines:

Sire:—Grand Sire: — — — Great Grand:







Great Great Grand:
Master Command (’02)

A.P. Indy (’89)

Lionhearted (’96)

Seattle Slew (’74)

Lord at War (’80)

Storm Cat (’83)

Topsider (’74)

Secretariat (’70)

Alydar (’75)

Northern Dancer (’61)
Graded Stakes Winner

2000 Hall of Fame

Graded Stakes Placed

1977 Triple Crown Winner

Graded Stakes Winner

Graded Stakes Winner

Stakes Winner

1973 Triple Crown Winner

1989 Hall of Fame

1976 Hall of Fame

Distance bloodlines: 1970 Secretariat, 1963 Buckpasser, 1961 Raise a Native, 1958 Hail to Reason, 1954 Bold Ruler, 1954 Nearctic


Race Videos

2014 Jim Dandy Stakes G1


2014 Belmont Stakes G1


2014 Kentucky Derby G1


2014 Louisiana Derby


Photo: © Getty Images

Updated: September 2, 2014