Commanding Curve, 21st on Points List, Works

A year ago, Churchill Downs-based trainer Dallas Stewart sent out overlooked Golden Soul to an upset second-place finish behind Orb  in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

Now Stewart finds himself back in a familiar spot with Commanding Curve, a son of Master Command who needs at least one horse ahead of him on the Derby points list to drop out to make the 20-horse field for the May 3 classic.

Although the bay ridgling who finished third in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) is 21st on the points list, Stewart is training him as if he were in the 1 1/4-mile race.

West Point Thoroughbreds' Commanding Curve was one of a handful of Derby probables who breezed at Churchill under sunny skies April 26. Working on the outside in company with 4-year-old Perfect Title, Commanding Curve breezed five furlongs in 1:02 3/5 with fractional splits of :12  3/5, :25 1/5, and :37 1/5. Commanding Curve galloped out six furlongs in 1:18 1/5 as Perfect Title had a five-furlong gallop out time of 1:02 4/5.

"I thought he worked great," Stewart said of Commanding Curve. "The other horse (Perfect Title) couldn't keep up with him. He's a very nice horse and he's doing well."

In the March 29 Louisiana Derby, Commanding Curve was pinched back to last at the start before finishing well to be 1 1/2 lengths behind runner-up Intense Holiday. The race was won by Vicar's in Trouble, who, along with Intense Holiday are among the Kentucky Derby horses expected to draw more interest than Commanding Curve.

"His last race was very nice," the trainer said. "He will be right there, if he draws in."

Bred in Kentucky by T. F. VanMeter, Commanding Curve was consigned by VanMeter Sales to the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale and was purchased by Bradley Thoroughbreds, as agent, for $60,000. Sent back through the auction ring at the 2012 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, Commanding Curve was bought by West Point for $75,000.

Commanding Curve has a record of 1-1-2 in six starts and earnings of $142,434.