The Incurable Optimist

Tweet What started as an innocent question to my pal over at the NYS Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund Corporation, became an all-out research project, when he told me that a New York-bred is the leading sire in Argentina. Indeed after checking the Argentinian Studbook, Incurable Optimist (by Cure the Blues out of Miss Turlington) is indeed the 2008 stallion leader down south. Argentina, as my pal quotes, has a "robust equine industry" and with the Peruvian invader Tomcito in the States as a possible Derby entry, South America appears to be thriving.

Incurable Optimist was bred by Dr. William Wilmot and Dr. Joan Taylor of NY and won four of six starts in 1998, most notably the 1st Generous Stakes (G3) and the Pilgrim Stakes (G3) on closing day at Belmont in 1998. His sire, Cure the Blues won six of ten starts and placed 15th in the 1981 Kentucky Derby won by Pleasant Colony. Cure the Blues won the Laurel Futurity and Marlboro Nursery Stakes and took a second in the Gotham and a third in the Wodd in his Derby prep races.

After using a little freetranslation.com, I figured out that Incurable Optimist was fifth in the 2007 stallion rankings with 143 starters, 61 winners and 99 total runners that hit the board. He is currently leading the 2008 rankings with 90 starters, including 26 winners and 29 that have hit the board and has the top earned amount (1,116,840).

If you'd like to see Incurable Optimist, here is a link to a youtube entry. It's nice to see a NY bred doing so well in the breeding game!