STREETWISE IS STREET SENSE

Ron Gilbert of Highgrove Stud with Aus$440,000 Street Sense Colt
(Image : Highgrave Stud)

“The only colt from Street Sense’s
first Southern Hemisphere crop
to be offered in South Africa.

Diners at House And Leisure / Visa’s Restaurant of the Year, Hartford House, will tell you that their most popular choice among 2010’s new creations is the Warm pink peppercorn seared Springbok loin Salad with fresh beetroot, parmesan spoom, candied Walnuts, foie gras terrine and Black Lava Salt. This dish would never have been the same were it not for the Black Lava Salt, a gift from prominent Australian racehorse breeder, Ron Gilbert.

Sunday, it was Gilbert’s Highgrove Stud’s turn to celebrate, as his colt by the only horse in history to have completed the Breeders Cup Juvenile/Kentucky Derby double, Street Sense, topped the final select session at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale at Aus$440,000 (+- R3million). Ron Gilbert has a small but highly select broodmare band at his Darling Downs base in Queensland (yes, right in the middle of the flood-ravaged Toowoomba area), and he has been responsible for any number of serious runners in recent seasons, including the 2010 Group One winning sprinter, Wanted.

There’s a twist to this, of course. The only colt from Street Sense’s first Southern Hemisphere crop to be offered in South Africa, is included in the Summerhill draft for the National Sales.

EMPERORS PALACE NATIONAL YEARLING SALE
TBA Sales Complex, Gosforth Park, South Africa
15 - 17 April 2011

For more information please visit :
www.summerhill.co.za

UNCLE MO MAGIC IN GREY GOOSE BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE

Click above to watch Uncle Mo winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
(Photo : Bettor - Footage : Breeders Cup)

BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE G1
Churchill Downs, 6 November 2010

Thirty years ago, Mike Repole began going to the track with family members and fell in love with sport, particularly the betting aspect of it.

As his beverage company Glaceau became a huge success as the maker of Vitaminwater, and its subsequent sale to Coca-Cola for a reported $4.1 billion in 2007, Repole got into the owning game.

He established a large claiming stable in New York, then over the last 18 months made a push toward better quality stock. “So many kids growing up want to be football players, and I just wanted to own a special horse,” Repole said yesterday.

Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie), who kicked off his career with a gaudy 14 1/4-length in his debut at Saratoga August 29, was giving his owner his first-ever graded stakes win in the G2 Champagne Stakes at Belmont October 9, and was the public’s choice to close out his juvenile campaign unbeaten.

Connections had to be pleased early when the colt broke alertly, but then relaxed well under John Velazquez and sat a chilly second while longshot Riveting Reason (Fusaichi Pegasus) set fractions of 0:23.57 and 0:47.27.

Velazquez took a look under his arm to see what the competition behind him was up to, but it proved a token gesture. Uncle Mo hit the top of the lane with a full head of steam, dispensed with the pacesetter and drew away easily.

“That was as impressive as they get,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “It was an unbelievable performance; crazy fast like he’s been doing all along. He runs really fast for a long time. Johnny pushed the button on the turn and he had another gear. I don’t get goosebumps very often, but I had them today.”

Said Velazquez, “That was definitely special. We had so much hope for this horse, and for him to come out here and do it the way he did it today, that was special.”

Mike Repole called it an incredible experience. “To share with 50 friends and family at Churchill Downs, and probably 10,000 people watching at home, is just amazing,” he said. “It’s just a great, great moment.” Asked if he was allowing himself to dream of the Kentucky Derby next May, Repole responded, “I did that 30 years ago, and I’ve done it every day for 30 years. So I’ll probably do it tomorrow, also.”

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

THE BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Relive highlights from the 2009 Breeders’ Cup World Championships
(Image and Footage : Breeders Cup)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF RACING
“LET THE GAMES BEGIN”

A loaded field of 16, headed by unbeaten Zenyatta (Street Cry), was pre-entered for the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs November 6, it was announced Wednesday.

The defending Classic heroine will face leading older horses Quality Road (Elusive Quality) and Blame (Arch), top three-year-old Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike), and Japanese invader Espoir City (Gold Allure) in the $5million centerpiece.

Turf champion Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) was cross-entered in the Classic and the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, while Goldikova (Anabaa) seeks a remarkable third straight win in the Mile. Workforce (King’s Best), victor of the G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and G1 Epsom Derby, will make the trip across the pond for the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Leading two-year-olds Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) and Boys At Tosconova (Officer) are set to do battle in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Blind Luck (Pollard’s Vision) renews her rivalry with Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic. Last year’s Breeders’ Cup champions California Flag (Avenue of Flags) (Turf Sprint), Informed Decision (Monarchos) (F/M Sprint) and Midday (Oasis Dream) (F/M Turf) are back to defend their titles.

A record 184 horses, 26 from overseas, were pre-entered for the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

The 14 races will be televised live on ABC and ESPN.

“The overall depth and quality of this year’s pre-entered fields are higher than at any previous occasion,” said Tom Robbins, Chairman of the Breeders’ Cup Racing Directors/Secretaries Panel. “The international contingent is particularly strong and is bolstered by high ratings for Zenyatta, Workforce and Goldikova.”

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

REVEALING THE TREND : A BIT OF SUNSHINE

Brave Tin Soldier
(Photo : Summerhill Stud);

“…STAND OUT CREDENTIALS
OF THE SUMMERHILL STALLIONS.”

Looking at our stallion bookings for the 2010 season, you’d have to hope the reason they’re up on the same stage in the past two seasons, has to do with the far-sightedness of breeders, who know that the foals accruing from this year’s coverings will make up their yearling drafts of 2013. By then, Beijing’s new $10 billion racing facility will be on stream, and even the economies of Greece and Spain should be back on their feet. With the best will in the world, it will be difficult for the international community to meet the demands of a rampant client market.

We doubt though that it’s only the big picture mentalities of our colleagues that puts our stallion bookings at their present levels. There is little doubt that the population of broodmares across the world has shrunk meaningfully in the past two seasons, and there’s been acceleration in this trend in 2010, including our own back yard.

Surely then, the explanation lies in a combination of two things, one being the 2013 yearling market, the other the stand-out credentials of the Summerhill stallions. We look back on more than thirty years

of service to the industry in this department, and while the road to stallion stardom is a long one, there’s little doubt that the basic material in our stallion barn is several notches higher than it’s ever been.

One man who has contributed considerably to this popularity, is Brave Tin Soldier. Today is a landmark day in our history, as the first son of Storm Cat to populate our barn, is destined to take his first steps on Summerhill soil as the sun sets this evening. His advertisements are already well known, but if you still need convincing, go to our website (www.summerhill.co.za) and click on his victory in the Graded Cliff Hanger Stakes. Tell us if you’re not a believer, when it’s over.

Accompanying him are a foursome of young Aussies who won’t believe their luck when they get to taste the fruits of this environment. Two Rock Of Gibraltars : one by the sire of the current highest rated racehorse in America, Elusive Quality, and one from the first crop of the only horse in American history to win a Breeder’s Cup Juvenile and a Kentucky Derby, Street Sense.

For more information please visit :
www.summerhill.co.za

STORM CAT retired from Stud Duty

Storm Cat

The ink has scarcely dried on the announcement that Europe’s greatest ever stallion, Sadler’s Wells, has retired, than the news breaks of the retirement of arguably America’s best of the current era.

Overbrook Farm’s Storm Cat (Storm Bird-Terlingua, by Secretariat), North America’s Leading Active Sire by Progeny Earnings and two-time Leading Sire, has been retired from stud duty due to declining fertility, according to Overbrook’s Manager of Stallion Operations, Ric Waldman. “It was a privilege to be able to manage all but two years of his stallion career and to see him grow in popularity, value and success, from a stallion who was not desirable and not popular to the highest-priced stallion in the world,” Ric Waldman told the Thoroughbred Daily News. “A decline was expected because we saw decline last year, and obviously he’s a year older. We didn’t expect the precipitous decline that we saw this season. His in-foal rate last year was 70 percent, but he was erratic throughout the year.” According to Waldman, the 25-year-old has gotten three mares in foal this season.

From 18 crops to race, Storm Cat has sired 12 champions, 32 Grade I/Group 1 stakes winners and the earners of more than $111 million. He stood the 2008 season for $300,000. According to Waldman, Storm Cat will remain at Overbrook Farm.

Click here to watch video of Storm Cat winning the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile 1985

Click here to watch video of Storm Cat in his paddock at Overbrook Farm

Click here to watch video of Storm Cat outside his barn on Overbrook Farm