Date posted March 12, 2010 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Racing and Breeding,
Staff FavouritesMelbourne, Vic (March 12th, 2010) - Vinery Stud have secured a significant shareholding in the American champion Big Brown.
Currently standing at Three Chimneys Stud in Kentucky, Big Brown (Boundary - Mien by Nureyev) will shuttle to Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley for a southern breeding season this spring, pending shareholder approval.
Big Brown was a grand racehorse in America with just eight starts during his career on the track, the good looking bay horse was only defeated once, and amassed over $US3.6million in prize money.
Big Brown showed his brilliance early, dominating a 2yo race on Saratoga’s turf course by 11 ¼ lengths on his debut. At three he came back even better; after winning an allowance race over 1600m at Gulfstream Park, he entered Group 1 company for the first time (at just his third career run) in the Florida Derby, winning by a comfortable five lengths. At his fourth start, in the Kentucky Derby, Big Brown delivered again despite jumping from the outside gate 20 (something no other horse has done in the history of the race). Sitting four wide for most of the journey, he raced on the speed before drawing clear and record a 4-¾ length win in devastating style. In doing so he became the first horse since 1915 to win the Kentucky Derby at just his fourth career start.
Big Brown (pic from Vinery Stud)
The electrifying Derby win caught America’s attention, and all eyes were on Big Brown leading up to the Preakness Stakes. Again he delivered. Once more jumping from an outside barrier, he won eased down to little more than a canter, crossing the line under wraps by 5 ¼ lengths.
A severely quartered foot prevented Big Brown from completing the Belmont stakes and therefore not being able to bring home the Triple Crown which he was so perfectly poised to do (he would have been the first horse to do so since Affirmed in 1978).
Big Brown returned to racing after the Belmont Stakes to win his remaining starts; the $US1million Haskell Invitational and the $US500,000 Monmouth Stakes (again run on turf).
An imposing individual, Big Brown is a son of sprinter Boundary (a sire boasting over 78% winners to runners), who in turn is by Danzig, a stallion that has re-shaped the Australian thoroughbred for generations to come.
Big Brown also carries four crosses of blue hen mare Selene, the fourth dam of multiple champion Australasian sire Sir Tristram. With a pedigree better suited to turf racing, Big Brown defeated the best in the country on dirt but not before showing his skills on turf at his first start and again as a 3yo; on both occasions blowing his rivals away.
“It is a great thrill to be standing a horse of the calibre of Big Brown” said Vinery’s Peter Orton, “he was the most superior racehorse of his generation, showing a devastating turn of foot to dominate the best horses in the land. Even more appealing to us is his pedigree, bred to run on turf yet brilliant enough to beat the best on their terms on dirt. What might this horse have achieved in Europe running in the classics there also”?
“After inspecting the stallion last week, I’m delighted to say he exceeded my expectations on conformation and his suitability to the Australasian style of racehorse. He stands just on 16.1 hands, possesses a particularly kind temperament and handles himself in the covering barn like a real professional. The most pleasing aspect for the future of this stallion is the quality of his first foals that are now arriving in Kentucky. They are all strong compact types with good strong shoulders and powerful hindquarters, typical of the Danzig line progeny we see here that are so successful in our conditions”.
Vinery will announce a service fee in due course.
