BIG Brown’s reputation as one of the world’s hottest young sires continues to soar with high sales prices at Keeneland September and several Breeders’ Cup contenders.
The Kentucky Derby/Preakness champion kicked off his stud career with a winner from his first runner and it’s been more of the same ever since.
Big Brown has already sired 6 individual 2YO winners led by stakeswinner, Brown Almighty, who took out the Listed Sunny’s Halo Stakes in Louisiana at his second start in a race.
The flashy colt is now considered to be a leading contender for the coveted Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita and will have one more hit out in the Grade 3, $150,000 Bourbon Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on turf on October 7th. The Bourbon is a “Win and You’re In” race, with the winner guaranteed a spot in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 3
Big Brown is in line for multiple representation at the Breeders’ Cup meeting with emerging colt Archer Hill striving for automatic qualification via this weekend’s Grade 2 Summer Stakes at Woobine.
Big Brown’s first season heroics are translating into some mammoth returns for breeders offering his weanling, yearling and two-year-olds at major sales across America.
Coolmore’s Demi O’Byrne was forced to go to US$825,000 for one of Big Brown’s colts offered at this weekend’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale in Kentucky.
“He’s a great mover, has a lovely head, and he’s a very stylish horse,” O’Byrne said. “He will most likely be sent to trainer Todd Pletcher.”
Earlier this year, O’Byrne paid $1.30 million on behalf of Coolmore Stud for a Big Brown colt at the Fasig-Tipton Florida 2YO Sale. That colt is also prepared by Pletcher and is within a month of making his debut.
Big Brown’s Keeneland colt is a striking dark bay and was consigned on behalf of Whitechurch Bloodstock. He was originally sold for $140,000 as a weanling at the 2011 Keeneland November Sale.
Coolmore have an added incentive for Big brown to succeed given that they own the champion’s half brother, Afonso De Sousa, who is scheduled to line up in the Group 1 National Stakes (7f) at the Curragh this weekend.
“Big Brown won his only 2YO start by almost 12-lengths on turf,” Vinery’s Adam White said, ”so it’s not a complete surprise that he is doing so well with his first crop.
“His Australian bred weanlings were well received by buyers and the natural strength, bone and general athleticism of his horses will ensure that sell even better as yearlings in 2013”.
“It is especially pleasing to see him get early turf winner’s at such a high level, there is little doubt they’ll train on like he did”.
Big Brown was forced to miss the 2012 season at Vinery Stud owing to a minor laceration to a hind leg but is expected back in Scone come September 2013.
“The momentum that the horse has around him on and off the track ensures that when he does come back, he is going to be very warmly received,” White said.
