CHAMPION racehorse and boom sire Big Brown sired two new first crop winners on the turf in quick succession after the Todd Pletcher trained three-year-old filly Aventurine broke her maiden at her second start in Florida this week.
The Kentucky bred filly was first up at Gulfstream Park having been close-up last year on debut as a 2yo at her only other run.
Aventurine ($2 -fav) used her natural pace and speed disputing the lead, three-wide for the most part, until drawing away in the run to the wire to prevail by 2-lens in impressive fashion.
Her effort comes hot on the heels of another Big Brown turf winner, Preponderate, who saluted at nearby Tampa Bay Downs on February 9.
Pletcher, a Hall of Fame trainer who put the polish on More Than Ready and his Vinery sire son Pluck, has already produced one of Big Brown’s most exciting offspring in Darwin who was sold for US$1.3m as a Ready To Run 2YO.
Owned by Coolmore, Darwin lived up to his hefty price tag with a brilliant win at Belmont Park over six furlongs in October.
Big Brown is the sire of 22 individual winners from 42 runners in the USA, Canada, Europe and Japan (2).
