Big Brown’s leading 2014 earner, Laurel Park and Belmont stakes winner Ground Transport picked up more Black type last week but his sire’s success is not limited to the U.S. More winners in Japan take Big Brown’s record to 5 first crop winners from 5 starters.
The Vinery stallion’s first crop runners there are headed by Apollo Sonic who was Group 1 placed in the Japanese Derby last year. He has earned the equivalent of AUD 790,000.
Big Brown’s latest first-crop winner Keiai Eight saluted by a half-length over 1200m at Hokkaido on Wednesday. The colt had won his maiden in Tokyo for the Keiai Orthopedic Appliance Company.
Keiai Eight (4c Big Brown – Andmoreagain by Distorted Humor) is the first foal of a Kentucky-bred mare who won races in the UK and USA. She was exported to Japan after making $320,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November Sale carrying the Big Brown colt.
Andmoreagain is a sister to the stakes winners It’s No Joke (G2 Hawthorne Gold Cup) and Keep Laughing (LR Lafayette Stakes).
Big Brown’s has only had one N.H second-crop runner in Japan and it keep the 100% strike rate going. A striking colt, Seaside Bound won his maiden at Hakodate on Saturday. He came from last at the half-mile to score by three lengths over 1700m.
Seaside Bound (3c Big Brown – Stardom Bound by Tapit) is a homebred for Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Racing. He bought the colt’s dam privately after an Eclipse Award winning career that included the G1 Las Virgenes Stakes & G1 Santa Anita Oaks.
Big Brown (USA) has sired the winners of 48 races in North America this season for prizemoney over $1.52 million.
Vinery will stand Big Brown for a $16,500 (inc gst) fee this year.
Hoofote: Australian bred Big Brown two year-old Masnoon was runner-up on debut at Vaal on Thursday. The South African based colt is trained by Mike De Kock and is from G2 Sandown Guineas winner Moon Dragon. He cost Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa $150,000 at the 2013 Inglis Easter yearling sale.
