Vinery shuttler Congrats was in the spotlight at the Magic Millions 2YO Sale on Tuesday and he will finish the week with two live chances in the Group 1 Alcibiades Stakes in Kentucky on Friday.
The Congrats – Talons Shown colt made the Top 5 leader-board on the Gold Coast when changing hands for $155,000. He is a half-brother to Sydney winners Bomber Brown (Big Brown ) & Double Eagle (Bernardini) and will join the new team Gary Moore is assembling at Rosehill.
Later on Tuesday, Moore was under-bidder for the Big Brown – Funicular colt that topped the 2YO Sale at $230,000.
Congrats (USA) will be back in focus when Keeneland commences its autumn season on Friday. His fillies Pangburn and Top Decile among the main dangers to hot favourite Fashion Alert in the Alcibiades Stakes (1700m).
The Todd Pletcher trained Fashion Alert will face a dozen rivals ready to end her unbeaten record in the opening-day feature worth $400,000. Congrats won the 2010 withy a first crop kick-started his stud career when Wickedly Perfect won the 2010 Alcibiades.
Pangburn (2f Congrats – It’s True Love by Yes It’s True) won on debut at Ellis Park and then rallied to finish second after an awkward start in the G2 Pocahontas Stakes (1700m) at Churchill Downs on September 6.
“She’s all class and wants to go all day long,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “She will be coming home if the speed falters and sets things up for a closer.”
Pangburn was a $130,000 buy for Shortleaf Stables at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale and McPeek has nominated her for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita next month.
Top Decile (2f Congrats – Sequoia Queen by Forestry) was touted a filly with enormous potential prior to her debut at Saratoga on August 17. She lived up to that prediction with enough pace to duel with three other fillies for the lead before finding plenty more to score by a length over 1300m.
The Al Stall trained chestnut cost $110,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September year sale. She is bred to run a trip – her dam is a daughter of Cleveland Oaks winner Barefoot Dyana (Dynaformer).
Congrats (A P Indy) has several two year-olds from his first Australian crop ready to debut in the early-season scampers. He stands at Vinery for a $22,000 (inc gst) service fee.
