DIRT or grass made no difference to Big Brown on the racetrack and it’s clear that his progeny are built the same way.
The latest of example is the lightly-raced USA three-year-old filly Bella Castani who put a 4 1/14-lens gap of her rivals to break her Maiden at Gulfstream on the turf last weekend. Click here for replay
Bred in Kentucky and a member of Big Brown’s first crop, Bella Castani was having only her second start and made light work of her nine rivals despite a wide run into the stretch.
Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown was unbeaten in his two starts on turf winning on debut at Saratoga as a two-year-old by nearly 12-lens before taking out the Grade 2 $500,000 Monmouth Stakes at his final appearance.
“Big Brown’s ability to sire grass horses opens up new markets for the stallion’s progeny given that so much of racing outside the USA is conducted on grass,” Vinery’s Conor Phelan said.
“We have already seen Coolmore transfer the exciting colt Darwin to Aiden O’Brien with the expectation that he will perform on turf like he did when he won his one and only start for Todd Pletcher on dirt at Belmont.”
Darwin was bought by Coolmore for (sale-topping) US$1.3m at the Fasig-Tipton Ready To Run Sale in Florida last year.
Another of Big Brown’s rising stars is Ground Transport who was recently the subject of a considerable offer from a consortium of new owners keen to exploit the colt’s success.
Ground Transport has won two of his three starts including his most recent outing when he streaked away to score by 3-lens at Fair Grounds in Louisiana.
BIg Brown will be represented by 7 lots at the 2013 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale which begins in Sydney on April 9.
