Undefeated 2yo and Vinery Stud shuttler Big Brown is on the board with his first North American winner on Saturday courtesy of the Dale Romans-trained juvenile Brown Eyes Blue who won her career debut over six furlongs at Churchill Downs.
Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Brown Eyes Blue led from the barriers, setting the first quarter mile in 21.80 seconds and was never threatened to score by one and three-quarter lengths.
Sustaining her speed, Brown Eyes Blue maintained her advantage on the field as the two-year-olds rounded the turn. Despite a rally from Alluring Lady, Brown Eyes Blue proceeded to lead the twelve-horse field into the homestretch, lengthening her lead. Alluring Lady continued to close, but Brown Eyes Blue crossed the wire with nearly two lengths between her and the runner-up, becoming Big Brown’s first North American winner.
Big Brown, spectacular winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby (GI) and Preakness Stakes (GI), has quickly proven to be a productive sire. In fact, his very first starter was a winner.
Big Brown is a son of Boundary, who also yielded the successful sire Pomeroy. As a son of Boundary, Big Brown is a grandson of Danzig, a highly influential stallion. Danzig himself was an incredible sire of sires, producing such productive studs as Chief’s Crown, Danehill, Exchange Rate, Langfuhr, and War Chant.
A $70,000 Keeneland September yearling and a $180,000 Keeneland April two-year-old sale purchase, Brown Eyes Blue is the first foal out of Golden Lips (Silver Ghost) a half-sister to three stakes-winners out of the Gamely Stakes (G1) placed Don’t Read My Lips.
Brown Eyes Blue is the first foal out of Golden Lips, a Live Oak Plantation homebred. Golden Lips is a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes-winning Hotstufanthensome, the graded stakes-winning Silver Charades, and the multiple black-type-winning Tacit Agreement. Through her dam, Don’t Read My Lips, Brown Eyes Blue is a direct descendant of the Reine De Course mare Golden Trail, who produced several stakes performers, including the graded stakes-winning Java Moon.
Brown Eyes Blue’s broodmare sire is Silver Ghost, the sire of 49 stakes victors. Silver Ghost is also the damsire of the graded stakes-winning half-brothers Chelokee and Salute the Sarge. The Big Brown/Silver Ghost cross on which Brown Eyes Blue is bred is similar to that of the grade one winners Pomeroy and Minardi, who were bred on the same Boundary/Mr. Prospector sire line cross.
A son of the Danzig stallion Boundary, Big Brown won his only two year old start by over 11 lengths and went on to win seven of his 8 starts including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes Florida Derby, Haskell Invitational and the Monmouth Stakes. His first winner came in Russia with Ruby Brown on June 15.
Big Brown (pictured) stands for $35,000 at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky. His fee at Vinery this year will be $22,000 and he is proving popular again after covering 124 mares in 2011 including the grand matron Fitting and stakes winners Isolda, Miss Margaret, Mulan Princess, My Sienna, Northern Song, On Type, Rubicall, Shovoff, Tallow and Zagalia.
