BIG BROWN WEANLINGS STAND TALL AT KEENELEND

THE first crop weanlings by American superstar and Vinery stallion Big Brown will go under the hammer in Kentucky this weekend to coincide with the Breeders’ Cup championships.

Fourteen of Big Brown’s first crop weanlings form a highlight of the November Breeding Stock sale at Keeneland (KY) including the offspring of stakeswinning mares Miss Loren, Turkappeal, Sentimental Tango and Ms Brookski.

”Big Brown was decisively the best three-year-old of his generation, and, with grass form and plenty of grass elements in his pedigree, he is one European foal buyers might be taking a look at,” Thoroughbred Daily News writer Bill Oppenheim wrote.

Big Brown won seven of his eight starts including the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes by a combined margin of 11-lengths.

His prowess on the grass was just as convincing – the horse debuted as a 2yo with an 11 1/4-lens win on the turf at Saratoga which attracted new owners and a switch to dirt for the Triple Crown.  Ending a dominant career, Big Brown’s final race was back on turf in the Gr.1 $500,000 Haskell against older horses in what was intended as a GI Breeders Cup Classic prep.  Unfortunately, having beaten the best of his generation on Turf and Dirt this victory against older rivals was the final feather in Big Brown’s cap and he retired to Stud.

Big Brown retired to the famous Three Chimney’s Farm in Kentucky where he stands alongside the likes of Dynaformer (sire of Melbourne Cup winner, Americain), Rahy, War Chant and the legendary Seattle Slew.

A deal was negotiated by Vinery Stud to secure Big Brown for southern hemisphere duties from 2010 and Vinery’s owners have directed a significant number of their peerless broodmare band in Big Brown’s direction intent on giving the horse the best possible chance to succeed here.

Mares to visit Big Brown from Strawberry Hills include Tuesday Joy, Sunday Joy, Ha Ha, Fashions Afield, Light Up The World, Zagalia as well as Lotteria’s dam, Rose Reward and Patou, who delivered Golden Slipper winner Polar Success.

With two northern hemisphere seasons under his belt, Big Brown is very experienced in the covering barn and is nearly finished his book of roughly 125 mares made up of the highest quality.

“This weekend is a milestone in the career of Big Brown because the November sale in Kentucky is a very important sale for breeders from around the world including Australia,” Vinery’s Adam White said.

“You can be sure that the Big Brown weanlings entered, particularly the six that are in the main session, will be of a very high standard. You can see that by looking at their pedigrees alone.”

Of the 14 Big Brown weanling’s to be offered in Books 1, 2 and 3 at Keenland next week, no fewer than 11 are from Stakes or Stakes Producing mares.

Vinery’s general manager Peter Orton saw a number of Big Brown’s foals when they were only a few weeks old and he came back and with glowing reports about them.

“They were good, correct horses with strong frames that will suit the Australian market. Obviously they would have grown out since then, so I would expecting them to present very, very well as weanlings.”

BIG BROWN’S FIRST CROP KEENLAND WEANLING

Hip DOB         Sire/Dam                                           Book  Sex         Colour