CONGRATS has a golden opportunity to add up to three new 2yo stakeswinners to his growing army with four juveniles spread across the main features at Gulfstream Park this weekend.
Congrats has four runners accepted in three Stakes races led by recent stakeswinner Holiday Magic who will contest either the $100,000 Juvenile Filly Turf (1600m Turf) or the $125,000 Juvenile Filly Sprint (1300m dirt).
Holiday Magic joined Congrats’ 13 other stakeswinners when streaked away to win the Brave Raj Stakes by 4 1/4-lens on September 14 before her last start third in the My Dear Girl Stakes also at Calder.
Congrats remaining three 2yo’s are all chasing their first slice of black-type.
Fantastic Voyage 2yoF ($125,000 Juvenile Filly Sprint S. 1300m Dirt)
Ruby On My Mind 2yoF ($100,000 Juvenile Filly Turf S. 1600m Turf)
Valid Concept 2yoG ($100,000 Juvenile Turf S C&G. 1600m Turf)
This 2yo brigade represtent the last crop of Florida bred Congrats 2yo’s as the stallion moved to Kentucky in 2011 where he covered more mares than any other U.S Sire.
Congrats – the Champion USA First Season Sire in 2010 over Bernardini and War Front – has a total of 31 stakesperformers (14 SW’ers and 17 SP’ed) as well as 153 individual winners from 221 starters which accounts for his phenomenal winners/runners ratio of almost 70 percent.
Congrats’ oldest Australian progeny are yearlings and will be highly sought after the major sales in 2014 as Inglis director Jonathan D’Arcy said recently.
“Looking at the types we’ve seen, he has got some nice horses coming to (our) sales,” D’Arcy said.
“They are good, strong individuals, good boned horses that look like they will suit Australian conditions and with the success of horses like More Than Ready and Bernardini in Australian conditions, horses that succeeded in America deserve their chance in this part of the world.”
Congrats’ winners – like Vinery’s 2005/6 Champion First Season Sire, More Than Ready are prone to perform on any given surface.
“He’s certainly had success on turf but more importantly, they look like the sort of horses that our trainers are going to like the look of,” D’Arcy commented.
“Sometimes you get those European stallions that can throw them light-framed and light boned, (but) most of the Congrats we’ve seen have got plenty of bone and substance and we think he’ll be pretty well received at the yearling sales.”
