Vinery shuttler Congrats continued his late-season surge with a juvenile double in the USA on Sunday.
Congrats (A P Indy) was 2010 North American Champion freshman leading a stellar crop of sires that included Bernardini and War Front.
Champion filly Turbulent Descent was the star of that initial crop and his juvenile division this year includes the black-type winners Cougarville (Bird of Pay Stakes) and Holiday Magic (Brave Raj Stakes).
Hearty Congrats (2g Congrats – Evil Eyed Czarina by Carson City) sent his two year-old winner account into double figures on Sunday with a flying 7 length victory over 1100m at Gulfstream Park. He is a younger half-brother to LR American Dreamer Stakes winner Imperial Czar (Imperialism).
Blonde For Ever (2f Congrats – Dearest Juliet by Lyphard’s Ridge) added another notch after dropping front-runner Long Island Lee to score by 3 lengths over 1100m in Pennsylvania. She is a half-sister to 6 winners including LR Foolish Pleasure Stakes winner Stolen Time (Time Bandit).
Blonde For Ever was bred by Dr. Kalarikkal Jayaraman who hit the headlines with Summer Bird in the 2009 Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Congrats was in demand when his next crop of two year-olds were knocked down at the Keeneland September Sale – the first four yearlings on parade made $220k, $180k, $250k and $310k.
Congrats sired 103 foals from his first Hunter Valley crop and they will be catalogued for the 2014 Australian yearling sales. Vinery stands him for a $22,000 (inc gst) service fee.
