Ready to run
The Consolidator two-year-olds are now in training and ready to breeze and we’re confident that you’ll be hearing plenty about this particular first crop in 2009
The highly anticipated first foals of Consolidator are now turning two and are nearing their public debuts with granted precocity. Their sire, a colt which D. Wayne Lukas referred to as the “best looking” Storm Cat, was truly a balanced, aerodynamic glider on the track. His foals are showing his similar energy and attitude – traits which will serve them well in their budding careers.
Bob and Beverly Lewis paid $1.25 million for Consolidator - a handsome sum for a handsome yearling. As a juvenile, he parlayed a June maiden-breaking sprint into a dynamic triumph in the G1 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity where he headed five future graded winners in his first trial around two turns. He was one of ten males weighted at 120 pounds or more on the Experimental Free Handicap
In his record-shattering romp in the G2 San Felipe, Consolidator showed such brilliant form, that he was considered at the forefront of his generation – a group that included Derby winner Giacomo, Juvenile champion Wilko, Roman Ruler, Bellamy Road and Lunarpal.
From the extended list of fine mares to visit Consolidator at stud, an integral part of the young stallion’s first book was the sheer number of stakes winners or stakes producers that he attracted - 52 in all. At the dawn of his freshman year, a glance at the exciting two-year-old prospects gives every reason for enthusiasm that he will be in the hunt for champion freshman sire honors.
Cherrie Pick is a Consolidator three-quarter sister to G1 Spinaway and G3 Sorority winner Stormy Pick, out of Program Pick, a gritty vixen who won Stakes at two and three.
Grade two front-runner Smooth Jazz is the three-quarter brother to a Consolidator colt out of Blushing Issue (Blushing John). Both matings intended to work the same Storm Cat/ Blushing Groom nick that produced Aljabr, a group one winner in three seasons, and German champion Munaaji;
The daughter of Orezza (Fusaichi Pegasus) literally has the turf world at her feet. Orezza’s grand-dam is Brigid, who bore the 2000 Irish Champion Juvenile Filly Sequoyah and the show-stopper Listen, both daughters of Sadler's Wells. Listen fulfilled her destiny by winning the G1 Fillies’ Mile. The year prior to that she was hammered down for $5,330,000 - a world record price for a yearling filly at auction. Sequoyah is the dam of multiple Grade One winner Henrythenavigator, the arch-rival to BC Classic winner Raven’s Pass and Epsom Derby winner New Approach.
Ovid Fasti is out of Sinister Victory. The filly’s three-quarter sister Cativa (Sir Cat) struck a pose in the winner’s circle on ten occasions. While capping a four-race win streak she drew off to a two and a quarter-length victory in the G2 Barbara Fritchie H.
Consolidator’s filly out of the G3-winning Fairy King mare, Tadwiga is another to watch for. A first-out winner in Ireland, Tadwiga collected four wins and five place checks from twelve starts. Her consistency has continued at stud having foaled G3 Saranac and Woodlawn winner Rock Lobster, and stakes-placed Faswiga. While carrying the aforementioned filly, the mare sold for $170,000 - the day’s top price at the 2007 OBS Winter Mixed opener.
One colt and four fillies and are set to have their coming-out party on February 13 at the Ocala Breeders Sale complex in the Under Tack show for the select training sale.
Niall Brennan Stables is selling hip 59, a solid early foaled homebred out of an A.P. Indy mare. Brennan is confident that he is going to breeze well. “He’s a big, good-looking colt. He is doing everything right, but you can see that he is going to get better and be better going further.”
The chestnut colt’s Stakes-placed second dam by Sadler’s Wells is a half-sister to the highly decorated champion filly Balanchine in Europe, as well as Grade Two winners Romanov and Red Slippers.
Mike Mulligan of Leprechaun Racing is a true believer in the Consolidator filly he has for OBS. He said, “She is absolutely gorgeous on the end of a shank; a very pretty mover. She is training like she should be a nice filly.”
Last September at Keeneland, Mulligan bid to $100,000 to secure the dark brown lass whose three older siblings all won races in 2008. Her broodmare sire, Rahy, has a reputation for flattering the brilliant bloodlines of Storm Cat in the likes of Grade/Group One winners Giant’s Causeway, Sophisticat and After Market.
Mulligan was pleased to note, “She has been very well received by three major buyers from around the country who have visited the (training center) barn.” She sells as hip number 119.
A lovely January filly consigned by Eddie Woods will sell as Hip 138. She bears a striking resemblance to her sire in color and conformational balance. Woods described the filly as, “fairly straight forward – a typical Storm Cat-line filly.” The plan is to breeze her an eighth at the sale’s single preview. “I expect her to work pretty good. She’s a sound hardy filly.” Her pedigree suggests she will relish a route of ground.
Woods has had tremendous success as an agent. Of late, he had two graduates crowned with Eclipse awards, Big Brown and Midnight Lute. He inspected several Consolidator weanlings before purchasing this daughter of Stakes winner Coastal Connection. “Most made more than we wanted to pay,” he said.
A group of Ocala horsemen that wear their hearts on their sleeves make up the BTC Bloodstock, which has for the last five years donated the proceeds of one horse to benefit Ocala’s Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. Mike and Britt Mulligan, Ciaran and Amy Dunne, Niall and Stephanie Brennan, Eddie Woods and Connie Scanlon are holding faith that this year’s gift horse, a New York bred Consolidator filly may fare as well as Trinity Magic, the 2008 graduate who by year’s end remained undefeated and earned trophies in two stakes at Belmont Park.
The bay filly out of stakes-placed Crypto Cream (Cryptoclearance) was purchased at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Yearling Sale and is reportedly “training well” at Mulligan’s Leprechaun Farm and in heading to the OBS Spring Sale in April. Crypto Cream is a half-sister to black-typed Easter Butter from the family of Peruvian Horse of the Year and champion filly Batuka.
As these exciting two-year-old prospects highlight, Consolidator is likely to be a name you’ll be hearing again and again through 2009.
10 February 2009