Brother Bird, a half-brother to this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and Preakness Stakes (G1) runner-up Mine That Bird, will make his debut Saturday, along with eight other first-time starters, in a 6-furlong $55K maiden race for 2-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course.
In addition to Brother Bird being a half-brother to Mine That Bird, what makes this race so potentially significant is that Brother Bird is a Cherokee Run sire line colt and I have been tracking the 2-year-old colts descended from Cherokee Run and his sons Kafwain and Yonaguska.
In my July 3 blog I noted that it is important to keep abreast of new emerging trends and sire lines. In the past seven years, there have been a total of nine thoroughbreds descended from the Cherokee Run sire line that have proven themselves to be good middle-distance stakes winners and several have had an impact on the Triple Crown trail.
Brother Bird’s sire, Yonaguska, sired Musket Man who won this year’s Tampa Bay Derby (G3), Illinois Derby (G2), and finished third in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
Kafwain sired The Pamplemousse who won this year’s San Rafael (G3) and Sham Stakes (G3). The Pamplemousse was one of the favored horses going into the Santa Anita Derby before an injury knocked him out of the Derby and off of the Triple Crown trail.
Dogwood Stable’s President Cot Campbell paid $485,000 via telephone bids for Brother Bird (Yonaguska-Mining My Own by Smart Strike) at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale. After the sale, Brother Bird was sent to the Saratoga barn of trainer Todd Pletcher where he has been training regularly since June.
"He’s a lovely mover, and he has got the right family behind him,” Campbell said in a Bloodhorse.com interview after the sale. “You could send him to the races, I think, with a great deal of confidence.”
Campbell could be right. Only time will tell.
Hi Calvin,
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say Hi and check out your site again. Well done my friend, Well done indeed!
I'll be adding Brother Bird to the HW, as I have noted to keep an eye on the Yonaguska/Kafwain progeny.Will check in again soon.
SR Vegas
Thanks SR Vegas. I'm glad that you like the blog.
ReplyDeleteCalvin, nice post. Kind of reminds me why it is so interesting and profitable to track these type of trends. I remember earlier this year right after the Kentucky Derby reading an article about Cot Campbell and they mentioned this 2 year old (B Bird). They have hopes for this guy and like the way he moves.
ReplyDeleteCherokee Run was runner up in the Preakness, and Yonaguska was a strapping, fast colt that Jerry Bailey once said could "certainly get 2 turns if he could just learn to relax more". Bailey raved about Yonaguska's size, strength and stamina. They basically were saying some of the same things about Kafwain.
Suddenly each CR progeny has a horse that can get two turns pretty easily because, despite having tons of tactical speed, each can relax. And in the case of MM, not only could he relax, he could be taken off the pace and make a big, sweeping move late and make up ground late. Of course, MM's damsire was a multiple grade 1 classic distance winner in Peurto Rico, but he has been known mostly for milers.
I agree its a trend worth watching. Keep up the good work. Good job with this Blog. - "Vicstu"
Thanks Stuart "Vicstu".
ReplyDelete