Graduates of the CHC breeding program have been lighting up the racetrack this spring and summer and that streak of success was highlighted by an ultra-impressive performance from 2-year-old colt Heartland (Justify) at Del Mar Saturday.
Heavily favored for his debut in Southern California Saturday, Heartland was a breath slow at the break and veered in a bit just after the start, nearly unseating his rider. Straightened up, the colt settled in second last, well back off the early leaders who were setting blazing fractions. Gobbling up ground on the backstretch run, Heartland powered up the rail with very little urging from his pilot and rolled clear to win with ease, galloping out way ahead of the rest of the field. After the race, Baffert called the colt “super special” and made it clear he had big plans for Heartland’s future. Heartland also earned the coveted title of “TDN Rising Star”.
“We always knew Heartland was special and had a lot of promise, but what he did Saturday was beyond what anyone could have expected,” CHC’s Regional Manager of the Americas Christie DeBernardis said. “For a 2-year-old to overcome that type of trip so easily in just his first start and show such a powerful turn of foot, is something we don’t see very often. It is always thrilling to be part of such a promising young colt, but the fact he is a CHC homebred makes it even more special.”
A half-brother to champion Classic Empire, Heartland was purchased by longtime CHC partner WinStar (CHC’s partner on Justify, Life Is Good, Audible, Americanrevolution and many more) and Siena Farm for $575,000 at the Keeneland September Sale with CHC staying in as a partner.
CHC will offer eight yearlings from its program at this year’s September Sale, topped by a three-quarter sister to CHC-bred Grade I winner Valiance (Tapit), a Constitution filly who will sell in Book 1. Other September highlights include the final foal out of GISW Iotapa, a Not This Time colt and beautiful filly from the second crop of MGISW Audible. CHC also has three colts pointed for Fasig’s October sale, including a Tiz the Law half-brother to GISW Kimari.
Plentitude
CHC also has a star filly in the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale. By top sire Quality Road, the bay filly is out of CHC’s first Grade I winner in America, Yellow Agate. The filly is a full-sister to CHC’s talented 3-year-old filly Plentitude. A debut winner on dirt at Tampa in April, she followed suit with a victory against older fillies in a tough Belmont allowance on grass June 16. She was a respectable fourth after a bad trip last out in Monmouth Park’s Blue Sparkler S. July 15 and is pointing towards another stake race in August.
Another recent stakes runner from the CHC breeding program is Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), who put in an impressive performance Saturday in Saratoga’s GII Jim Dandy S. Setting the early fractions in this first try around two turns, the gray tried to repel a late bit from champion Forte, coming up just a nose short. He also lost by just a nostril after a knockdown, drag out fight with the Baffert-trained Fort Bragg (Tapit) in Belmont’s GIII Dwyer S. He entered that test off a pair of impressive victories to kickstart his career.
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