Cowboy Cal represented by first winners

Less than two months after siring his first career winner, in Korea, multiple Grade 2-winning millionaire Cowboy Cal was represented by his first U.S. winner, as Tachi scored a solid maiden win in his second career outing Aug. 27 at Indiana Downs.

Despite being bumped at the start and racing in seventh early, Tachi, who was sent away as the favorite, recovered to win the maiden special weight event by 1 3/4 lengths, finishing six furlongs in 1:12.72. The colt had previously finished second by a half-length in his debut July 29 at Indiana.

Cowboy Cal’s first winner came on July 5, when Cowboy Son won his career debut at Korea's Busan Racecourse. The colt followed up with another win Aug. 3 at the same course to remain unbeaten in his brief career.

Tachi is out of the Alphabet Soup mare Gioiello, while Cowboy Son was produced by the winning Smart Strike mare Nosmallachievement. Both colts, the first foals out of their respective dams, were purchased by their current connections at yearling sales in Kentucky last fall. Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch purchased Tachi for $34,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale, while Cowboy Son was a $15,000 purchase by Korean interests at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale.

Cowboy Cal won seven of 19 career starts, earning $1,037,810. The 8-year-old son of Giant's Causeway was a stakes winner as a juvenile and a two-time Grade 3 winner as a 3-year-old, capturing the Tropical Park Derby and the Bryan Station Stakes. However, he blossomed as a 4-year-old in California, winning the Strub Stakes, San Pasqual Handicap, and Oak Tree Mile Stakes, all Grade 2 events. He was Grade 1-placed on four occasions.

Cowboy Cal is out of the Seeking the Gold mare Texas Tammy, who is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and sire Behrens.

Cowboy Cal, who stands at Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud in Versailles, Ky., has 95 juveniles in his first crop.