Four newcomers part of Ocala showcase

On Sunday, Nov. 27, at the north wing of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's training facilities, the Florida Farm Managers Inc. will conduct its annual stallion review.

The entry list closes Friday, said Debbe Wojack, executive director of the farm managers' group. Wojack added that there is a tendency among the stallion owners and syndicates to wait until the last minute, so the list of stallions is pretty much a work in progress right up to show time.

Four stallions who will undoubtedly participate in the show are Florida newcomers Milwaukee Brew, Pico Central, Supah Blitz, and Closing Argument. The first three are millionaire racehorses, while Closing Argument's bankroll came in $13,016 short of the million mark.

What is unusual about this quartet in this era of close genetic ties to Mr. Prospector and Northern Dancer is that all four are free of this connection through three generations, and only Closing Argument has distant ties to both Mr. Prospector and Northern Dancer.

Closing Argument is the first son of the young sire Successful Appeal to stand in Florida. He stands at Sequel Stallions LLC and will enter stud with a fee of $10,000 live foal. Successful Appeal is by Valid Appeal, who is from the In Reality line. His dam, Mrs. Greeley, is by Mr. Greeley and is from a family mostly noted for producing sprinters. Closing Argument showed far more stamina than most members of his family, finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and winning the nine-furlong Holy Bull, a Grade 3 at Gulfstream. He also placed in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes. He made nine starts, at 2 and 3, and finished off the board only once.

Sequel Stallions will be having a stallion showcase of its own next Saturday, between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. In addition to Closing Argument, the stallions Bwana Charlie, Heckle, One Nice Cat, and Read the Footnotes will be shown. Luncheon and free drawings for stallion seasons are part of the fare.

Pico Central begins his stallion career at Padua Stables. Pico Central is by the late Kentucky Derby winner Spend a Buck. Although bred and foaled in Brazil, he has a mostly American pedigree. A Grade 1 winner in Brazil and winner of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap in the United states, Pico Central raced 17 times, winning 9 times and earning horse of the year honors in Brazil in 2002 as well as champion sprinter that same year. A bay 6-year-old, he will stand for $10,000 live foal.

Supah Blitz, who will stand at Rising Hill Farm for a fee of $5,000 live foal, is a repatriated Florida-bred who earned $1.3 million. A son of Mecke, he raced for four years, starting 38 times. He won six stakes, including the Grade 2 Del Mar Breeders' Cup. He was second in the Grade 1 Fountain of Youth as a 3-year-old, and earlier this year he won the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap. His dam, Boots 'N Jackie, by Major Moran, is a graded stakes winner of $647,580 and finished third in the 1992 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Milwaukee Brew, a two-time winner of the Santa Anita Handicap, is a newcomer to Florida, but not to the breeding shed. Now standing at Adena Springs South, he stood in Kentucky where he covered 102 mares earlier this year. Milwaukee Brew is by Wild Again and is out of the graded stakes winner Ask Anita, by Wolf Power. In 24 lifetime starts, Milwaukee Brew won 5 stakes, placed in 8 others, and retired from racing with earnings of $2.87 million.

Adcat ends Farnsworth era

Adcat, the last of the Farnsworth Farms stallions, is moving over to Get Away Farm, joining the former Farnsworth sire Double Honor. "Adcat has not been sold," said Farnsworth's Mike Sherman. "We are closing down operations, and he needed to be relocated."

Adcat will continue to stand by private arrangement.