Journeyman Stud hopes to get lucky again with St Patrick's Day
Journeyman Stud has found great success this year with freshman sire Khozan, a lightly raced half-brother to a champion. The Ocala, Fla., farm hopes to continue that winning formula as it adds St Patrick’s Day to its roster for 2020.
St Patrick’s Day is a Group 3-placed full brother to Triple Crown winner and leading freshman sire American Pharoah. He will stand as the property of a syndicate that includes Journeyman, Climax Stallions, and Stonehedge Farm.
Climax Stallions also has made a practice of investing in well-bred but less-accomplished full brothers to standouts, as its portfolio includes young California stallion Curlin to Mischief, a half-brother to leading sire Into Mischief, champion Beholder, and Grade 1 winner in Mendelssohn, and Group 3 winner Bullet Train, a half-brother to champion Frankel.
Journeyman sire Khozan, by Distorted Humor, is a half-brother to several stakes horses, led by Hall of Fame racemare Royal Delta. Khozan won his debut going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park by 3 3/4 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 102. He followed up with a 12 3/4-length optional-claiming win going a mile, with an 88 Beyer. Those proved to be his only starts. Khozan has been a top 10 freshman sire throughout this season in a strong class led by American Pharoah and is the top freshman sire by earnings outside Kentucky.
St Patrick’s Day, who raced in both the United States and Europe, retired with a career record of 10-1-2-1. The 4-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile, who was privately purchased by the Coolmore group from breeder Summer Wind Farm as a young horse, began his career in California with trainer Bob Baffert. He finished second in his debut at Del Mar before winning his next outing over eventual graded stakes winner Instilled Regard.
St Patrick’s Day was transferred to trainer Aidan O’Brien to continue his career in Ireland, with his most significant effort a runner-up finish in the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes last September at Naas.
American Pharoah and St Patrick’s Day’s dam, Littleprincessemma, also is the dam of Grade 1 winner Chasing Yesterday and Grade 1-placed American Cleopatra, who is by Pioneerof the Nile.
“With his pedigree and his talented but abbreviated race record, St Patrick’s Day reminds me of Khozan, and I think, like Khozan, he’ll benefit from these tough Florida mares,” Journeyman’s Brent Fernung said. “Having Stonehedge Farm and Journeyman among his ownership group guarantees that St Patrick’s Day will have a great book of mares.”