San Juan Capistrano a poignant win for Nessy

Nessy posted his first graded stakes victory in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita on Sunday – 24 hours after his Grade 1-winning older full brother Bullards Alley was fatally injured in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes on Saturday afternoon at Keeneland.

Both geldings are by classic sire Flower Alley, who now stands in South Africa, and out of the stakes-winning Kris S. mare Flower Forest.

Flower Forest was purchased as a yearling by Eugene Melnyk, campaigned by him throughout her career, and entered broodmare duty for his operation. Melnyk bred and raced her first stakes performer, Grade 2 winner Karibu Gardens, also by Flower Alley. He also bred Bullards Alley. But when Melnyk elected to disperse his holdings, Sierra Farm bought Flower Forest for $62,000 out of the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale. Bullards Alley, then 2, was purchased for just $11,000 by Wayne Spalding (who later brought in partner Faron McCubbins) out of that summer’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky selected horses of racing age sale.

Bullards Alley, trained throughout his career by Tim Glyshaw, scored his biggest victory in last fall’s Grade 1 Canadian International at Woodbine, romping by 10 3/4 lengths and triggering an $87.90 win payout. He also won the Grade 3 Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs in 2016 and the Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds in 2015, and placed in six other stakes. Overall, he put together a record of 40-6-5-7, and earned $928,622.

Meanwhile, Sierra Farm is listed as the breeder of Nessy, purchased in utero, and campaigns the horse under the care of Ian Wilkes. Nessy came into the San Juan Capistrano with three graded placings to his credit, most recently a third in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream.

Flower Forest, who has produced seven winners from as many starters, is the dam of an unraced 2-year-old named Fletch. The Jimmy Creed colt was a $70,000 purchase by Bradley Thoroughbreds at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale.