Wheelaway siring yearlings that sell

Wheelaway's first yearlings went through the auction ring this summer with good results.

Nine individuals by Wheelaway, an 8-year-old son of Unbridled, were sold in mid-August at the inaugural New York Breeders Sales Company premier yearling sale and the annual Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale.

Four were sold at the premier yearling sale, averaging $14,875 and topped by a colt at $32,000 from the family of the fine New York-bred runner Fast Holly.

The premier yearling sale average was $11,587.

At the New York-bred yearling sale, five horses by Wheelaway averaged $62,600, topped by a filly at $160,000.

The New York-bred sale average was $47,386.

Three more horses by Wheelaway, auctioned at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company August yearling sale on Aug. 25-26, averaged $17,333, just a bit below the sale average of $17,783.

At the OBS August venue, a Wheelaway colt out of King's Raemali, by Dehere, brought $27,000.

Wheelaway stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbred Farm and his stud fee in 2003 for this crop was $6,000.

Wheelaway, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, was owned in part by Caesar P. Kimmel.

"He was a real nice horse," said Kimmel. "There were lots of people speaking to us about him at stud, but the most interested people were in New York, especially Joe McMahon."

Wheelaway became a Triple Crown candidate with his victory in the Tampa Bay Derby, in which he defeated Impeachment in only his fourth career start. He then ran third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes, rallying late to finish ahead of Grade 1 winners High Yield and More Than Ready.

Sent off at 21-1 in the Kentucky Derby, Wheelaway led between calls in the upper stretch before finishing fifth behind the winner, Fusaichi Pegasus. Behind him in the Derby were such horses as Captain Steve, War Chant, Anees, and the eventual Belmont Stakes winner, Commendable.

Wheelaway's sire line is that of Raise a Native, the unbeaten juvenile son of Native Dancer who sired Mr. Prospector, Alydar, Majestic Prince, and Exclusive Native.

Wheelaway's sire, Unbridled, won the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic, and is the sire of successful stallions Unbridled's Song and Grindstone.

Wheelaway's dam, the Damascus mare Cuidado, descends from a very classy family. Her mother, Misgivings, won the Grade 3 Chrysanthemum and placed in the Grade 1 Frizette.

Top runners from this family include Skimming, winner of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic; Contredance, winner of the Grade 1 Arlington-Washington Lassie; champion Tempted, winner of the Beldame; and Broom Dance, winner of the Alabama.

"His foals are typical of the foals of the other sons of Unbridled," said McMahon. "They're rangy and they've got a good leg to them. Overall they're big, solid horses with a good amount of bone."

McMahon said that Wheelaway belonged to a "tremendous" crop of runners, and that he finished in front of 22 millionaires in his career.

McMahon also noted that several members of that crop who went to stud before Wheelaway, such as More Than Ready, High Yield, War Chant, and Anees, have done well with their first crops to race.

"I'm just very pleased with the way he's been accepted," said McMahon. "Even those without a great pedigree page have done well. He can get you a very good horse."

Wheelaway has approximately 60 yearlings in his first crop of 2005.

He has more than 80 foals of 2005, and he was bred to more than 90 mares with foals due in 2006.

Classic Park get Hernandez his fourth N.Y. Breeders Futurity score

Trainer Ramon "Mike" Hernandez won his fourth New York Breeders Futurity on Labor Day with Classic Pack, a son of state stallion Regal Classic.

Classic Pack is out of Schenectady Handicap winner Three Pack, a daughter of Stacked Pack. Three Pack is a half-sister to New York-bred stakes-placed runners It's a Lark and She La Rose, from a productive family that includes Regret Handicap winner Raise 'N Dance, who also placed in the Grade 3 Distaff and Grade 3 Vagrancy, and Advocator, who placed in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes and won several New York stakes, including the Westchester Handicap.

Hernandez also won the N.Y. Breeders Futurity with Vandy Sue (1976), Dedicated Rullah (1978), and Restrainor (1979), all owned by the late Dr. Dominick DeLuke, a pioneer in New York Thoroughbred breeding.