My last blog was on Cherokee Run’s son Yonaguska (Cherokee Run – Marital Spook, by Silver Ghost), who stands for $4,000 live foal at Elite Thoroughbreds in Folsom, LA, and is the sire of an Oaks and Derby contender in his 3-year-old crop – the Japanese-based filly Earth Living and G3, $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby winner Musket Man.
Now how’s this for a parallel? Cherokee Run’s son Kafwain (Cherokee Run – Swazi’s Moment, by Moment of Hope), who stands for the bargain price of $6,500 at Hurstland Farm in Midway, KY, also has an Oaks and Derby contender in his 3-year-old crop!
Kafwain’s 3-year-old filly Don’t Forget Gil (click here to view pedigree), a New York-bred, won the G3, $200,000 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs, and his 3-year-old colt The Pamplemousse (click here to view pedigree) has won the G3, $100,000 San Rafael Stakes and the G3, $200,000 Sham Stakes, both at Santa Anita! And, The Pamplemousse goes next against Pioneer of the Nile in the G1 Santa Anita Derby!
This, folks, is quite a run for the Cherokee Runs! If you recall, I did a blog entry on Cherokee Run himself back in December, 2008, and this is part of what I wrote:
“I’ve always liked Cherokee Run, which is why I so often recommend him to breeders. In addition to outstanding stats overall, he seems to get a ‘big’ horse every year, and this is what breeders are looking for. . . It’s also notable that the Cherokee Runs get good results at the sales, from weanlings to 2-year-olds in training.”
These are Cherokee Run’s leading horses, and you’ll note that they all sold well. G1 winner Yonaguska sold for $1,950,000 as a 2-year-old, and G2 winner Kafwain, who earned $715K, sold for $720,000 as a 2-year-old, too.
CHILUKKI: G1 winner of $1.2 million – sold for $875,000 as 2yo, highest of 18 for sire
DURING: G2 winner of $800K – sold for $350,000 as yearling, highest of 38 for sire
DREAM ABOUT: G2 winner of $235K – sold for $270,000 as 2yo, 3rd highest of 16
DREAM RUN: G2 winner of $456K – sold for $170,000 as yearling, sixth of 30
KAFWAIN: G2 winner of $715K – sold for $720,000 as 2yo, highest of 25 for sire
RECAPTURETHEGLORY: G2 winner of $396K – sold for $215,000 as 2yo, highest of 19
WAR PASS: G1 winner of $1.5 million – sold for $180,000 as yearling, 2nd of 50 for sire
YONAGUSKA: G1 winner of $536K – sold for $1,950,000 as 2yo, highest of 9 for sire
ZANJERO: G2 winner of $1.6 million – sold for $700,000 as yearling, highest of 54 for sire
What’s happening is that Yonaguska and Kafwain are beginning to show that they, too, can get the “big horse.”
Kafwain is currently listed 15th among third crop sires on the Thoroughbred Times list (click here) by progeny earnings, but I should point out that he has 7 SWs and 3 Graded winners – incredible numbers, when you think about it, more so when you compare them to the leaders on the list.
By both SWs and GSWs, he’s ahead of #1 Proud Citizen (5 SWs, 2 GSWs, $30,000 stud fee), #4 Vindication (5, 1, dead), #6 Macho Uno (6, 3, $25,000), #7 Hold That Tiger (4, 0, exported), #8 Mineshaft (6, 2, $30,000), #9 Posse (7, 2, $20,000), #10 Milwaukee Brew (7, 0, $7,500), #11 Repent (6, 2, $7,500), #12 Yankee Gentleman (5, 0, $6,500), #13 Aldebaran (3, 1, exported), and #14 Whywhywhy (4, 2, $7,500)!
So who’s ahead of Kafwain on the third-crop list by SWs and GSWs?
#2 Harlan’s Holiday (9, 4, $30,000), #3 Sky Mesa (8, 6, $30,000), and #5 Empire Maker (8, 4, $75,000)!!
‘Nuff said!
(Footnote: One of the factors I believe benefits Kafwain is that he has a pedigree free of Mr. Prospector and Storm Cat, making him an outcross for a growing portion of the US broodmare population)