Successful Appeal has the right numbers

By Elaine Belval

It’s that time of year again. It’s the time when the precocious 2yos start appearing. The future.

On Friday, Keeneland’s opening day for its Spring 2010 meeting, the 2yo 4.5f maiden race was won by Wetzel, a son of Successful Appeal. Successful Appeal was from one of the last crops of the great Florida sire Valid Appeal. He was bred by Harry Mangurian at his famous Mockingbird Farm. And like so many Valid Appeals, he showed his ability for trainer John Kimmel and owner Starview Stable from the very beginning.

He made his first start in a Saratoga maiden special weight and finished a strong second. He won second time out and proceeded to add an allowance and the G2 Cowdin at Belmont to the win column. He finished second in the G3 Nashua S. to Doneraile Court and ended the year with a fourth in the G2 Remsen—both staying races for juveniles.

Like all good 2yos, Successful Appeal started his 3yo season on the Triple Crown trail. But after several unplaced efforts, Kimmel realized he had a sprinter on his hands and this change in strategy earned quick returns. His victory in the G2 Kentucky Cup Sprint earned him a trip to the G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint where he finished only 3 1/2 lengths behind Artax, who set a track record performance at Gulfstream Park.

Returning at 4, Successful Appeal won the G2 Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga and finished a length behind Shadow Caster in the G1 Forego Handicap. John T. L. Jones acquired an interest in the colt as a 4yo and retired him to Walmac South in Ocala, Florida. He stood for the modest fee of $5,000. The highest-priced stallion to go to stud that year, in contrast, was Fusaichi Pegasus at $150,000.

Buyers saw something they liked early. His weanlings sold for average prices over $15,000, his yearlings over $40,000 and his first crop of 2yos over $60,000. And the buyers were more than rewarded with racetrack performance.

Successful Appeal is an excellent example of “it’s not how many foals you have, but the quality you get.” He led the 2004 Freshman sire list, with 6 SWs from 43 foals. Finishing third on the list was Fusaichi Pegasus with 4 SWs from 82 foals, and 4th was Giant’s Causeway with 4 SWs from 138 foals. Among Successful Appeal’s SWs were GSW (and future Kentucky Derby placer) Closing Argument and multiple Churchill Downs 2yo SW Lunarpal. From that first crop of 43 foals, Successful Appeal has had 9 SWs (21%!).

Living up to his name, Successful Appeal, naturally, was moved to Kentucky for the 2005 breeding season (first 2yos ran in 2008). From that crop, he already has 7 SWs.

Now, it is not surprising that Successful Appeal is averaging over 25% 2yo winners. And it is not surprising that among his 22 unrestricted SWs, over 40% are 2yo SWs. What is surprising is that his 3yo and up SWs are averaging almost nine furlongs in winning distance!

This duality was best exemplified this weekend. For as Wextel won the 4.5f maiden race at Keeneland, Successful Appeal’s 5yo son Goldsville won the 9f G3 Excelsior S. at Aqueduct for trainer Michael Hushion and owner Marc Ferrell.

Successful Appeal stands at Walmac International in Kentucky for the still relatively modest fee of $17,500.

(Elaine Belval is Senior Pedigree Analyst at WTC, Inc.)