By Elaine Belval
With only four days left in 2011, there isn’t a lot of time left for stallions to impress or improve their year-end statistics.
On December 18th, the two-year-old filly Good Deed won the Letellier Memorial S. by an easy three lengths for owner/breeder the Klein family and trainer Steve Margolis. She has now won three of four lifetime starts. Good Deed is the eighth SW for her sire, Broken Vow, in 2011.
Broken Vow as a racehorse was a bit of a late bloomer. He was unraced at two, but won all of his starts at three, including the Sir Barton S. (on the Preakness S. undercard). However, he truly came into his own at four, winning five of 10 starts (and placing in another four). He won the G2 Philip Iselin H. and placed in the Gulfstream Park H. that year. Along with an excellent race record, Broken Vow traces in female family to the elite mare Self Control (the family of G1-winning champions Open Mind, Peaks and Valleys, Forever Together, etc.). He retired to stud for a very modest $10,000 in 2002, proving popular (with almost 100 foals in his first crop) and successful, with seven SWs from that group, led by G1 winner Unbridled Belle, GSW Private Vow and G2-placed Les Ry Leigh. He followed with eight SWs, including G1 Cotton Blossom, in his next crop.
His success has continued “unbroken” since then. Broken Vow’s most accomplished runner in terms of G1SWs is Sassy Image, a contender for Champion Filly Sprinter after victories in the G1 Princess Rooney and Humana Distaff this year. Broken Vow has been a consistent source of quality for years. He sires 73% starters, 56% winners, 15% two-year-old winners, and a solid 6% SWs. His starters have average earnings over $60,000.  And Good Deed is not the only two-year-old SW Broken Vow has this season, as Lady Cohiba won an eight-furlong stakes at Aqueduct in November.
Broken Vow’s runners show incredible versatility. He has seven two-year-old SWs, 10 turf SWs, and five artificial surface winners. As a side note, all three of his G1 winners are fillies (Unbridled Belle – Beldame; Cotton Blossom – Acorn S.; and Sassy Image). That is sure to change!
Broken Vow stands for $25,000 in 2012 at Pin Oak Stud.