Blackstone Farm HALL OF FAME
Top Runners Bred & Raised at Blackstone Farm
TOM’S READY - $1,036,267
C. by More Than Ready - Goodbye Stranger by Broad Brush
(Sold at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga)
Kentucky Derby & Breeders’ Cup Starter
1st Woody Stephens S. (G2) Bel
1st Bold Ruler H. (G3) Bel
1st Ack Ack S. (G3) CD
1st Leemat S. PID
2nd Street Sense S. CD
2nd LeComte S. (G3) Lad
2nd Louisiana Derby (G2) Lad
3rd Churchill Downs S. (G2) CD
3rd Forego S. (G1) Sar
3rd Kelso H. (G2) Bel
BRONX BEAUTY - $696,670
F. By Liaison - Forever Sunshine by Rockport Harbor
1st Colleen S. Mth
1st Regret S. (2X, 2019 & 2020) Mth
1st Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies S.
1st New Start S.
1st Jose L. Flores Memorial S.
1st Penn Ladies Dash S.
1st Dashing Beauty S.
2nd Sugar Swirl S. (G3). etc.
THE CRITICAL WAY - $548,168
G. By Tizway - Critical Factor by Star de Naskra
(Sold at Keeneland November)
1st Parx Dash S. (G3) Prx
1st Wolf Hill S. Mth
1st Turf Dash S. Tam
1st Marshall Jenney H. Mth
1st Danzig S. Pen
3rd Shakertown S. (G3) Kee, etc,
DARK NILE - $250,230
F. by Pioneerof the Nile - Royal Society by Bernardini
(Sold at Keeneland November)
1st Delaware Oaks (G3) Del
1st Our Mims S. Del
Full Brother to Tom´s Ready Makes Grade in Japan
April 9, 2022 -
Given a perfectly rationed ride from the front by the evergreen Yutaka Take, Jean Gros (More Than Ready) became the first winner at group level in Japan for his legendary sire in Saturday's $841,637 G2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama, a steppingstone to next month's G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Racecourse.
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Jean Gros is a full brother to multiple graded stakes winner Tom´s Ready, the all time leading Blackstone Farm-bred earner at $1,036,267.
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The 6-1 third favourite off a stalk-and-pounce success in listed company over 1200 metres Feb. 27, the full-brother to MGSW & GISP Tom's Ready was kicked straight into the lead from gate six and led through reasonable fractions of :23.5 for the opening quarter-mile and :46.8 for the first 800 metres. Going comfortably on the single right-handed turn, Jean Gros turned for home after six furlongs in 1:10.5 and finished strongly to cross the line a head better than favoured Matenro Orion (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}).
The latter, drawn gate one, was maneuvered to the outside past halfway and was forced to take the overland route on the bend. He kicked hard in the stretch, but could not quite overhaul the leader in the dying strides. Lubeck (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), a full-brother to the globetrotting Deirdre (Jpn), was third. Take was riding his first winner of the race since landing the 2004 renewal–also for trainer Hideyuki Mori–atop fellow American-bred Seeking the Dia (Storm Cat). The 2021 winner was Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), upset winner of the G2 Godolphin Mile Mar. 26.
Jean Gros is the 98th worldwide graded/group winner for WinStar's More Than Ready, still going strong at the age of 25.
Blackstone Farm acquired Goodbye Stranger carrying the foal that would become Tom's Ready for $40,000 at Keeneland January in 2013 and also bred the stakes-placed Wrong Color from the mare before selling her to Nursery Place for $120,000 with Jean Gros in utero at KEEJAN in 2019. Wrong Colors is being offered as Hip #4 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton April Digital sale.
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Entered for but withdrawn from the Keeneland November Sale eight months after his foaling date of Mar. 2, Jean Gros was bought back by John Mayer's operation on a bid of $130,000 at Keeneland September the following fall. Turned over to consignor Al Pike, the bay was knocked down to Mori for $265,000 at last year's OBS March Sale after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 flat.
Mori, whose success with traveling American-bred gallopers is well-documented, signed for eight horses for over $2.2 million at OBS last March, including the $750,000 topper now named Clos de Mesnil (Practical Joke). She is a maiden winner from four starts to date. Six of the eight have won at least one race.
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edited, original article by Alan Carasso - Thoroughbred Daily News
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