Rinaldo Del Gallo, III
By: Rinaldo Del Gallo, III
MAGE (USA) ch. C, 2020 {5-g} has an interesting damsire in that of BIG BROWN (USA) b. H, 2005 {5-h}. Big Brown was an amazing horse.
Photo Credit:
Coady Photography
Big Brown was an “almost Apollo” but did win once at 2 in a Maiden Special Weight at Saratoga. He started 8 times, won 7 times, and did not finish in the Belmont. But he went on to win the Haskel and Monmouth Stakes. According to Wikipedia, “While working out with stablemate Kip Deville on October 13, Big Brown sustained an injury to a hind hoof and was declared out of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and retired.”
According to Wikipedia, “Big Brown has proved to be a moderately successful sire. His most notable offspring include Dortmund, who won the 2015 Santa Anita Derby and finished third in the Kentucky Derby, behind Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and Somelikeithotbrown, who won the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap in 2020 and the Grade 2 Dinner Party Stakes in 2021.”
Big Brown stands today for $5,000 stands and nurses. He originally stood at stud for $65,000 in 2008. He might have demanded more but in 2008 there was a financial meltdown. Big Brown stands in Stillwater, NY, about one hour and fifteen minutes from where I live.
Clearly, Big Brown did not produce his own. But he is a useful sire. Perhaps his best winner was DORTMUND (USA) ch. H, 2012 {9-c}, winner of the Santa Anita Derby.
Big Brown did sire PUCA (USA) b. M, 2012 {5-g}, who was second in the Grade 2 Gazelle at Aqueduct when she was three. She also won the STEVE PINI MEMORIAL STAKES at Suffolk Downs back when it was still around, a restricted race. According to annotations on the Suffolk Downs website regarding the STEVE PINI MEMORIAL STAKES, “Live racing returned to Suffolk Downs on Saturday, September 2 as the track kicked off the third of four scheduled weekend-long racing and food truck festivals. An enthusiastic crowd of 7,552 was on hand to cheer on Donegal Racing’s Puca to victory in the $75,000 Steve Pini Memorial Stakes.”
And this is where the Donegal Racing connection is so interesting. You see, Donegal Racing has produced top runners including PADDY O’PRADO (USA) gr/r. H, 2007 {8-d}, ARKLOW (USA) b. G, 2014 {1-c}, BALLAGH ROCKS (USA) b. H, 2013 {4-m}, and DULLAHAN (USA) ch. H, 2009 {23-b}. They also owned KEEN ICE (USA) b. H, 2012 {13-d}, who famously beat American Pharoah in the Travers.
As it turned out, Keen Ice is the sire of last year’s Kentucky Derby winner RICH STRIKE (USA) ch. C, 2019 {9}. And this year, Donegal owned PUCA (USA) b. M, 2012 {5-g} is the dam of Kentucky Derby winner MAGE (USA) ch. C, 2020 {5-g}. So two Donegal Racing owned horses were parents of the last two Kentucky Derby winners, last year’s and this year’s.
One other fun fact. “Because” of the “curse of Apollo,” no horse since APOLLO (USA) ch. G, 1879 {A15} has won the Kentucky Derby without running as a two year old until Triple Crown winner JUSTIFY (USA) ch. H, 2015 {1-h}. Now there is one more horse that won the Kentucky Derby and did not run at age 2, and that would be today’s Kentucky Derby winner Mage.
Like Justify, Mage only had a maiden special weight, an allowance race, and a major Grade 1 prep race under his belt. Mage lost by 1 length to Forte in the Florida Derby.
Puca has also produced GUNNING (USA) ch. F, 2019 {5-g}, a four year old that has earned $271,835. On 4/29/2023, Gunning was second in the Dig A Diamond Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
As it turns out, Puca’s dam is BOAT’S GHOST (USA) gr/r. M, 2004 {5-g}, who herself produced another Donegal Racing horse, FINNEGANS WAKE (USA) b. H, 2009 {5-g}, who won the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S on the Kentucky Derby undercard in 2015.
As it turns out, Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prade produced Cherry Wine who was 2nd in the 2015 Preakness.
