Big Brown is entrenched in the Top 10 among North America’s third-season sires and he’s also firing in Japan with 5 winners from 5 starters.

The Vinery stallion’s first crop there is headed by Apollo Sonic who was Group 1 placed in the Japanese Derby last year.  He has earned the equivalent of AUD 790,000.

Big Brown’s latest first-crop winner Keiai Eight saluted by a half-length over 1200m at Hokkaido on Wednesday.  The colt had won his maiden in Tokyo for the Keiai Orthopedic Appliance Company.

Keiai Eight (4c Big Brown – Andmoreagain by Distorted Humor) is the first foal of a Kentucky-bred mare who won races in the UK and USA.  She was exported to Japan after making $320,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November Sale carrying the Big Brown colt.

Andmoreagain is a sister to the stakes winners It’s No Joke (G2 Hawthorne Gold Cup) and Keep Laughing (LR Lafayette Stakes).

Big Brown’s second-crop colt Seaside Bound won his maiden at Hakodate on Saturday.  He came from last at the half-mile to score by three lengths over 1700m.

Seaside Bound (3c Big Brown – Stardom Bound         by Tapit) is a homebred for Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Racing.  He bought the colt’s dam privately after an Eclipse Award winning career that included the G1 Las Virgenes Stakes & G1 Santa Anita Oaks.

Big Brown (USA) has sired the winners of 48 races in North America this season for prizemoney over $1.52 million.  His leading 2014 earner is Laurel Park and Belmont stakes winner Ground Transport.

Vinery will stand Big Brown for a $16,500 (inc gst) fee this year.

Hoofote:  Big Brown two year-old Masnoon was runner-up on debut at Vaal on Thursday.  The South African based colt is trained by Mike De Kock and is from G2 Sandown Guineas winner Moon Dragon.  He cost Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa $150,000 at the 2013 Inglis Easter yearling sale.