Mighty Brown took the first step towards emulating his sire Big Brown with a Listed victory in the $100,000 Pasco Stakes (1400m) at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday.
Vinery sire Big Brown won the 2008 Kentucky Derby and Mighty Brown will now embark on his own Run For The Roses that climaxes at Churchill Downs in May.
Mighty Brown (3c Big Brown – Mighty Martha by Chester House) is eligible for a $1 million bonus if he’s also successful in the Sam Davis Stakes, Tampa Bay Derby and Kentucky Derby on May 3.
“We can hope and dream all we want, but until they run the race, you don’t know,” said Mighty Brown’s trainer trainer Tim Ice who prepped 2009 Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird. “I’ve thought he was a very talented colt from Day 1. Cutting him back in distance worked out well.”
Jockey Dean Butler was also impressed after Mighty Brown cleared out to score by two lengths and change.
“He broke fast and, if anything, was more aggressive than I wanted. I was able to get him to relax and we had a bead on the leader. I asked for run in the stretch and he finished up really well, like a very good horse,” he said.
Big Brown (USA) has now sired 5 stakes winners among 54 individual winners from his first two crops bred in North America. T op-class colt Darwin heads the list with a Group 3 victory in the Minstrel Stakes in Ireland whilst Apollo Sonic is another to travel overseas finishing 3rd in the G1 Japan Derby.
In Australia, Big Brown’s first two year-olds are showing enormous promise leading into the Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale this week.
Gai Waterhouse produced a promising Big Brown filly named Muscovado (ex On Type) to win a Randwick trial on Friday.
Big Brown has 20 yearlings catalogued for the Gold Coast Magic Millions starting on Wednesday. Among the highlights are the half-brother to G1 Australian Oaks winner Royal Descent (Lot 601) and the half-sister to G1 Golden Slipper winner Polar Success (Lot 634).
A full sister to Big Brown trial winner Muscovado is also catalogued as Lot 905 next Sunday.
Vinery Stud’s Magic Millions yearlings can be inspected at Stable H on the Gold Coast.
MIGHTY BROWN
Big Brown colt on the road to Kentucky Derby