SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Monday’s inaugural running of the $100,000 Shakespeare Caress Stakes was sponsored by William Schettine’s Signature Stallions. So it was only fitting that the race was won by Schettine’s Rosa Salvaje, one of only two New York-breds in the field, who held off a late bid from Holiday for Kitten to register a game neck decision as the second longest price in the field at odds of 19-1.

The race was marred when the longest shot on the board, the 45-1 Page Springs, lost her rider after her saddle slipped midway down the backstretch of the 5 1/2-furlong overnight turf stakes.

 Rosa Salvaje, a 4-year-old daughter of Chapel Royal, had not started since winning a mid-level optional claiming and allowance race for Schettine and trainer Lisa Lewis at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 16. But the speedy filly was fit and ready for her return.
 
With regular rider Alex Solis aboard, Rosa Salvaje stalked the pace of Ballistic Sue, overtook that rival nearing the eighth pole, edged clear then held off a late try from Holiday for Kitten. Zermatt, who steadied briefly to avoid the loose horse down the backstretch, rallied from last down the middle of the course to be third. Well Deserved, the 8-5 favorite, faded to sixth after forcing the early pace.

 By virtue of Rosa Salvaje’s victory, Schettine earned the $60,000 winner’s share of the purse as well as breeding rights to one of his own stallions, either Shakespeare or another Signature-owned stallion at either its Kentucky or Florida farm.
   
 Rosa Salvaje paid $41.40 after completing the distance in 1:03.50 over a “good” course.

“I think the filly runs well off the layoff,” said Lewis. “She was ready to run at Woodbine and then we decided to try and point her for this race. I trained her very hard coming into it, I felt she was ready and doing terrific, and we thought it was worth coming down here to try and win his own race.”

Lewis said Rosa Salvaje suffered a bad foot abscess after her win at Gulfstream in January and that it took her a long time to “get her right again.” She also said she was concerned when her filly was outrun for the lead during the early stages of the Shakespeare Caress.

“She’s won mostly on the lead, so when she lost the lead I thought, well, that’s why you have Alex Solis,” said Lewis.

Once again….  In her first start, Monarch Stables’  Two-Year-Old filly, The Royal Boot, was much the best of her eight rivals leading  gate to wire in a four and a half furlong sprint winning by an impressive 10 1/2 lengths at Calder Race Course on Friday. The filly from Chapel Royal’s first crop of Florida foals is out of the winning Storm Boot mare, Sally Got the Boot. She was bred in Florida by Frank Bertolino and trained by David Vivian.

Chapel Royal is currently leading all Florida sires by number of winners for 2012 with 58, and also by number of Two-Year-Old winners. Progeny earnings are $1,288,801.

Dolly Peach and Rosemary Homeister, Jr. have teamed up once again for another victory at Arlington Park on Friday. This win is the second in as many starts for the filly and for her  Breeder / Owner Lamont H. Nienast and trainer Percy  Scherbenske. The Three-Year-Old filly now has 3 wins and 3 thirds from 8 starts, with earnings of $129,395.

Royale Embrace Wins Gr. 3 Ttukseom Cup in Seoul

The four year old mare by Chapel Royal out of the Kissin Kris mare Embracing Krissy has increased her lifetime earnings to $301,201 by winning the Grade 3 Ttukseom Cup at Seoul.

After being sent off at 17 to 1 odds, Royale Embrace gained an early lead in the seven furlong Stakes and refused to let it go. This race is the first of the three-race “Queens Tour” series for the country’s top fillies and mares.

This marks the 6^th win for Royale Embrace in 15 starts, with 3 seconds and a third.

Royale Embrace was sold to the KRA from the 2010 OBS April Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training from the consignment of Whitman Sales.


Royale Embrace and You Hyun Myung win the Ttukseom Cup (Pic: Ilgan Sports)

 

Dolly Peach Scores Upset in PRETTY JENNY STAKES

Owner and Breeder, Lamont H Nienast’s Dolly Peach, scored a big win in the Pretty Jenny Stakes on Saturday at Hawthorne. The three year old dark bay filly by Chapel Royal paid $104 in her impressive win over six rivals. Dolly Peach was ridden by Rosemary Homeister Jr. and trained by Percy Scherbenske

Winning trainer Percy Scherbenske, is quoted after the win as saying “She ran a big race. The race set up just the way we hoped that it would, where we could lay off the speed and hoped that the speed backed up. That’s just what it did. She’s a nice filly. She tries really hard every time. We’re really proud of her.”

The $67,065 Dolly Peach earned for this victory boosted her career earnings to $102,995.

Dolly Peach - Photo courtesy Four Footed Fotos

Third Stake Win for Navy Chapel

The two-year-old daughter of Chapel Royal out of the Pentelicus mare, A Penny Saved, notched her 4th career victory from 5 starts in the Eleanor Casey Memorial Stakes at Charles Town Saturday night. The win marks her third stakes success for trainer Jeff Runco, and for the breeders and owners, Coleswood Farm and Neil Glasser, and has boosted the filly’s 2011 earnings to $139,515. Chapel Royal is the leading sire of two-year-old winners in Florida with 20 in 2011.

 Shakespeare

We would like to thank all the breeders for the continued support over the years.
As most of you already know Shakespeare was relocated to Lane's End, in Kentucky.
We want to thank all of the Florida breeders who have bred and supported Shakespeare. 
For those Florida breeders who would like to breed to Shakespeare in the upcoming 2012 season. 
We are offering a special deal just for you as a thank you!
 If you are interested please contact Bill Bazzell @ 352-369-1900

 

Owner-trainer Doodnauth Shivmangal celebrated a milestone day on Sunday at Belmont Park when his two-year-old colt Shkspeare Shaliyah rallied four wide in midstretch to post a one-length score in the $100,000 Pilgrim Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park.

Shkspeare Shaliyah’s win gave Shivmangal his first stakes victory as a trainer, and afterward the conditioner dedicated the win to his ill sister and to his granddaughter, for whom Shkspeare Shaliyah is named.

Shkspeare Shaliyah also became the first stakes winner for freshman sire Shakespeare, who stood the 2011 season for an advertised fee of $10,000 at William Schettine’s Signature Stallions in Reddick, Florida. Shakespeare won seven of eight career starts, including two Grade 1 stakes.

Shkspeare Shaliyah settled in last on the backstretch as Captain Webb led the six-horse field through an opening half-mile in :55.41. Despite setting a leisurely pace, Captain Webb was unable to spurt away at the top of the stretch and was joined in midstretch by Kitten’s Kid along the rail and Shkspeare Shaliyah and 1.75-to-1 favorite Fantastic Song on the outside for an exciting finish.

The four juveniles battled gamely through the stretch, but Shkspeare Shaliyah proved best in the final strides under a strong hand ride from jockey Alex Solis. The colt covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:51.59 on soft turf.

“This is a very special horse—he has a tremendous turn of foot,” Solis said. “I had him relaxed in the first part of the race behind the speed. When I got him to the top of the stretch and asked him, he finished really strong.”

Kitten’s Kid edged Fantastic Song by a nose for second. Morning-line favorite and With Anticipation Stakes (G2) winner State of Play was scratched by trainer Graham Motion.

Shkspeare Shaliyah overcame a slow start in his career debut to finish third of 11 at Saratoga Race Course on August 27. He then broke his maiden at Belmont on September 18 despite breaking slowly again. The quick turnaround to Sunday proved beneficial to Shkspeare Shaliyah, who now sports a record of two wins in three starts, all at 1 1/16 miles, and earnings of $96,700.

“The longer the races get, the more my horse wants to go,” Shivmangal said. “We refused a lot of money for this horse but we didn’t sell him because we bought him for my granddaughter and there is no amount of money that can by this horse.

“He is definitely headed to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) [on November 5 at Churchill Downs].”

Bred in Florida by Guilherme and Angela Bombonato, Shkspeare Shaliyah is out of the unplaced Clever Trick mare Tricky Mistress

By: Patrick Reed is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer

With three winners from only seven starters, Shakespeare ranks third among Florida first-crop stallions.
The three winners represent 43 percent winners from starters for the son of Theatrical. All three won maiden special weight races, two of them won their first start. Laertes, a two-year-old son, won his debut in visually impressive style at Woodbine near Toronto. Mired in traffic early, Laertes escaped and accelerated beautifully through the stretch to win by three-and-a-half lengths in 1:24 for the seven-furlong turf event.

In addition to his impressive win, Laertes also demonstrated Shakespeare’s market value. He went through two sales, bringing $55,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July yearling sale. Laertes followed that at the Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale of two-year-olds with a $140,000 bid from Peachtree Stable’s John Fort. Overall, Shakespeare has had a strong presence in the market place with his yearlings averaging $37,000 this year and his two-year-olds averaging $78,667.

Shakespeare’s Brew, another colt also won his first start, taking a six-furlong, maiden special weight turf race at Woodbine in 1:10 2/5. Like Laertes, Shakespeare’s Brew closed from the back of the back four and five wide into the stretch, winning off impressively by three open lengths.

Shakespeare’s first winner was his first international winner. A filly, Quantum of Solange, won by two lengths in the about seven-furlong maiden race at Naples in Italy. Three winners, three daylight wins.

Chapel Royal, who stands at William Schettine's Ocala-based Signature Stallions, posted his 26th winner for the 2011 season on March 27 at Gulfstream Park. The win by Rosa Salvaje tied Chapel Royal with Wildcat Heir for the second spot as leading Florida sire by winners behind Consolidator, who has to date 27 winners. In 2010, Chapel Royal was the leading Florida sire by number of winners with 97.

Owned by William Schettine, Rosa Salvaje scored a wire-to-wire victory in the $57,800 allowance race for three year old and up fillies and mares. The 3-year-old filly out of the Native Prospector mare Navarro Rose covered the five furlongs in a sizzling :55.80 to win by a length and three-quarters. Trained by Lisa Lewis, Rosa Salvaje padded her career bankroll to $60,295 with the win.

Chapel Royal's leading earner to date in 2011 is Dahlgren Chapel, who was multiple stakes-placed in 2009. A 4-year-old colt out of the El Gran Senor mare Devoted, Dahlgren Chapel has posted two wins in three starts this season to bank $59,100 and has career earnings of $232,703.

Another 2011 standout winner for Chapel Royal this season is Big Shot Syd, who has seasonal earnings of $45,960. The 5-year-old gelding out of the Pleasant Tap mare Might Fine Music has career earnings to date of $118,680.

Chapel Royal is by perennial leading Florida sire Montbrook and out of the winning Cutlass mare Cut Lass Leanne. Bred and sold by Ocala Stud, Chapel Royal was the $1.2 million sales topper at the 2003 OBS Calder February selected 2-year-olds in training sale. Chapel Royal won the Sanford Stakes (G2) and Flash Stakes (G3), was second in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) and Champagne Stakes (G1), and finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). Chapel Royal retired with earnings of $459,571 to Ashford Stud in 2005. He was purchased in October 2008 by William Schettine and stood his first year at Signature Stallions in 2009.

In 2010, Chapel Royal was the sixth-leading Florida sire by progeny earnings with $3,033,274 and led all Florida sires by number of winners with 97. Also of note, Signature Stallions was the fourth-leading Florida stud farm by stallion progeny winners with 174 and the sixth-leading by stallion progeny earnings with $5,199,751.

Chapel Royal was represented in 2010 by stakes winners Mr. Instigator and Rusty Spinner. In addition, he was also represented by stakes-placed winners Casino Royale, Names' Game, Royal's Chapel and Royal Sofisticate. His leading 2010 earner was Gold Dust Lady, who banked $113,718.

Chapel Royal is also the sire of graded stakes winner Advice, who won the Lexington Stakes (G2) and was third in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3). To date, Advice has earned $276,881. In addition, Chapel Royal is also the sire of stakes winners Cape Royale ($119,006) and Coronation Day ($107,136). Chapel Royale's leading lifetime earner to date is Field Chapel, an earner of $444,509 in Japan.

Chapel Royal's book for 2011 includes Riveting Drama, the 2010 Florida Broodmare of the Year and dam of Big Drama, the 2010 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner and Eclipse Award Male Sprinter champion.

“Since Big Drama and Chapel Royal are both by Montbrook, I thought breeding Riveting Drama to Chapel Royal was a tremendous match,” said Harold Queen, who bred and races Big Drama. “Chapel Royal is an outstanding individual with such beautiful, well-balanced breeding. I'm looking forward to the foal by Chapel Royal out of Riveting Drama.”

For more information on Chapel Royal, contact Signature Stallions General Manager Bill Bazzell at 352-369-1900 or bill@signaturestallions.com.

We would like to thank all of the Florida Breeders that made our 2010 Stallion Preview such a huge success. We owe you all our apprecation for the record attendance and for your participation in the Toys For Tots drive. Happy Holidays to all.

Tony Baloney prevailed in a stretch duel to win his first career start at Calder Race Course on October 12th. The chestnut gelding was bred in Florida by Harold Cason, trained by Bennie Stutts and is owned by Dominick Auricchio. He is the first foal out of the Precise End mare, Sybelee. The 5 ½ furlong Maiden Special Weight race was run in 1:06.73.

Florida’s Leading Second-Crop Sire Chapel Royal got his third stakes winner of the year when Coronation Day captured the $68,450 Virgo Libra S. on July 16th at Belmont Park.

A 3-year-old gelding from Chapel Royal’s record-breaking first crop, Coronation Day was a half-length the best in the one-mile turf stake, crossing the wire in 1:33.87 over firm going. Trained by George Weaver, he moved his career earnings to $97,790 for owner R and H Stable. Susan Vitro bred Coronation Day in New York from the Rahy mare From Time to Time.

Chapel Royal holds a substantial advantage on the Florida Second-Crop Sires List with more than $1.7 million in progeny earnings to date in 2009, and he is the only sire in his class with multiple stakes winners this year. His top performer is Advice, winner of the Lexington S. (G2) at Keeneland and a favorite in Saturday’s Swaps S. (G2) at Hollywood Park.

Dee’s Rose used a determined finish in the stretch to win the $54,300 Pink Ribbon S. on July 11th at Arlington Park, becoming Straight Man’s latest stakes winner.

Vigorously handled by James Graham, the 4-year-old filly was passed momentarily in the stretch before fighting back resolutely and regaining the advantage at the wire of the five-furlong turf dash. The final margin of victory for Dee’s Rose was a head, and the final time over a firm local course was 56.70 seconds.

Trained by Dale Bennett, Dee’s Rose improved her record to 4-3-3 from 13 career starts with earnings of $140,347 for owner Dyedra Kademoglou. It marked the first stakes win for Dee’s Rose, who earned an 88 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance.

Bred in Florida by Jean White, the chestnut filly is out of the Way West (Fr) mare Irish Drop.

Advice, a 3-year-old colt from the first crop of record-breaking sire Chapel Royal, stormed from last to first with a strong stretch rally to win the $300,000 Lexington S. (G2) on April 18th at Keeneland, earning a potential next start in the May 2nd Kentucky Derby.

Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Advice broke slow and was last most of the 1 1/16-mile race. On the far turn, the dark bay or brown colt began to move up and moved out to rally turning for home. Gomez got Advice rolling inside the sixteenth pole and they finished with a flurry, rolling past Grade 1 winner Square Eddie to hit the wire on top by a length in 1:43.33 over the local Polytrack.

The win was his first of the year in his second sophomore start, and Advice earned a solid 94 Beyer Speed Figure - and more importantly a berth into the Kentucky Derby in two weeks. Trained by Todd Pletcher for WinStar Farm, Advice won for the second time in six starts and moved his career earnings to $261,885.

Out of the Hennessy mare Word o' Wisdom, the Florida-bred colt broke his maiden last summer in his debut at Arlington before returning in his next start to run third in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3). WinStar purchased Advice from Eisaman Equine for $170,000 last
year at OBS as a 2-year-old.

Multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Western Pride sired the first winner from his debut crop, as 2-year-old filly Straight Western went gate-to-wire in a Trial race on April 17th at Turf Paradise.

Straight Western broke well and opened up on the field of nine, taking a five-length advantage into the stretch of the 4 ½-furlong heat. The bay filly hit the wire on top in a final time of 53.07 over a fast track. The Trial was a qualifier for the $50,000 ATBA Spring Sales S. to be run May 3rd at Turf Paradise.

Out of the mare Straight Time, who is by Signature Stallions' Straight Man, Straight Western was bred in Florida by farm owner William Schettine, making her a 100% Signature product. She was also sold as a yearling by Signature Sales. 

Straight Western is currently trained by Derek Couch for owner Matt Keneley.

Western Pride, a three-time Derby-winning 3-year-old and four-time graded stakes winner, stands at Signature Stallions in Ocala, Florida for a fee of $2,500.

Dear Fellow Breeder,

We at Signature Stallions realize the amount of thought, hard work, time, and expense that Florida Breeders invest in the process of getting young horses to the sales ring and to the racetrack. For many of us, these are some of the most difficult economic times many of us have ever had to face. As breeders we will all be taking a long, hard look at where our mares will be bred in 2009. As an effort to alleviate a bit of the financial burden that is placed upon us as Breeders, we have implemented our own economic stimulus program for this season.

Signature Incentives

Not just the usual “Pay from Proceeds” agreement…
Not just our “Multiple Mare Discounts”, two mares @ 10% off, three mares @ 25% off, or 4 mares @ 50% off…
Not just our “Special Consideration” for stakes winners or stakes producers…

Of course we’re doing all that. But we’re also doing much more.

For the 2009 season we are offering breeders a 60/40 Foal Share with a Stud Fee Cap for select mares. What that means is regardless of what your foal sells for; you will never pay more than the stud fee.
And, we will sell approved progeny of our stallions, or mares in foal to our stallions, in our consignments at OBS August or OBS October for expenses only.
That’s right, absolutely NO consignor commissions.
(We sold the $100,000 session topping Western Pride filly at OBS August 2008)

As an added note, our stallion’s books will be limited to 100 mares. So when you do go to the sales, you will not be lost in the herd. (And yes, that includes record setting, leading Freshman sire Chapel Royal).  We encourage you to book early.

Signature Stallions will continue to support our stallions, and our breeders. Please give us a call.

The eyes of Florida horsemen were all fixed on Chapel Royal’s impressive frame in February 2003, when he sold for a whopping $1.2 million at the OBS sale of selected 2-year-olds in training at Calder Race Course. And during his 2-year-old season, he looked like he was worth every penny.

Now, as the son of Ocala Stud Farm stallion Montbrook prepares for his fifth season in the breeding shed, he’s returned to his Florida roots to show local breeders why he was so popular as a sire in Kentucky. William Schettine recently purchased the 7-year-old stallion from Coolmore, which owned him as a racehorse and stood him at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky. Schettine will stand the horse at his Signature Stallions farm in Reddick for a $10,000 stud fee.

“Bill Schettine is very behind breeding in Florida and racing out of Florida, and we feel that there’s no better place on Earth to raise a horse than Florida,” said Bill Bazzell, Signature Stallions’ farm manager. “Most of the horses that started here and really made it moved to Kentucky, and he wanted to go against the grain and bring a horse from Kentucky to here. He spent a lot of money on the horse because breeders in Florida need to have a nice horse like that to breed to.”

During his 2-year-old campaign, Chapel Royal was among the nicest horses in the country. He broke his maiden at first asking at Belmont Park in May 2003, winning by 9 ¼ lengths, then added victories in the Flash Stakes (G3) at Belmont and the Sanford Stakes (G2) at Saratoga.

Chapel Royal finished in the money in all six of his starts as a juvenile. He ran second to Silver Wagon in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga and was the runner-up behind Birdstone in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont. He concluded his 2003 season with a third-place finish behind Action This Day in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita.

Chapel Royal failed to place in his two starts as a 3-year-old but finished his career with $495,571 in earnings, making him the sixth-richest horse ever sired by Montbrook. Chapel Royal was bred at Ocala Stud Farm out of the Cutlass mare Cut Class Leanne and sold at Calder to bloodstock agent Demi O’Byrne.

Both of Chapel Royal’s parents were winners at the racetrack. Montbrook won five of his eight starts, including Grade 3 victories in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park and the Riva Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park, and finished his career with $373,728 in earnings. Cut Class Leanne had nine wins from ages 2 to 5 for $108,385 in earnings.

As a stallion, Chapel Royal has been among the busiest horses around, covering 222 mares in 2005, 168 in 2006, 165 in 2007 and 194 this year. His 2-year-olds have sold for as much as $400,000 this year, and through November, 34 horses from that first crop had won at the racetrack, helping him reach the $1 million mark in progeny earnings.

His most notable horse so far has been Advice, who crossed the wire second behind Jose Adan in the $200,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) at Arlington Park in September. Adan and Advice were disqualified for interference during the stretch run, and Terrain was elevated from third place to the winner’s slot. Advice has earned $37,645 this year. Our Lady Chapel is the richest horse sired by Chapel Royal with $58,980 in earnings.

Though stallion operations obviously want their horses to be popular among breeders, such fame can come at a price. Bazzell said if a sire is bred to too many mares, the market can become flooded with his progeny, and the average sales price for those horses can suffer. To avoid that situation, Bazzell said he plans to breed Chapel Royal to only about 100 mares during the upcoming breeding season.

“We’ll keep his book limited,” Bazzell said. “We’d like to have a select bunch of mares, and that will be better for the breeders who are going to the sales ring – not to have such a huge supply out there. He was a great racehorse and was a precocious, early horse, so he has everything that a pinhooker would look for.”

Bazzell said that when he looks at the horse, it’s easy to see why he was a top-selling juvenile and why he was in such high demand in Kentucky.

“There’s nothing not to like about him,” Bazzell said. “He’s just got a great temperament. He’s a smart horse. His conformation is as close to flawless as you can get, he’s got good bone and good muscle, and he’ll work with any type of mare. He’s perfect. He’s just a great-looking horse, and he puts a beautiful baby on the ground. He really stamps them. Like him, they have a lot of presence and a great look to them.”

Hippie Power passed rivals at the top of the stretch last night at Remington Park to break his maiden by 8 ¾ lengths. He also became the 35^th two-year-old winner for Freshman Sire, Chapel Royal.

The win breaks the record set back in 1998 when End Sweep established the Freshman Sire record with 34 individual winners while standing at Mockingbird Farm in Ocala, Florida. Fasliyev tied that mark in 2003 while standing at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, and in 2006, Invincible Spirit equaled the record for a Northern Hemisphere freshman sire.

Hippie Power is out of the Graded Stakes producing, Stage Door Johnny mare, Flowers For M’ Lady; owned by Champion Racing Stable and Poindexter Thoroughbreds LLC, trained by Allen Milligan, and was bred in Kentucky by Julie Rodgers & Jackie Plude.

Thanksgiving Day gave Chapel Royal the 34th winner from his first crop. The win ties the record set back in 1998 when End Sweep set the Freshman Sire record with 34 individual winners while standing at Mockingbird Farm in Ocala, Florida. Fasliyev tied that mark in 2003 while standing at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, and in 2006, Invincible Spirit equaled the record for a Northern Hemisphere freshman sire.

The record tying win was chalked up by Trackmen Golf Club Stable’s Faithful One. The dark bay filly out of the Northern Flagship mare, She’s The One, is trained by Bruce Levine and was bred in Kentucky by Bruce Hundley. The win brings her current year earnings $48,202, and Chapel Royal's progeny earnings to $937,662.

Huntingman won at first asking in Rome in the $17,750, 1,700-meter Premio Chiese, by 12 lengths. In his second start on November 8th, in the $46,407 Premio Campobello Stakes in Milan, he covered the 1,800 meters over the grass in 1:58.50 to win by three lengths and to increase his earnings to $31,776. The colt remains undefeated in two starts.

Huntingman, is a 2-year-old son of Straight Man and was bred by Liam Benson, owner of Mayo West Farm in Morriston, Florida.  He was sent to Italy by Liam and was sold privately last spring to Pietro Flori.
 
“It was a very good win,” Liam said. “Three lengths is always good, but I wasn’t surprised. I liked the conformation of the horse and his temperament. He was a good size and was very willing and very smart. I have no doubt that the future holds graded stakes wins for him. He was actually entered in a Grade 2 race there on Oct. 26, but the race didn’t happen because there was a strike by the horsemen. But his new owners are crazy about the horse. They love the horse.”
 
Liam still owns Huntingman’s dam, the Dove Hunt mare, Huntingland. The mare has a yearling colt on the ground by Put It Back, which will likely be sold at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training. Huntingland is currently in foal to Western Pride, and plans are to breed her to Straight Man again next year.

Signature Stallions’ freshman sensation Chapel Royal continues on a record pace of 2-year-old winners from his first crop, as on Nov. 20th he added two more graduates to give the brilliant son of Montbrook 31 juvenile winners – more than any other sire in North America in 2008.

Chapel Royal is also Florida’s leading freshman sire with $878,458 in progeny earnings, as well as Florida’s overall leading juvenile sire in 2008.

Multiple graded stakes winner Texas Glitter died earlier this week from complications due to colic, it was announced Thursday. He was 12.

The son of Glitterman stood for $4,000 at Signature Stallions in Reddick, FL, since retiring from racing in late 2002. A graded stakes winner sprinting on both dirt and turf, Texas Glitter won nine stakes races on both surfaces and earned $826,077. As a 3-year-old, he won the Spectacular Bid S. (G3) at Gulfstream on dirt before moving primarily to the turf as an older horse and carving out a solid career that saw him set four course records around North America. 

Texas Glitter has sired five crops with three to race, which includes 56 winners of more than $1.7 million. He was set to stand the 2009 season for a fee of $2,000. Out of the Apalachee mare Come on Texas, Texas Glitter was bred in Florida by Ronald Whiting.

Chapel Royal winners keep coming from his debut crop to hit the racetrack. The leading freshman sire in North America by winners is up to 24 heading into early November, and Chapel Royal has increased his lead as Florida’s leading freshman sire by more than $100,000 with progeny earnings of $712,726 as of Nov. 4th.

Signature Stallions’ Chapel Royal, Florida’s leading freshman sire, received his 21st winner from his debut crop of 2-year-olds on Oct. 26th when How Far is Heaven rallied to impressively capture her first career start in a $66,000 maiden special weight race at Woodbine.

How Far is Heaven, a $145,000 yearling purchase at the 2007 Keeneland September Sale, stopped the clock in 1:16.63 for 6 ½ furlongs over the local Polytrack. The margin of victory was 1 ¾ lengths in the field of nine 2-year-old fillies.

Bred in Ontario by Yvonne Schwabe, How Far is Heaven earned $31,114 for owner Robert Trussell and trainer Mark Casse, and the win gives her sire Chapel Royal a first-crop high 21 winners.

Signature Stallions’ Chapel Royal, Florida’s leading freshman sire, enjoyed his first-crop-high 20th juvenile winner when Gellhorn impressively broke her maiden on Oct. 17 at Woodbine.

Gellhorn, a 2-year-old filly out of the Doonesbury mare Irish Doon, streaked to an 8 ½-length win going seven furlongs over the local Polytrack. The final time was 1:25.04.

Chapel Royal became the quickest to reach the 20-winners mark of any freshman sire in North America, and his $601,164 in progeny earnings makes him Florida’s leading freshman sire by nearly $100,000.

Signature Stallions’ leading freshman sire Chapel Royal received his freshman sire-high eighteenth winner from his debut crop on Oct. 11th when his 2-year-old filly Low Expectations impressively broke her maiden at first asking at Golden Gate Fields.

Low Expectations professionally rallied from off the pace to post a decisive three-length win, stopping the clock in :58.46 for five furlongs over the local synthetic surface. The victory provided Chapel Royal with winner No. 18 which puts him atop the Freshman Sire List.

Chapel Royal is Florida’s leading freshman sire by nearly $100,000 heading into the second full week of October, with progeny earnings of $563,635.

Chapel Royal, a leading freshman sire of 2008 with 17 winners, has been acquired by William Schettine’s Signature Stallions and will stand the 2009 season at the Ocala-based farm.

The striking dark bay is a Florida original and one of the most distinguished horses to have come out of the storied Florida breeding program this decade. A son of Montbrook out of the Cutlass mare Cut Class Leanne, Chapel Royal was always a standout in the Sunshine State. He was the sales topper at OBS as a juvenile in 2003, selling for a record-breaking $1.2 million, and quickly made a bigger splash on the racetrack as a leading juvenile in North American that year.

Chapel Royal broke his maiden at first asking by 9 ¼ lengths at Belmont in May of his 2-year-old season before running away with the Flash S. (G3) and Sanford S. (G2) by a combined 11 lengths in subsequent starts. A rare juvenile with triple-digit Beyer speed, Chapel Royal was never off the board in six starts at two while racing against the best. He finished second in the Hopeful S. (G1) and Champagne S. (G1) before carrying his speed around two turns to be third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

As a sire, Chapel Royal is enjoying immense early success from his first crop of 2-year-olds to hit the racetrack, already siring a first-crop-high 17 winners. His top runners include: Advice, debut winner by eight and unlucky third-place finisher in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) at Arlington, Vegas Wedding, impressive debut winner of a maiden special weight at Saratoga, and Jacymara, recent allowance winner and two-time winner at Monmouth.

Chapel Royal has also enjoyed commercial success as a sire, with 2-year-olds selling for $400,000, $340,000, $245,000, $170,000, etc. this year and yearlings up to $320,000.

“We are doing something a little bit different,” said Bill Bazzell, general manager of Signature Stallions. “We’re bringing a successful Kentucky sire back to Florida. William (Schettine) wants Florida breeders to know beyond any doubt that he is committed to Thoroughbred breeding in this state. He has made a huge commitment in bringing Chapel Royal here. This is a horse that has deep Florida roots and is off to a fantastic start as a sire of 2-year-olds. He’s got everything a breeder could want: great looks, great speed, and was a brilliant 2-year-old.”

A 7-year-old, Chapel Royal joins a Signature Stallions roster that includes Bachelor Blues, Irish Road, Straight Man, Texas Glitter, Unbridled Time and Western Pride. He will stand for a fee of $10,000.

Signature Stallions’ Western Pride enjoyed the first big headline of his young and promising career at stud, as on Day 2 of the OBS August Sale he saw a beautiful filly from his debut crop of yearlings top the session when the hammer dropped at an impressive $100,000.

Selling as Hip No. 375, the filly out of the stakes-winning Chimes Band mare So Much More entered the ring with a great physical presence that quickly reflected in the bidding. Local buyer Eddie Woods drew the final session-topping bid of $100,000, signing for the filly as agent.

“She’s a lovely filly and has a lot of pedigree. The sire could really run and this is his first year (with yearlings),” Woods said. “She probably should have been in the (Select) sale yesterday, but looked like a queen today.”

Multiple graded stakes winner Get Funky, a son of Signature Stallions’ leading sire Straight Man, notched another stakes win on August 13 when the classy 5-year-old rolled past Grade 1 winner and heavy favorite Idiot Proof to take the $108,940 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar.

Under Jose Valdivia Jr., Get Funky used a strong rally to prove best by a length over his highly-regarded rival in the five-furlong event on the grass, stopping the clock in :55.39 over firm going. Trained by John Sadler, Get Funky earned $50,964 for the victory to move his career bankroll past the $600,000 mark. He owns an overall record of 7-1-2 from 16 starts for owner Keith Abrahams.

Bred in Florida by Larry Stewart from the Storm Bird mare Miss Popularity, Get Funky captured the Del Mar Derby (G2) over the Del Mar turf course as a 3-year-old in 2006, and the Green Flash marked his first local start since that big win two summers ago.

Straight Man is a top 10 sire in Florida again in 2008, with progeny earnings exceeding $1.6 million through August 14.