Grade II Stakes-Placed Strive to Pepper Oaks

Strive, a grade II stakes-placed son of Deputy Minister, has been bought by Patricia Youngman for stallion duty at her Pepper Oaks Farm near Santa Ynez, Calif. His fee is $3,500.

Six-year-old Strive raced five years as a homebred for Martin and Pam Wygod and won at Belmont Park, Gulfstream, and Saratoga. His stakes appearances included a third-place finish to eventual Horse of the Year Mineshaft   in the 2003 New Orleans Handicap (gr. II). He retired with 15 wins and placings from 24 races and earnings of $287,910.

"He finished his career on a winning note, which is always a great way to retire," Youngman said.

Produced from the stakes-placed Flying Paster mare Symbolically, Strive is a half-brother to four California stakes winners: grade I winner Pirate's Revenge, Caribbean Pirate, Echo of Yesterday, and Sweet Life, dam of champion Sweet Catomine.