Hawthorne Gold Cup H. (gr. II)
(gr. II , 10f ,)
STUDENT COUNCIL
(B h,
119
lb) $300,000
Kingmambo —Class Kris , by
Kris S.
B—W. S. Farish,
KY.;
O—Millennium Farms;
T—Steven M. Asmussen
Jonesboro
(CH h,
116
lb) $100,000
Sefapiano —Mom's Command , by
Top Command
B—Jayeff B Stables,
KY.;
O—Michael Langford;
T—Randy L. Morse
A. P. Arrow
(CH h,
115
lb) $55,000
A.P. Indy —Garimpeiro , by
Mr. Prospector
B—Allen E. Paulson Living Trust,
KY.;
O—Allen E. Paulson Living Trust;
T—Todd A. Pletcher
Margins: 1¼, ¾, ½. Others: Miami Sunrise 112($30,000) , Wayzata Bay 114($15,000) . Winning Jockey, Richard Migliore.
Student Council proved he was more than a “one hit wonder” when he captured the Sept. 29 Hawthorne Gold Cup (gr. II), becoming a millionaire in the process.
The son of Kingmambo previously scored a huge upset victory over favored California champion Lava Man in the Pacific Classic Stakes (gr. I) at Del Mar. Having not even won a graded stakes before that race, there were many skeptics leading up to the Hawthorne Gold Cup that questioned the 5-year-old bay horse’s consistency.
Student Council’s career got off to a slow start, as it took him six tries to break his maiden for trainer Neil Howard and owner William S. Farish, who bred him in Kentucky. The horse found his first stakes victory in the Jan. 27 Maxxam Gold Cup Handicap at Sam Houston Race Park.
Ro Parra, a vice president of Dell computers who owns Millennium Farms near Lexington, privately purchased Student Council Aug. 10 from Farish, after which the horse was transferred to the barn of Vladamir Cerin. He was sent to trainer Steve Asmussen just five days before the Hawthorne Gold Cup.
“(Student Council) has always shown a lot of class,” said Asmussen. “Vladamir (Cerin) did a great job of preparing him for this race and (jockey) Richie (Migliore) gave him a great ride. It set up in favor for him from the post draw to everything else.”
Millennium Farms is enjoying a fine year, as the operation campaigns other 2007 stakes winners My Three Sisters, Born to Tango, and grade II victor Rolling Sea. Parra’s big score as a breeder came when Wilko won the 2004 Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I).
Student Council was bred from the Kris S. mare Class Kris, who scored in six stakes during her 27-start career, five of which were graded, including the 1996 Black Helen Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hialeah Park. The mare, who raced as a homebred for Fred Hooper, retired from racing with earnings of $582,129.
A half-sister to stakes winner Patriot Act (by A.P. Indy), Class Kris is a daughter of grade III victor Classic Value (by Copelan).
Of Class Kris’ four foals to race, all have found the winner’s circle, including Gradepoint (by A.P. Indy), winner of the 2004 Risen Star Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds.
Class Kris has a juvenile Green Desert filly named Green Oasis, who is a winner in England. The mare, who produced a Ghostzapper colt March 19, is barren for 2008.
Kingmambo is the sire of 73 stakes winners. Among his nine 2007 added-money winners are group victors Light Shift (Eng-I), Archipenko (Ire-II), Henrythenavigator (Eng-II), and Alexandros (Fr-III). Kingmambo stands at Farish’s Lane’s End for a private fee.—E.M.