SUWANNEE RIVER S. (gr. III ), Gulfstream Park , February 09, 2013 , $150,000 Guaranteed , value of race $150,000 , 4 yo's & up , 1 1/8 miles , 1:48.82 Turf FM .

As a turf sire standing in the United States, 2007 champion grass male English Channel may not receive the same attention in the sales ring and the breeding shed as some of his dirt-producing counterparts.

But the stakes performers English Channel has consistently produced—the most recent of which is Feb. 9 Suwannee River Stakes (gr. IIIT) victor Channel Lady—speak for themselves.

“English Channel gets no respect…(since he’s a turf sire), it’s tough to get mares to him,” said Eddie Kane, manager of Bluegrass Hall, which co-bred Channel Lady in a foal share with Kaygar Stable, Wayne Morris, and James Scatuorchio.

Brad Kelley, who is the majority owner of English Channel, races and breeds under the Bluegrass Hall banner and keeps most of his mares at Calumet Farm near Lexington.

“One thing I know about the English Channel (offspring) I’ve been around is they give you 100% when they run—they’re pretty gritty,” said Kane. “You wish English Channel got a little more respect than he does; he deserves it.”

Channel Lady represented her sire well with her Suwannee River victory, which was her first in a graded stakes. The 4-year-old chestnut filly, who last year won the Stardusk Stakes at Aqueduct, now holds a record of 4-2-0 from seven starts, for earnings of $258,605.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Channel Lady is owned by Scatuorchio and Jake Pletcher. Todd Pletcher and Scatuorchio also teamed to race English Channel throughout his career, during which he won six grade I races, including the 2007 John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT).

Channel Lady is the first offspring out of the winning King of Kings mare Queen Supreme, whose dam Stolen Pleasures (by Marfa) is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Caller I. D. (by Phone Trick).

Queen Supreme was most recently bought for just $1,300 by Bruce Davidson at the 2012 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s January mixed sale. Consigned by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, agent, she was in foal to Japanese sire Utopia. Queen Supreme’s most recent offspring are 2-year-old and yearling colts, both by Utopia. The yearling was bred in Florida by Castlebrook Thoroughbreds.

English Channel is the sire of nine stakes winners, including other 2013 added-money victor Optimizer, who captured the Jan. 26 Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap (gr. IIIT). English Channel stands at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End near Versailles, Ky. His 2013 fee is $25,000.—E.M.

MARSHUA'S RIVER S. (gr. III ), Gulfstream Park , January 05, 2013 , $100,000 Guaranteed , value of race $100,000 , 4 yo's & up , 1 1/16 miles , 1:41.70 Turf FM .

There was something to like about Hard Not to Like going into the Marshua’s River Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 5 as well as something not to like. She had finished a close second in last year’s Central Bank Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland in the spring but then had to undergo knee surgery after suffering a knee chip when finishing sixth in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) in what was her last start of the year. Luckily for her Canadian owner/breeder, Garland Williamson, 4-year-old Hard Not to Like proved special in the Marshua’s River, scoring by a half-length.

“We’re a small breeder, and we like horses,” Williamson said. “We keep from 16-24 horses and three-six of them are mares. That’s the limit I set. Sometimes you can have fun with it, and sometimes you can’t. That’s the way it goes.

“We like the action, and we’ve been in the business 30 something years. I grew up in the country and have always liked horses.”

Williamson’s farm, Hillsbrook Farm, is located an hour west of Toronto near Erin. “It’s a country farm, and it’s a nice community,” Williamson said.

Williamson was represented as breeder by another stakes performer the day of the Marshua’s River. Ruby Lips, who is from the same female family as Hard Not to Like, finished second in the Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct but was disqualified and placed third. Three-year-old Ruby Lips, who races for Jay Em Ess Stable, is a half sister to Hard Not to Like’s multiple stakes-winning dam, Like a Gem.

“It would have been a perfect day if Ruby Lips had won too,” Williamson said. “Like Hard Not to Like, Ruby Lips is by Hard Spun.”

“A bloodstock agent did a work-up for me while looking for stallions and came up with Hard Spun,” Williamson added. “We had looked at his races in the (Kentucky) Derby (gr. I) and the Breeders’ Cup (Classic, gr. I) and liked his bloodlines. They did a nice write-up on him and recommended him.”

Like a Gem is in foal to More Than Ready and is booked to Hard Spun.

Hard Spun, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and in the Breeders’ Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge, has sired 16 stakes winners. His 13 added-money winners in 2012 included grade I winners Questing and Zo Impressive. Hard Spun, the leading second-crop sire of 2012, stands at Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley near Lexington. His 2013 fee is $60,000.—D.S.