The $1.3 million Big Brown colt that was the most expensive 2-year-old in training sold this year at public auction is nearing his first career start, according to Demi O'Byrne, a member Coolmore Stud's buying team. The bay juvenile is under the care of multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher.
"He's doing well," said O'Byrne during the third session of the Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington Sept. 12. "He'll run maybe, according to Todd, in three weeks."
O'Byrne bought the colt from Wavertree Stables, agent, at the Fasig-Tipton Florida select sale of 2-year-olds in training in early March.
"I don't what his name is yet," O'Byrne said. "We tried to call him John Brown, after the abolitionist, and they (The Jockey Club) didn't take it for some reason. They didn't allow that, so I don't know what's happening."
Produced from the winning Silver Ghost mare Cool Ghoul, the colt is a half brother to Dagnabit (by Freud ), winner of the Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park and the Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes in 2008. The juvenile also is a half brother to the winner Bad Boy Rising (by Freud), who finished second in the 2006 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes at Belmont.
The colt worked an eighth of a mile in :10 1/5 prior to the Fasig-Tipton Florida juvenile auction.
"He had a spectacular breeze," O'Byrne said.
O'Byrne provided the update on the expensive juvenile after purchasing a Big Brown colt out of Cold Awakening for $825,000 from Warrendale Sales, agent for Whitechurch Bloodstock.
