Pivotal, who proved special as a racehorse for David and Patricia Thompson, has done the same as a stallion at the couple’s Cheveley Park Stud near Newmarket, England. The 19-year-old stallion came through with his 100th stakes winner when his son African Story won the Burj Nahaar Sponsored by Emirates Sky Cargo (UAE-III) at Meydan March 10.
“He’s an extraordinary horse and is extremely versatile as a stallion,” said farm managing director Chris Richardson. “His progeny have won from five furlongs to 1 1/2 miles He started standing for a fairly meager 6,000 pounds and at one time was at £85,000.”
A son of deceased Cheveley Park stallion Polar Falcon and raised at the farm, Pivotal was a leading English 3-year-old sprinter in 1996, capturing the Nunthorpe Stakes (Eng-I) under 133 pounds, plus the King’s Stand Stakes (Eng-II) at Royal Ascot. His only other start that year came in the Darley July Cup Stakes (Eng-I) in which he finished sixth. A two-time winner from three starts at 2 he was retired with earnings of $228,855 following the Nunthorpe.
Pivotal, whose current fee is £45,000, has sired19 grade/group I winners including two fillies that developed into North American stars. Irish-bred Golden Apples, from Pivotal’s first crop, earned a 2002 Eclipse Award as best turf female after winning the Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT), the Yellow Ribbon Stakes (gr. IT), and the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. IIT), and running second in two grade I events.
Pivotal’s next top North American runner, English-bred Megahertz, was foaled the year after Golden Apples was born. Bred by Cheveley Park, Megahertz won the Yellow Ribbon, the John C. Mabee Handicap (gr. IT), and seven grade II grass stakes during her career.
Pivotal, who is out of the Cozzene mare Fearless Revival, has sired 19 champions, including Sariska, who won the 2009 Investec Epsom Oaks (Eng-I) and the Darley Irish Oaks (Ire-I) and earned a Cartier Award as top 3-year-old filly. Pivotal’s other champions and/or group I winners include Excellent Art, Immortal Verse, Kyllachy, and Virtual.
Kyllachy, who won the 2002 Victor Chandler Nunthorpe the year he was a champion sprinter, and Cheveley Park homebred Virtual stand at Cheveley Park. Kyllachy’s Nunthorpe score came for Cheveley Park in partnership.
On the same card that Pivotal was represented by his 100th stakes winner, Kyllachy’s son, Krypton Factor, won the Mahab Al Shimaal Sponsored by Skywards (UAE-III).
Cheveley Park has been awarded the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s Barleythorpe Cup seven times by virtue of Pivotal being the leading British-based sire by individual winners in 2004 and in 2006-11. Cheveley was awarded the BBA Silver Cigar Box twice by the TBA by virtue of Pivotal being the leading British-based sire by earnings in 2007-08.