Victory by Nownownow in the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf represents a major victory for stallions standing at the Beck family’s Gainesway Farm near Lexington.
The colt, owned and bred by the Fab Oak Stable of France’s Fabien Ouaki, is from the first crop sired by Gainesway stallion Whywhywhy. A grade I winner as a 2-year-old, Whywhywhy is a son of another Gainesway stallion, Mr. Greeley, who has sired 20 group/graded stakes winners. Whywhywhy stood for a fee of $7,500 and his sire stood for $75,000 in 2007.
“It was a very significant win for the freshman sire,” said Michael Hernon, Gainesway’s director of sales. “(Whywhywhy) was a very adaptable horse and a grade I winner himself at age 2. His ability to run a distance gives his stock the ability to run on. For him to get a million-dollar winner in his first crop is huge. Hopefully he will reward his believers and breeders.”
Although his sire was American-bred and raced, Nownownow has European and turf influences on his female side.
Foaled in Kentucky on April 20, 2005, Nownownow was produced from the winning Exit to Nowhere mare Here and Now, who was bred in France. Her first foal, Marche de Paux, was a stakes winner in France.
“Being out of this mare, he figured to like the soft turf,” Hernon said of the conditions under which the Juvenile Turf was contested at Monmouth Park.
Nownownow’s breeder, 48-year-old Ouaki, is co-owner of the Tati chain of clothing stores in Paris. His father, the late Jules Ouaki, campaigned a stable under the Ecurie Jules Ouaki, which is now used by Fabien Ouaki’s brother, Sylvain, for his racing interests. Among the additional stakes winners raced by Fabien Ouaki have been Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner and sire Marchand de Sable, and in the U.S. Del Mar Handicap winner Bonapartiste.
In addition to what the win means for Whywhywhy, who was campaigned by Ouaki, the Juvenile Turf win is a boost for Mr. Greeley, who has already proven his ability to throw top runners. “The Mr. Greeley influence continues to rise,” Hernon said.
Gainesway's stock continued to rise on the Oct. 26 Monmouth Breeders' Cup card one race after the Juvenile Turf when Corinthian took the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. The son of Pulpit enters stud next year at Gainesway.
Hernon said it is too early to tell what effect the two races would have on 2008 stud fees for Whywhywhy, Mr. Greeley, and Corinthian.
“We’re just going to absorb this win and enjoy the moment,” said Hernon, noting that Gainesway’s stud fees for next year would be announced following Breeders’ Cup weekend on Oct. 29.
