Ever since the days of Intentionally and his son In Reality, Florida has been a haven for the male line of Man o’ War. The primary Florida branch since the death of In Reality in 1989 has been that of Valid Appeal (In Reality–Desert Trial), who was a perennial regional leader until he was pensioned in 1997. Valid Appeal was succeeded by two Florida-based U.S. leading freshman sires in Valid Expectations (2001) and Successful Appeal (2004).
With the transfers of Valid Expectations to Texas and Successful Appeal to Kentucky, however, only 2000 Spectacular Bid Stakes (gr. III) winner B L’s Appeal and a few lesser sons of Valid Appeal remained as representatives of the In Reality male line in Florida. But another branch of In Reality, that of Relaunch, has enjoyed success in Kentucky and California, and it has now found a place in Florida through third-crop sire Put It Back.
By Honour and Glory (by Relaunch) out of the winning Exuberant mare Miss Shoplifter, Put It Back proved to be one of the best 3-year-old sprinters of 2001 for owner-breeder Hobeau Farm and trainer Allen Jerkens. He went unbeaten in five starts that year including the six-furlong Best Turn Stakes and the seven-furlong Riva Ridge Stakes (gr. II) before a shin injury led to his retirement. He stood his first season in 2002 at Bridlewood Farm near Ocala, commanding an initial fee of $3,500.
From 2003 onward, Put It Back has shuttled between Bridlewood Farm and Brazilian-based Haras Santa Maria de Araras, which purchased the stallion following the 2003 Northern Hemisphere breeding season. As of August 6, statistics kept by The Jockey Club indicate that Put It Back has sired 169 foals of racing age, of which 58 are 2-year-olds of 2007. Of the 111 foals from his 2003 and 2004 crops (including his first Brazilian-bred crop), 66 (59.5%) have won and nine (8.1%) have become stakes winners – solid statistics for any young stallion, especially one whose early mates have been decent but hardly stellar.
Statistics alone do not tell the entire story, however. In 2007, Put It Back has been represented by five graded or group winners spread across three different continents. He started off with a flourish on March 11, when Ricoco (out of Giggi Fazi, by Bright Again) sped home first in the Grande Premio Presidente Augusto de Souza Quieroz (Brz-III) at Ciudad Jardim. A few hours later, Smokey Stover (Milady’s Halo, by Jolie’s Halo) established his reputation as one of the best North American sprinters with a win in the Bay Meadows Sprint Handicap (gr. III). Smokey Stover has since won the Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup Handicap (gr. II) and run third in the Smile Sprint Handicap (gr. II).
Nitido (Analu, by Roi Normand) was next to get into the act. Two-for-two as a juvenile in his native Brazil, he marked himself as one of the best Brazilian 2-year-olds of the 2004/05 season with a nine-length score in the Grande Premio Julio Martins (Brz-I) on May 20. Then Black Bar Spin (Pleasant Dixie, by Dixieland Band) captured the CBC Sho (Jpn-III) on June 10. Finally, In Summation (Fiesta Baby, by Dayjur) became his sire’s first North American grade I winner with a game victory in the Bing Crosby Handicap on July 29.
While it is too early to be dogmatic about what bloodlines do and do not work with Put It Back, a review of the pedigrees of his 2003 and 2004 foals suggests that Almahmoud (through both Northern Dancer and Halo), Mr. Prospector (particularly through daughters and Fappiano), Prince John, and Sir Gaylord are strains worth looking for in his prospective mates. The Danzig branch of Northern Dancer has done particularly well with him as a broodmare sire line, accounting for In Summation and stakes winner Put Back the Shu from just five foals in Put It Back’s 2003 and 2004 crops. On the other hand, mares returning strains of Bold Ruler (except through What a Pleasure) and Damascus have shown subpar performance to date, although In Summation is inbred 5 x 5 to Bold Ruler.
Now standing at a fee of $5,000, Put It Back is quietly forging a good reputation as a sire of sprinters. Excepting Nitido, whose group I win was at 1,600 meters, his progeny have had their greatest successes so far at sprint distances. He is capable of getting a quick juvenile, but for the most part his runners seem to do better as 3-year-olds and upwards.
Although Put It Back’s median earnings per runner of $10,887 are low, it must be remembered that many of his progeny are racing in South America, where purses are much lower than they are in North America or Japan. Further, he was showing the ability to improve on his mates’ records even before Black Bar Spin’s and In Summation’s recent victories skewed his Average Earnings Index/Comparable Index ratio upward. (At present, he sports an AEI of 1.85 against a CI of 1.49.) Overall, he appears to be a rising star in the Sunshine State, and that is good enough reason to be glad that he has helped bring the In Reality line back in Florida.
Put It Back
Serita Hult