Sanford S. (gr. II)
(gr. II , 6f ,)
WHYWHYWHY
(CH h,
122
lb) $90,000
Mr. Greeley —Thorough Fair , by
Quiet American
B—James E. Jones,
KY.;
O—Biancone, Patrick L. and Ouaki, Fabien;
T—Patrick L. Biancone
Wildcat Heir
(B h,
118
lb) $30,000
Forest Wildcat —Penniless Heiress , by
Pentelicus
B—New Farm,
FL.;
O—New Farm;
T—Benjamin W. Perkins, Jr.
Spite the Devil
(DK B/ g,
118
lb) $16,500
Devil His Due —Samantha D , by
Cryptoclearance
B—Elisabeth R. Jerkens,
NY.;
O—Hardwicke Stable;
T—H. Allen Jerkens
Margins: 2¾, nose, 1½. Others: Posse 122($9,000) , Title Contender 118($4,500) , Run Production 118 , Hear No Evil 122 , Raise an Emblem 118 , Hussar 118 . Winning Jockey, Edgar S. Prado.
James Jones has been in the Thoroughbred business long enough to know his way around the game and is accustomed to seeing familiar horses in the winner’s circle following big stakes races. But when the 2-year-old colt Whywhywhy won the grade II Sanford Stakes at Saratoga on July 25 the victory was more than a little emotional.
“I don’t know what to do with myself,” said Jones, who watched the race via TVG at his Lexington home rather than in the Saratoga stands. “It’s very exciting.”
The story of Jones and Whywhywhy is a good one. The Sanford winner was bred from the Quiet American mare Thorough Fair, who he claimed for $5,000 at Turfway Park in February of 1997. Thorough Fair had been a hard knocking but moderate mare on the racetrack, winning three of 13 career starts, but Jones liked her despite her weak race record. Jones claimed her with the intentions of breeding and then selling her.
That same year, a son of Quiet American, Real Quiet, who went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, both grade I, won the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I), so Jones opted to keep Thorough Fair. He bred her to Mystery Storm, and she produced a filly, Mystery’s Essence. She was next sent to Mr. Greeley because Jones liked the stallion’s conformation and he stood at Spendthrift Farm, one of the 13 Central Kentucky farms where Jones provides blacksmith duties.
Whywhywhy was consigned, through Spendthrift Farm, agent, to the 2001 Keeneland September yearling sale. But he was bought back for $27,000. The colt was later sold privately to Lexington bloodstock agent Mike Ryan, who consigned the colt, through agent Robert Scanlon, to the 2002 Fasig-Tipton Florida February sale of 2-year-olds in training. Whywhywhy was pulled out of that sale and sold to trainer Patrick Biancone, who races him in partnership with Fabien Ouaki.
The twists and turns and good fortune of Jones has continued. The day before the Sanford, Ryan called Jones asking to purchase Thorough Fair, who is carrying a full sibling to Whywhywhy. Jones said no to the sale.
Thorough Fair has a Tale of the Cat colt that is consigned to this year’s Keeneland September yearling sale. Earlier this year, she produced a full brother to Whywhywhy.
Mr. Greeley is the sire of Whywhywhy and 14 other added-money winners, including additional 2002 stakes winners Celtic Melody (gr. I), Nonsuch Bay (gr. I), Puck (gr. III), Gralley, Bronze Autumn, and Reel Buddy (in England). Syndicated Mr. Greeley stands at Bruce Kline’s Spendthrift Farm near Lexington. His 2002 fee was $25,000.—L.D.
