Hollywood Futurity (gr. I)
(gr. I , 8.5f ,)
BROTHER DEREK
(B h,
121
lb) $244,350
Benchmark —Miss Soft Sell , by
Siyah Kalem
B—Mary H. Caldwell,
CA.;
O—Cecil N. Peacock;
T—Dan L. Hendricks
Your Tent Or Mine
(B h,
121
lb) $81,450
Forest Camp —Shes Got the Look , by
Prospector's Music
B—George Budig,
KY.;
O—Anthony Speelman;
T—Neil D. Drysdale
Bob and John
(DK B/ h,
121
lb) $48,870
Seeking the Gold —Minister's Melody , by
Deputy Minister
B—Stonerside Stable,
KY.;
O—Stonerside Stable;
T—Bob Baffert
Margins: 1, 4, 1¼. Others: A. P. Warrior 121($24,435) , Old Thunder 121($8,145) , Jealous Profit 121 , Ecru Egret 121 , Kobayashi 121 . Winning Jockey, Alex O. Solis.
Cecil N. Peacock’s Brother Derek ran like a horse to reckon with come next spring, digging in for a solid length win in the Dec. 17 Hollywood Futurity (gr. I). The son of Benchmark ran a respectable fourth in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) after winning the Norfolk Stakes (gr. II) at Oak Tree in early October.
“I think he showed very well in the Breeders’ Cup,” said trainer Dan Hendricks, “but since then he’s really matured. He’s bigger and stronger and he’s been training unbelievably—and it showed.”
Mary H. Caldwell bred Brother Derek in California out of the unraced, 12-year-old Siyah Kalem mare Miss Soft Sell. Benchmark—a son of Alydar out of the Danzig mare Winters’ Love—won the grade II Goodwood Breeders’ Cup and San Bernardino Handicaps at Santa Anita in 1997 for Martin and Pam Wygod, who stand the stallion at their River Edge Farm near Buellton, Calif.
Hendricks, who trains for the Wygods, said he was looking for Brother Derek at the 2005 Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training, having conditioned his stakes-winning full brother, Don’tsellmeshort, for Calgary, Alberta resident Peacock.
“His brother was pure sprinter,” said Hendricks. “But when we saw Brother Derek he was just a better made, better conformed horse. Don’tsellmeshort finished second in a stakes going 11/8 miles, so things looked good for Brother Derek going around two turns.”
Brother Derek was consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent, to the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale. John Brocklebank, agent, signed the $150,000 ticket. Timberline, with B.C.3. Thoroughbreds as agent, placed the colt in the Barretts sale where Peacock made the $275,000 purchase.
Each of Miss Soft Cell’s six foals to race found the winner’s circle. Her first, Soft Bounty, by River Edge foundation stallion Pirate’s Bounty, went on to produce the stakes-winning Swiss Yodeler gelding Swiss Bounty, winner of the 2004 Top Hat Stakes at Yavapai Downs.
Miss Soft Cell produced a Swiss Yodeler colt, Swissle Stick, who fetched $600,000 from Bob and Beverly Lewis as a Barretts March 2-year-old of 2004 and ran third for the owners in this year’s Anderson Fowler Stakes.
Miss Soft Sell has a yearling colt by Swiss Yodeler. She lost a Silver Charm foal earlier this year.
Benchmark, sire of nine stakes winners, including A to the Z (gr. IIT) and Red Warrior in 2005, stands at River Edge for a $7,500 fee.—P.V.S.
