San Rafael S. (gr. II)
(gr. II , 8f ,)
BROTHER DEREK
(B h,
122
lb) $90,000
Benchmark —Miss Soft Sell , by
Siyah Kalem
B—Mary H. Caldwell,
CA.;
O—Cecil N. Peacock;
T—Dan L. Hendricks
Stevie Wonderboy
(CH h,
122
lb) $30,000
Stephen Got Even —Heat Lightning , by
Summer Squall
B—Dr. Walter Zent,
KY.;
O—The Merv Griffin Ranch Co.;
T—Doug F. O'Neill
Wanna Runner
(CH g,
116
lb) $18,000
El Corredor —Shebandowana , by
Mt. Magazine
B—Yvonne Schwabe,
ON.;
O—Michael E. Pegram;
T—Bob Baffert
Margins: 1½, 3¼, 9½. Others: Woody Be Quick 118($9,000) . Winning Jockey, Alex O. Solis.
Brother Derek, who won the Jan. 14 San Rafael Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita, is the best horse veteran owner Cecil Peacock has ever raced.
“There’s no doubt about it, that’s for sure, but I’ve only been at it 35 years,” Peacock said. “It took a long time to get him.”
Brother Derek not only won the San Rafael, but also beat Stevie Wonderboy, last year’s Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner and an Eclipse Award finalist, in the process. Brother Derek, who ran fourth in the Juvenile, was a grade I and II winner last year, but is not an Eclipse Award finalist. He won the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) and Norfolk Stakes (gr. II).
Brother Derek was bred in California by Mary H. Caldwell, whose late husband, Tom Caldwell, was the breeder of the colt’s first three dams. Tom Caldwell, who died in 2001, served as director of auctions at Keeneland. The Caldwell’s sons, Cris and Scot, are Keeneland auctioneers.
Peacock, who is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is in the oil and energy business, raced Brother Derek’s full brother Don’tsellmeshort. A son of Benchmark and bred by Mary Caldwell, Don’tsellmeshort won three stakes in Southern California as a 2-year-old in 2003.
Caldwell, who owns a ranch near Eagle Point, Ore., also is the breeder of Swiss Bounty, whose dam, Soft Bounty, is a half-sister to both Brother Derek and Don’tsellmeshort.
Peacock bought Brother Derek through trainer Dan Hendricks, agent, at the 2005 Barretts March sale of 2-year-olds in training. Already named, Brother Derek was consigned by B.C.3. Thoroughbreds, agent for Timberline.
“Derek is a Mormon who went on a mission to Iraq, and anyone whose goes on these missions is termed a brother,” Hendricks said.
Peacock also raced multiple stakes winners Digital Dan, a graded winner, and Bobbin for Stars and Liberty Road in Canada in the late 1990s.
Benchmark, who didn’t become a stakes winner until age six, has sired 10 added-money winners. They include Proposed, who won the El Encino Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita the day after the San Rafael. Benchmark’s three stakes winners of 2005 also included A to the Z (gr. IIT). Benchmark stands at Martin and Pam Wygod’s River Edge Farm near Buellton, Calif. His 2006 fee is $7,500.—D.S.
