Horses are big business in Southern California

 

Horses continue to be a profitable business in Southern California.

Whether it’s breeding or racing, owners have listed record earnings during the first few weeks of this year.

Marty and Pam Wygod’s River Edge Farm in Buellton reported that their 19-year-old stallion, Bertrando, leads California stallions in progeny earnings for the second time in three years at $4,235,168.

 

Stallion earnings

Bertrando ranks 45th on the 2007 national list and was the only California stallion to surpass $4 million in progeny earnings in 2007. In 2005 he earned $3,644,295.

Bertrando’s leading progeny was Bilo in 2007, who earned $327,780. Bilo, owned by Scott and Wayne Anastasi and Don Capen, is expected to run in the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita on Jan. 26. His trainer is Mike Mitchell.

Two new stallions have been bought by stud farms in Southern California. Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Santa Ynez, will stand Proud Tower Too for $5,000. The farm’s Proud Irish retired last year with seven wins and earnings of $1,735,572. Proud Tower Too is son of Irish Tower’s Dora’s Tower and a full brother to Proud Tower and Proud Cardenal. The farm welcomed the new stud Jan. 13.

Proud Tower Too, in four seasons of racing, has three stakes wins in 2005, and in 2007 placed in two graded stakes.

The farm Victory Rose, near Vacaville, will stand Trickey Trevor, also for $5,000. Trickey Trevor is half-brother to Brooklet and Christmas Ship.

 

Racing results

Even though the condition of the Santa Anita racetrack was still in question after races were cancelled during the Jan. 5-6 weekend because of torrential rains, all the stakes races went without problems on Jan. 12-13. The cushion track has trouble draining, according to officials there, which caused the three-day interruption. Jockeys said the course was still too hard before the races Jan. 12, but trainers said the course was in ideal condition.

An undefeated Indian Blessing won the Santa Ynez Stakes Jan. 13 at the Santa Anita racetrack, receiving $150,000 for the race. Indian Blessing led Golden Doc A and Peisinoe, who placed second and third, respectively.

Indian Blessing is owned by Hal & Patti Earnhardt, who have been raising and breeding racehorses for more than 20 years in the Phoenix, Ariz., area. She was trained by Bob Baffert, of Del Mar, and ridden by Garrett Gomez, of Duarte, who, in 2007 had ridden 265 winners and ranked first of all North American jockeys in earnings with $22,800,074.

Indian Blessing has received $1,477,200 in four starts. She is descended from stakes winner Shameful and Flying Chevron. Golden Doc A is from Old English Rancho, near Fresno, and Peisinoe, unbeaten until this race, is from Florida.