Sheik's farm sired 3 of 4 Derby winners

Sheik's farm sired 3 of 4 Derby winners

	Published : Thu, 10 May 2007 15:53 By : Agencies Print this Story

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - The Kentucky Derby marked yet another Father's Day for the American horse breeding operation owned by the ruler of Dubai.

When Street Sense claimed the roses Saturday, he was the third Derby winner in four years sired by one of the stallions belonging to Darley, the company Sheik Mohammed established with hopes of someday producing a Derby winner.

No winners yet for the sheik, but plenty of proud papas.

'I hope we are not talking about it 20 years from now, saying, 'When will one of these things sire another Derby winner?'' said Darley president Jimmy Bell, whose family started Jonabell Farm in 1953 and sold it to the sheik in 2001. 'To have that good fortune is very exciting. There's certainly a lot of luck involved, and a lot of hard planning.'

Although the sires of Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality) and Giacomo (Holy Bull) also stand at the Lexington farm, Street Cry may have pulled off the greatest breeding coup of them all. His prized foal came from his first crop.

Of course, Street Sense's dam gets some of the credit, too. When Bedazzle's former owner, James Tafel, sent the mare to breed with Street Cry in 2003, it was the first time she'd ever mated.

First crop for a stallion, first foal for a mare. Not exactly the combination that tends to produce racehorses the level of Street Sense, the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion to also win the Derby.

'It's really a little bit inexact,' Bell said. 'I wish it were more exact. That's why the game goes on. It's a little bit like capturing lightning in a bottle. There's only one of them that happens, and you have got to have a lot of things go your way.'

Jonabell Farm is a virtual hall of champions in the breeding industry. Affirmed, the last Triple Crown winner, is buried there, and the 12 stallions housed in the pristine stables are all superstars. One of the latest additions was Preakness winner Bernardini, last year's champion 3-year-old male.

Street Cry, now 8 years old, had an impressive racing career, albeit one often overlooked because he didn't run in the Triple Crown races. He won six of his 12 starts, including the Dubai World Cup -- horse racing's richest contest.

His coat completely dark brown, other than a small ring of white above both hind hooves, Street Cry stands at attention when visitors arrive, and they have been far more frequent since the Derby. The horse has always won raves from his handlers for his demeanor.

Although he's transported between Darley's American and Australian breeding farms, Street Cry never puts up a fuss, says stallion manager Jim Zajic. There is one enticement, though: a twice-weekly reward of peppermint candy.

'He'd eat anything you gave him,' Zajic said. 'He loves carrots and red and white mints. It doesn't matter if they are dollar store variety or come from Brach's.'

When Street Cry arrived at Jonabell four years ago, his stud fee was $30,000. That went up to $50,000 after Street Sense won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year, and it figures to skyrocket next year. By comparison, Bernardini fetches $100,000 for his part in producing each foal.

Queen Elizabeth II stopped by the farm while in town last weekend, looking at Street Cry and some of the other stallions. On Monday, Teruya Yoshida, owner of a horse farm in Japan, also took the tour, acknowledging his interest in Street Cry had been heightened because of Street Sense's success at Churchill Downs.

'He's a proven sire now,' Yoshida said. 'It's not easy to be proven. This is the very beginning. He'll have much, much better mares from now on.'

First, though, the farm is booking a return visit from Bedazzle, which could happen in the next two weeks. After that, Bell says, the sky is the limit.

'We are liking his position,' Bell said. 'Hopefully he'll continue to climb the ladder now.'