Lucky First wins President’s Cup
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 13, 2014) — Lucky First, a 4-year-old colt by Curlin purchased at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale, won Russia’s richest race, the President of the Russian Federation Stakes, in impressive fashion on June 11 at the Central Moscow Hippodrome.
Known as the President’s Cup, the stakes is a Russian Group 1 event for horses 4-year-olds and older and is run over 2,400 meters (approximately 1½ miles). It carries a purse of 10 million (RUB), or $291,000. Lucky First’s victory marks the sixth time in the past seven years that a Keeneland sales graduate has won Russia’s most prestigious race.
Lucky First, who is out of the Sadler’s Wells mareDragon Fly (FR), was bred in Kentucky by Becky Winemiller and consigned to the September Sale by Brookdale Sales, agent. The colt was purchased by John Black for $19,000. Lucky First races for Sergey Bondarenko and A.M. Uzdenov.
Gold Dream, another 2011 September Sale graduate, finished third in this year’s race. By Afleet Alex out of Clary Sage, by Shadeed, God Dream was consigned by St. George Sales, agent, and purchased by Jaguar Racing for $70,000.
Keeneland sales graduates also captured the three major undercard races on President’s Cup Day. Yulian, winner of the $87,512 Central Moscow Hippodrome Stakes, a 2,000-meter (approximately 1¼ miles) race for 3-year-olds and up, is a graduate of the 2012 September Sale. The 3-year-old Dixie Union colt out of Youre So Sweet, by Storm Cat, who consigned by Lane’s End, agent, and was purchased by Stone Bridge Bloodstock for $50,000. Yulian was bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings Limited.
Bremen and Ready Vicontesse finished 1-2 in the $87,512 Hero City of Moscow Stakes, a 2,400-meter race for 4-year-olds and up. Bremen, a 5-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid out of Broad Picture, by Broad Brush, was purchased by Raut LLC for $55,000 at the 2010 September Sale from the consignment of breeder Clovelly Farms.
Ready Vicontesse is a 4-year-old daughter of More Than Ready out of Camas Creek, by Fusaichi Pegasus. She was purchased at the 2011 September Sale for $24,000 by John Black from the consignment of Gainesway, agent.
Curlin was responsible for another winner on the President’s Cup Day card when his son Chekist won the $29,172 Jockey Club Stakes for 2-year-olds racing 1,200 meters (six furlongs). The colt out of the A.P. Indy mare Koko Pop was purchased for $47,000 at the 2013 September Sale by M.A.B. Agency for Edward Mordukhovich and Vartan Vartanov. He was consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent for his breeder, Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC.
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