Check It Twice - Could make it three!!

When Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby in 2004, quite a bit was made of the fact that I had purchased his dam, I'll Get Along, when he was a weanling. Obviously, a big reason for this was all the excitement that Smarty generated in his triple crown quest.

I had purchased I'll Get Along as agent for Cl0verleaf Farms II, giving $130,000 for her at the Keeneland November 2001 sale. I sold her as agent for Cloverleaf in November of 2004 at Fasig Tipton for $5 million dollars. I'll Get Along was the highest priced broodmare to sell in 2004, another reason explaining the attention I received.

Another aspect of the story that got a lot of attention though, was that it wasn't the first time that I had purchased the dam of a future Kentucky Derby winner. In February of 1992, I had purchased the mare, Eileen's Moment. Several months later her 3 year old, Lil E. Tee won the Kentucky Derby.

It has been suggested to me that I am the only person to ever purchase the dams of 2 future Kentucky Derby winners. Like a man who has won the lottery twice, I've come to the conclusion that it could happen again. The impressive winner of the recent What a Pleasure Stakes at Calder, Check It Twice, could be just that horse.

In 2001, the same year that I purchased I'll Get Along , I purchased his dam, an Out of Place mare named Christmas List for Cloverleaf. Christmas List, a foal of 1995, was a daughter of Christmas Past, who was champion 3 year old filly of her year. Christmas List had been a solid allowance filly in New York, and was being sold infoal to Kenucky Derby winner, Go for Gin. I paid $95,000 for Christmas List.

In 2004, after producing several very averagae foals, I mated Christmas List to the first year sire, Repent. I had purchased Repent for myself and Cloverleaf in May of 2004. The resulting foal was Check It Twice. In four starts prior to the What A Pleasure, Check It Twice had been 2 firsts, a 2nd and had been third in the Florida Stallion Stakes. He won the What a Pleasure Stakes by 3 and 1/2 convincing lengths and earned a 96 Beyer in the race.

It is a long way from Calder's What a Pleasure Stakes to Churchill Down's famous race, but I am sure you can understand if I do a little day dreaming.