FEATURE STALLION
FEBRUARY 25, 2006
Mon of the Moment
by Jordan Strickler
Already touting an impressive resume as a sire, MARIA’S MON (Wavering
Monarch) added to that list on February 4 when High Limit captured the $300,000 Strub S. (G2)
at Santa Anita, defeating reigning Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Giacomo (Holy
Bull) by five lengths. To improve on the weekend, Wait a While listed herself as
a Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender when the gray sophomore destroyed a competitive
field in the $150,000 Davona Dale S. (G2) by 14 lengths.
Those performances only added to the 13-year-old stallion’s list of
accomplishments as a sire so far this year. Pin Oak Stud Farm Manager Clifford
Barry describes Maria’s Mon’s offspring as even-tempered with a good fight, and
they have been using that competitive nature to prove themselves on the track.
Before High Limit’s dominant 4 1/2-length victory in the Strub, the bay
outdueled Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) runner-up Buckland Manor (Bien Bien) to
annex the San Pasqual H. (G2) in his four-year-old debut. Those were the first
victories for High Limit since the Bobby Frankel trainee scored in the Louisiana
Derby (G2) last March en route to his bid for
the Kentucky Derby (G1). These first two contests of 2006 have put him on solid footing for a
successful new year.
Wait a While put together a successful two-year-old campaign, capturing the Miss Grillo
S. by an emphatic 6 1/2 lengths, before running third in the Demoiselle
S. (G2).
The Jerry Hollendorfer-conditioned Cause to Believe threw his hat into the
ring
for this year’s Kentucky Derby when capturing the El Camino Real Derby (G3) at
Golden Gate Fields in late January. The gray sophomore competed effectively
in the listed stakes ranks in 2005, winning three and placing second in another, and now seems poised to take
on the big boys.
Gaff gave a good account of himself in Europe, placing in both the Killavullan S.
(Ire-G3) and Leopardstown Two Thousand Guineas Trial S. (Ire-G3), before coming to the United
States to race successfully on the main track, winning a number of sprint races
before prevailing in the Mr. Prospector H. (G3) last time on January 7.
Maria’s Mon first hit the spotlight when his son Monarchos led a field of 17 across
the wire in the 2001 Kentucky Derby (G1). Previous to that victory, the John
Ward Jr. trainee annexed the Florida Derby (G1) and ran second in the Wood Memorial
(G2). He suffered an injury in the Belmont S. (G1) when placing third to Point
Given and raced only once more before being retired to stud.
Since then, the quality of Maria’s Mon’s
offspring has only improved.
“The books post-Monarchos are as different as night and day,” Barry
said. “It is a whole different level of mares.”
That is indeed the case. Since then, the 13-year-old stallion has seen full
books of up to 125 mares which have included multiple Grade 2 winner True Flare
(Capote), 1996 Thoroughbred Club of America S. (G3) victress Surprising Fact
(Know Fact), 1992 Pucker Up S. (G3) winner Ziggy’s Act (Danzig), multiple stakes
winners Senate Appointee (Storm Cat), Watchfull (Notebook) and Sigrun (Crafty Prospector), and
multiple stakes-placed Kopenhagen (Dynaformer).
Respectively, these mares have produced top-level and up-and-coming stars
such as promising three-year-old maiden winner Latent Heat, who is headed to the
Santa Catalina S. (G2); Illinois Derby (G2) runner-up
Monarch Lane, who put in a resounding performance in his last start, defeating
allowance company by 6 1/2 lengths; Arlington-Washington Breeders’ Cup Futurity
(G3) second-placer Charley Tango; Iroquois S. (G3) third-place finisher Mondavi; Jamaica H.
(G3) hero Watchmon; Iowa Oaks (G3) victress Whimsy; and undefeated Strong
Contender, a Kentucky Derby prospect coming off a sharp 4 3/4-length score over
allowance rivals at Gulfstream.
Having already sired such performers as See How She Runs (2002 Selene
S. [Can-G1]), Wander Mom (2002 My Charmer H. [G3]) and Silver Tornado (2001 Reeve Schley
Jr. S. [G3]) from his pre-Monarchos books, it seems that indeed Maria’s Mon’s finest runners may have not
even hit the track yet, and he should deliver plenty of talent in the years to
come.
Maria’s Mon dominated in his time on the track, showing his talent when he shattered maiden special weight
rivals by 10 1/2 lengths in his first start on July 4, 1995. That year, he lost
only once in five tries, capturing the Champagne S. (G1), Futurity S. (G1) and
Sanford S. (G3) — the only two-year-old to win multiple Grade 1 events that
year — while running third in the Hopeful S. (G1) en route to earning champion
two-year-old colt honors that year.
An injury sidelined him until July of his three-year-old season, when he came
home second against allowance foes. After a sixth in the Jim Dandy S. (G2), he was retired to Pin
Oak Stud, where he resides today.
Over two years of racing, the Richard Schosberg trainee garnered $507,140 in
earnings with a 7-4-1-1 mark.
“He’s as classy a horse as you would ever want to be around,” said Barry, who
also stands champion turf horse Sky Classic and Grade 2 hero Broken Vow at the
Versailles, Kentucky, farm.
Currently, Maria’s Mon stands for $25,000, a price likely to increase after
the success which he has experienced over the past couple of years — success
which has Barry breeding Maria’s Mon to some of the farm’s own mares
every year.
Through seven crops, Maria’s Mon has sired 248 winners from 339 starters, a
win percentage of 73 percent. To date his progeny earnings equal $19,663,426
with 23 black-type winners.