Wilburn impresses in career debut

Purely Awesome (Awesome Again) overtook Chico d'Oro for second by 2 1/4

lengths. Interestingly, Chico d'Oro and Purely Awesome had just finished second

and third, respectively, to Wilburn's stablemate Albergatti (Unbridled's Song),

who is expected to make his stakes debut in next Saturday's San Felipe S. (G2).

An early nominee to the Triple Crown, Wilburn was bred by Woodbridge

Bloodstock in Kentucky. The colt first sold for $75,000 as a Fasig-Tipton

Kentucky October yearling, but his current connections snapped him up for

$625,000 as a two-year-old in training at Keeneland last April.

Wilburn is a half-brother to Beethoven (Sky Mesa), the winner of the 2008

Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2). They are out of Arlington-Washington Lassie S.

(G3) heroine Moonlight Sonata (Carson City), who is herself a half-sister to

Futurity S. (G1) and Saratoga Special S. (G2) victor Bevo (Prospectors Gamble).

Further back, this is the family of 18-time stakes queen Twixt (Restless

Native), winner of such notable events as the Top Flight H. (G1), Firenze H.

(G2), Milady H. (G2) and two editions of the Barbara Fritchie H. (G3).