Bette’s Aftershock became the first winner for freshman sire and multiple
Grade 1 hero AFTER MARKET (Storm Cat) when driving to victory in Thursday
night’s 4TH race at Lone Star Park. Dispatched at 5-1 in his career debut, the
Francisco Bravo trainee alternated for the early lead, began to assert in the
stretch, and pulled away to score by two lengths. Bryan McNeil guided the
Florida-bred juvenile through five furlongs on the fast track in :59 1/5.
After Market, a homebred campaigned by Pam and Martin Wygod, was produced by
their multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Tranquility Lake (Rahy), and took
after her by thriving on the turf. He captured his first four career starts for
trainer Bill Mott, including the 2006 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S.
(G2) at Saratoga and the now-defunct Lexington S. (G3) at Belmont Park.
Transferred to John Shirreffs early in his four-year-old
campaign, After Market went on to compile another four-race winning streak
during the spring and summer of 2007, from 1 1/16 to 1 3/8 grassy miles. His
quartet comprised the Eddie Read H. (G1), Charles Whittingham Memorial H. (G1),
Del Mar H. (G2) and Inglewood H. (G3), a skein snapped by his rallying second in
the one-mile Kelso H. (G2). He was scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1)
because of the rain-softened turf at Monmouth and then retired with $903,685 in
earnings from his 13-8-1-0 line.
After Market is a full brother to Courageous Cat, who landed the
2009 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in stakes-record time and finished
second to Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, as well as U.A.E.
Group 2 winner Jalil, a $9.7 million Keeneland yearling purchase.
Their dam, $1.6 million-earner Tranquility Lake, collected seven
graded stakes wins, most notably the Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) and Gamely H. (G1).
She is herself a half-sister to multiple Grade 2 victor and sire Benchmark (Alydar)
and hails from the family of 1983 Belmont S. (G1) star Caveat (Cannonade).
The eight-year-old After Market stands at Lane’s End near
Versailles, Kentucky, for $7,500 stands and nurses.