Regally bred chestnut The United States proved one of the rising sire stars of the 2022-2023 South African season and enjoyed another eyecatching winner at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday, courtesy of the Michael Roberts trained Sun Blushed.
Under a beautiful ride by Rachel Venniker, the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein 4yo chestnut gelding finished powerfully to win the 1200m R100 000 Conditional Graduation.
Rachel Venniker drives Sun Blushed up to grab a narrow verdict (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Sun Blushed was registering his third win with 4 places from 9 starts for stakes in excess of R130 000 and Michael Roberts says that his charge has bigger fish to fry. The winner is out of the Kidlonan mare, Natural Tan.
His sire, a son of Galileo, ended the season fifth on the Leading Sire of 3YOs with sophomores by earning more than R5,7 million in stakes last season.
He had a plethora of above average three-year-olds last season, including Gr3 Sea Cottage Stakes winner Billy Bowlegs, Listed Racehorse Owners Association Stakes winner Khaya’s Hope, Gr3 Victory Moon Stakes runner up East Coast and Gr3 WSB Variety Club Mile winner Without Question, among his notable sophomores in 2022-2023.
Galileo son The United States
In total, The United States was responsible for 31 three-year-old winners last season, with his sophomores winning 52 races in the season just past.
Bennie Van Der Merwe, who stands The United States, is understandably delighted with the success his resident stallion enjoyed last season.
He says: “He suffered a life-threatening fracture of P2 in his left foreleg just after the start of the 2017 breeding season. This resulted in him covering just a handful of mares out of a truly magnificent big book of mares that were assembled for him. He ended up having only 9 runners in his first crop, one being the brilliant Sheela.
It is normal for the jury on whether a stallion has a viable future as a stallion to come in at the end of the 3yo season of his first runners.
In his case the verdict was postponed until just the other day at the end of his 2nd crop of 3yo runners. No need to say that he passed with flying colours. He ended up 5th on the National Log of 3yo Sires – well ahead of the likes of Vercingetorix and Rafeef.
His AEPR is very impressive at just on R100k.(3rd) He has produced Gr1 performers from 1000 – 2400m! He has a high percentage of runners with MR 90 and more and many multiple winners and 10% Stakes performers.
He is the single racehorse with the best temperament that I have ever worked with.(Let alone Stallion) He survived his injury – one of the biggest contributing factors was his relaxed demeanor – something he passes onto his offspring.
He certainly stamps them, which makes them hard to asses in terms of suitable distance. (He looks like Pivotal with perfect legs) They are still Galileos and most do better with time and distance. He has over 75% winners to runners for 1600m plus! But – his female line is all speed! Photos do not do him justice – all who have seen him concur that he is more impressive in the flesh.”
The United States is expected to cover a good book of mares this season with both Miss Khaya (dam of Khaya’s Hope) and Yourthetops (dam of Billy Bowlegs) among the mares visiting him this season. He has covered Trip To India (dam of his G2 winning daughter Sheela) last year.
His legendary sire Galileo’s influence as a sire of sires continues to grow, through the likes of Frankel, Teofilo, Nathaniel, Churchill and Australia to name but a few, and his own stallion sons are now making their mark with their own sons at stud.
His grandson Havana Gold is the sire of British sire sensation Havana Grey, sire of already seven group winners from his first two crops including this season’s exciting two-year-olds Jasour, Elite Status and Vandeek.
Frankel is also showing promise as a sire of sires, with his four time Gr1 winning son Cracksman coming up with Gr1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) winner Ace Impact from his very first crop.
The United States has also continued to gain handsome updates to his female line, with relatives Fonteyn and Tenebrism winning the Gr1 Royal Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes and Gr1 Haras d’Etreham Prix Jean Prat respectively in 2022.
Tenebrism’s half-sister Statuette also showed great promise as a two-year-old when she won both her starts including the Gr2 Airlie Stud Stakes.
The United States has 8 lots on next weekend’s BSA August 2yo Sale.
