Those present at last weekend’s Turffontein meeting witnessed a potential star in the making when the Tony Peter-trained juvenile Pistol Pete followed up on his facile debut success by winning the 1000m opener in scintillating fashion.
Kaidan Brewer guides Pistol Pete to an easy victory to make it 2 from 2 (Pic – JC Photos)
Suzette Viljoen’s colt clearly has tons of ability and had provided Wilgerbosdrift freshman Buffalo Bill Cody with a winner from his very first runner, so vital, since the young sire is a non-stakes winner, and we all know that a lack of black type on a stallion’s CV poses an almost insurmountable handicap in this fickle industry.
Buffalo Bill Cody, an Irish-bred son of Australian supersire Redoute’s Choice, raced for Mary Slack and made a winning debut for the Mike de Kock stable. The margin was only a head, but the runner-up was subsequent Gr1 SA Classic winner Lobo’s Legend. That he was six months younger than his three-year-old rivals – he is bred to Northern Hemisphere time – added further cachet to the effort.
Fourth next time out, Buffalo Bill Cody would not taste defeat again in five subsequent starts, the last and most notable of which a 3.25 length drubbing of tough Gr1 performer Cirillo in a 1600m Pinnacle Stakes.
It was a bold move when De Kock next selected the Gr1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup as his charge’s stakes debut but alas, that proved a bridge too far, and Buffalo Bill Cody finished fifth, just under three lengths behind Horse of the Year Rainbow Bridge, champion Soqrat and Cirillo.
Buffalo Bill Cody in action (Pic – Supplied)
Following two unplaced efforts at Gr2 level, Buffalo Bill Cody did not race again.
Whilst the quest for black type proved unsuccessful, his stallion credentials nevertheless warranted him a place at his owner’s stud.
His sire Redoute’s Choice led the Australian sires list three times, whilst his legacy as a sire of sires has been underlined by sons Snitzel, Not A Single Doubt and Stratum, not to mention Ridgemont-based Rafeef.
On the dam side, he is out of Buffalo Berry who won at Gr3 level and produced the Gr1-placed, Gr3 winner Chattahoochee War.
Third dam Prayers ‘N Promises, a winner of both the Gr1 Matron and Gr1 Spinaway Stakes, was a half-sister to champion Little Current, whilst the next dam Luiana counted amongst her siblings Kentucky Derby winner and successful sire Chateaugay and his Gr1 winning sister Primonetta.
In short, a pedigree built on a solid foundation.
Pistol Pete was bred at Wilgerbosdrift from the stakes-placed five-time winner Oklahoma Sky, whose grandam Revival is a Sadler’s Wells half-sister to the Gr1 Nunthorpe winner and hugely successful Juddmonte sire, Pivotal.
Buffalo Bill Cody (Redoute’s Choice ex Buffalo Berry by Sri Pekan) (Pic – Raceform)
Interestingly, the female line, which traces to Italian 1000 Guineas winner Stufida, also boasts a South African Gr1 winner in Always In Charge. The Vaughan Marshall-trained colt was the country’s Champion Juvenile male some seasons ago when he scored a decisive three-length victory in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Medallion under Anton Marcus. His dam, Italian Oaks runner-up Polar Charge, is a grandaughter of Stufida and like Pivotal, is by Polar Falcon.
Owner Suzette Viljoen with Richard Fourie (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The Viljoens snapped up Pistol Pete for R380 000 at the Cape Yearling Sale and as Suzette recalls: “I love Buffalo Bill Cody and sent him a dozen mares last year. I couldn’t wait for his first foals to sell and when Pistol Pete caught my eye at last year’s Cape Yearling Sale, he just took my breath away and I said to Basie, I must have him.”
No doubt she will make a point of inspecting Cowboy Country, his yearling half-brother by The United States at this year’s sale.
Looking at the future, she remarked: “We will now plan Pistol Pete’s next races very carefully, but I leave that up to the trainer.”
Who knows, she may well have a future Gold Medallion winner on her hands.
As for Buffalo Bill Cody’s ten lots catalogued for the Cape Yearling Sale, these include siblings to Listed Swallow Stakes winner Freed From Desire, Gr3-placed Total Protection, stakes-placed Oni San, and a filly, whose dam is a High Chaparral half-sister to Horse of the Year Igugu.
Have a look at Pistol Pete’s facile victory:
