NAJRAN
He’s fast
He’s good-looking
He’s getting great foals
We’d love for you to come see him!
NAJRAN’s second crop has started arriving and they are as impressive as the first! This good-looking, world-class runner is throwing his own class, appearance and size onto his foals and the breeders love it.
We can get an idea of the interest shown in his foals by taking a look at some of his first weanlings sold in November of 2005:
$65,000 Colt Midnight Elegance, by Nijinsky II (Northern Dancer)
Half to MOONLIGHT MEETING (GENERAL MEETING) – G3-pld SW, 8 wins, $487,043, NTR – 1 1/8 miles on dirt
Half to Gondolier’s Song (RIVERMAN), Spld winner of $85,6798 on both turf and dirt.
Out of a G3-placed ½ sister to the dam of G2-placed CHIEF PLANNER ($267,796)
$55,000 Colt Allmylifeisacircle, by Pleasant Tap (Stage Door Johnny)
Half to 3 winners, including Uncle Divsie ($126,690)
Out of a half sister to Bello Cielo ($154,165, 2nd Hollywood Oaks-G1, dam of AYLA BELLA, $85,386)
2nd dam is multiple stakes-placed Double Advantage, half to HORATIUS (G3)
$50,000 Filly Ostara, by Gilded Time (Timeless Moment)
Out of a $65,000 FTK July yearling
2nd dam is Arlene’s Delight, 10 wins, $176,299, 2nd Betsy Ross H.-G3.
$22,000 Colt On the Money, by Shuailaan (Roberto)
Out of a ½ sister to GUTHRIE (Burlingame S., 2nd Maker’s Mark S.) and GHOSTEZ
2nd dam is ½ sister to LOST CODE (G1, $2,085,396)
“He’s definitely going places…” Pat Day
While unplaced in 1 start as a juvenile, NAJRAN bloomed at 3, winning 5 of 7 starts at Churchill, Saratoga, Calder and Keeneland. His 9¼-length victory in the 7-furlong Perryville S. during Keeneland’s October meet attracted national attention:
NAJRAN much too good in the Perryville
“Najran ran away from his field and easily captured the $84,075 Perryville S. at Keeneland Friday by 1 ¼ length. The son of Runaway Groom covered the seven panels on a rain-soaked track in 1:26.00.” … “It’s great when they’re going that fast and pricking their ears,” said (Pat) Day. “I don’t think it was his all-time favorite surface out there. He’s a generous horse with a big engine and a nice mind. He’s definitely going places.” BloodHorse October 11, 2002
One of the fastest horses alive…
On May 7, 2003, the world/American mile record on dirt set by the brilliant DR. FAGER on August 24, 1968 in the Washington Park H.-G3 teetered. NAJRAN flew home in Belmont’s Westchester H. in 1:32.24 closely brushingthe ‘mark’ of the great ‘Doctor’. This time for the distance was faster than those held by:
BUCKPASSER (1:32 3/5)
BOLD BIDDER (1:32 4/5)
SWAPS (1:33 1/5 & 1:33 2/5)
NAJRAN ran 2nd to champion sprinter ALDEBARAN in the Forego H.-G1 at Saratoga over the 2003 Memorial Day weekend; he then went on to win the $264,000, 6-furlong Phoenix Breeders’ Cup S.-G3 in 1:08.32, only :00.54 off the track record set by ANJIZ in 1993. He was retired in October of 2003, missing the Breeders Cup Sprint-G1 in Texas.
Talking points…
“…This is a real horse” Trainer Nick Zito
“Ridden by Edgar Prado for the first time, NAJRAN burst quickly from post 1 and opened up a sizable lead on the field while running well off the rail. The opening fractions of :22.65 and :44.67 gave Prado and Najran a 3 ½-length lead. …… Najran’s lead remained multiple lengths as he turned for home, hitting the quarter pole in an eye-popping 1:07.76—and showed no sign of stopping. His eight-length lead at the eighth pole did diminish to 4 ½-lengths at the wire, but the outcome was never in doubt. Despite the teeth-rattling fractions, Najran still got his final quarter-mile in :24.48.”
The BloodHorse Evan Hammons
“I knew he was going to run big, but I never dreamed he would run this big!”
Trainer Nick Zito
“I was inside on a horse with speed, so I had to send him and take advantage. He was just galloping on the front end. He was going so easy. I was surprised at how fast he ran.” Jockey Edgar Prado
The first and last foal…
Lazy Lane Stables of Virginia bred the unraced Capote mare Line Command, who was carrying NAJRAN when she was sold through Keeneland’s November sale in 1998 for $67,000. Breeders France and Irv Weiner sold Najran as a yearling at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale to Mahmoud Fustok of Buckram Oak for $100,000. Najran is the only foal out of Line Command.
A hickory family…
Second dam CIRCLE COMAND was on the board in all 3 of her juvenile starts. At 3, she found her stride: she won the Ribbon S., placed in the $50,000 Rolling Meadows S. and was 3rd in the $75,000 Aksarben Oaks-G3, for a lifetime record of 6 wins, 2 seconds and 3 thirds in 15 starts, earning $118,785 (nearly $100,000 came from sprinting). She had been a successful pinhook project, selling as a weanling for $40,000 at the November Breeding Stock Sale in 1990, then reselling the following September at Keeneland for $100,000. She had 6 foals, including:
HYPNOTIST (Favorite Trick) – Winner of the $75,000 Dave Feldman S., $101,566
OVAL (Kris S.) – Won or placed in 22 of 29 starts over 3 seasons, earning $154,310. She was good going short or long, on turf or dirt.
REPETITION (Capote) – This sprinting full sister to Line Command won or placed in 10 of 23 starts, earning $86,085.
Pedigree notes…
At this time, one can only speculate on which mares will produce the best runners by Najran. That picture will clear only when his runners start racing 18 months from now, showing us their own aptitudes for distance and surface. In the meantime, a lot of thought has gone into selecting lines and individuals who would complement this world-class racehorse.
We have listed below the lines we’d like to see emphasized, but this is only a list of suggestions. Ideally the pedigree of each mare would be reviewed and we here at Hopewell would be happy to help you. Hopewell bred 20 farm mares to this horse in 2005, so we have put our money where our mouth and we would like to help you to determine whether 2006 is the year to take advantage of this young stallion.
Sire lines: Available in .pdf format. PLEASE CLICK HERE
