Juvenile Spotlight: Brown Almighty

Among the most popular horses of the past decade, Big Brown was a spectacular racehorse, winning the Kentucky Derby (GI) and Preakness Stakes (GI) in impressive fashion en route to a divisional championship title. He retired to Three Chimneys Farm, joining a strong stallion roster. Hopes of the champion becoming a top sire soared, but like any other new sire, doubt was involved.

The dual classic-winning son of Boundary has quickly begun erasing that doubt. So far, Big Brown has sired three winners from his first crop: Ruby Brown, Brown Eyes Blue, and Brown Almighty.

The latter debuted at Arlington Park this past Saturday, going to post in one-mile maiden special weight for juveniles over a firm turf course. Breaking well from the third gate, the chestnut settled into third behind the leaders as the two-year-olds rounded the first turn. With Francisco Torres – who won four races on the card – aboard, Brown Almighty remained in third, but gained on the leader, Wild Slew, down the backstretch.

Brown Almighty appeared trapped behind horses as the field turned for home, remaining behind rivals as the wire grew closer. However, Torres found room for the blaze-faced two-year-old, sending him in between horses. The son of Big Brown accelerated beautifully, galloping to an easy 1 ¾-length victory for trainer Tim Ice, who trained 2009 Champion Three-Year-Old Male Summer Bird.

A member of the first crop of a young sire showing serious potential to become a very effective stallion, Brown Almighty looks to further endorse Big Brown’s success as a sire. The indicators exist that Big Brown will continue to be successful, as he is a grandson of the great sire Danzig, who produced such sires as Chief’s Crown, Danehill, Exchange Rate, Langfuhr, and War Chant. In addition, Big Brown’s damsire, Nureyev, is the broodmare sire of such outstanding stallions as Kingmambo and Zabeel.

Brown Almighty’s dam is the black-type-placed Gone Goodbye, whose only other runner is Shea Goodbye, a winning filly who finished fourth in the New York Stallion Series Stakes. Gone Goodbye’s sire is Gone for Real, a graded stakes-winning sire who stands stud in New Zealand. Notably, Gone for Real is a son of Gone West, who is the broodmare sire of such grade one winners as Awesome Feather, Brilliant Speed, Game Face, Healthy Addiction, Motivator, and Union Rags.

Brown Almighty is a member of female family twenty, which is the same female family that includes the champions Alysheba, Royal Delta, and War Emblem.

This talented young colt should not be classified as solely a turf horse. After all, his sire dominantly took a turf maiden at Saratoga in his career debut prior to winning four grade ones on dirt. Perhaps his pedigree is not absolutely spectacular other than his quickly blossoming sire, but Brown Almighty could certainly become one of his sire’s best offspring, as I believe the best of this colt is yet to come.

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