JUDDMONTE FARMS NOMINATED FOR FOUR ECLIPSE AWARDS
The Eclipse Award finalists for 2001 were announced on Thursday,
January 10th, and Juddmonte Farms was nominated for Outstanding
Owner and Outstanding Breeder. Juddmonte Farms’ horses Banks Hill
and Flute were nominated for Turf Female and 3-Year-Old Filly
respectively.
Juddmonte Farms, as an owner, had $6,926,015 in earnings in
2001. With only 137 starts, the horses averaged $50,554 in earnings
per start. Juddmonte had 41 winners (30%) and 61% of the starters
placed first, second or third. Juddmonte had their first stakes
winner on February 3rd when Out of Reach won the Gr.3 Brown Bess
Handicap. The last stakes winner was on December 26th when Mizzen
Mast won the Gr.1 Malibu Stakes. Juddmonte Farms’ was named TOBA
Owner of the Month in August when Aptitude, Flute and Skimming each
won a Gr.1 race.
Juddmonte Farms, as a breeder, had $7,236,839 in earnings in
2001. With only 56 starters, the horses averaged $129,229 in
earnings. Juddmonte Farms’ had six Grade 1 winners in 2001,
including Aptitude (winner of the Gr.1 Hollywood Gold Cup and the
Gr.1 Jockey Club Gold Cup – earning the highest Beyer Speed Figure
of 2001), Flute (winner of the Gr.1 Kentucky Oaks and Gr.1 Alabama
Stakes), Mizzen Mast (Gr.1 Malibu Stakes), Observatory (winner of
the Gr.1 Prix d’Ispahan in France), Senure (Gr.1 United Nations
Handicap and Gr.1 Clement Hirsch Handicap), and Skimming (Gr.1
Pacific Classic). Aptitude retires to the Juddmonte Stallion Barn
in 2002. Multiple Gr.1 winner Observatory (by Juddmonte Farms’
stallion Distant View) retires to Juddmonte Farms’ stallion complex
in England.
Banks Hill started seven times in 2001. She finished fourth in
her first start, the Prix d’Angerville at Chantilly on April 24th,
compromised by the soft ground in France at that time. She finished
a fast-closing second in the Gr.1 French 1,000 Guineas at Longchamp
on May 13th. She won the Gr.2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly on
June 3rd. She crushed a very good field in the Gr.1 Coronation
Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 22 to solidify her position as the
best three-year-old filly in Europe. She finished second in the
Gr.1 Prix Jacques le Marois and the Gr.1 Prix du Moulin de
Longchamp in her next two starts, both times competing against the
best European milers of either sex. In her final start of the year,
Banks Hill dominated the running of the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Filly
and Mare Turf, winning by over five lengths.
Banks Hill is a daughter of Juddmonte homebreds Danehill and
Hasili. Hasili is also the dam of Dansili, a multiple Group winner
standing at Juddmonte Farms’ stallion complex in England. Hasili is
in-foal to Danehill again for 2002.
Flute started seven times in 2001. She broke her maiden on
January 4 at Santa Anita. She finished a close second to Golden
Ballet in the Gr.1 Santa Anita Oaks on March 10th. In only her
fourth lifetime start, she crushed the field winning the Gr.1
Kentucky Oaks on May 4th. She won an allowance race, defeating
older mares, in her prep for the Alabama on August 18th, which she
won in wire-to-wire fashion. Flute then finished a close second in
the Gr.1 Beldame Stakes on October 6th at Belmont before finishing
the year racing in the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Flute is by Seattle Slew out of the Blushing Groom mare Rougeur,
winner of the Gaily Gaily Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Rougeur has
also produced the SW Velvet Morning to the cover of Broad Brush.
Rougeur is in-foal to Juddmonte Farms’ stallion Chester House for
2002
Date:
14 January 2002