REDDAM IN ENVIABLE POSITION WITH THREE TALENTED
COLTS
Taken from the Thoroughbred Times Today
By Jeff Lowe
J. Paul Reddam reminded himself a few months ago to savour 2006,
knowing that he may never have a better year as an owner. Reddam
finished eighth in the nation in earnings and capped 2006 in
incredible fashion by winning the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf
(G1) with Red Rocks (Ire) and selling two broodmare prospects,
Andujar and Sharp Lisa, a day later for a combined
$5.9-million.
So far, Reddam’s smile has only grown wider in 2007, mirroring
any owner with a promising three-year-old in mid-February. Reddam’s
beam is especially bright since he has three colts who are among
the early contenders for the Triple Crown. Notional won the Risen
Star Stakes (G3) on February 10 at Fair Grounds to solidify himself
among the Reddam contingent that also includes Grade 1 winner Great
Hunter and Hollywood Futurity (G1) runner-up Liquidity. Doug
O’Neill trains all three horses, giving the Eclipse Award finalist
for outstanding trainer an excellent chance to saddle his first
starter in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).
Reddam is quick to credit O’Neill’s brother and assistant,
Dennis, for his role in buying all three colts. Dennis O’Neill
signed the tickets for both Notional and Liquidity at the 2006
Barretts March sale of selected two-year-olds in training.
Dennis O’Neill discovered Great Hunter in an entirely different
manner. The APTITUDE colt won two
races at Lone Star Park last spring for owner Ilona Whetstone and
trainer Joseph Petalino before catching O’Neill’s attention. He
arranged a private deal for Reddam to buy Great Hunter.
“Dennis is kind of plugged into the bloodstock underground,”
Reddam said. “It was very unusual for me to buy a two-year-old off
the racetrack that early in the year. Usually, I think that the
horses that show precociousness in the springtime of their
two-year-old year are never going to be around at the end of the
year."
“When we started talking about this horse, I was a fan of
APTITUDE as a racehorse, and from a
bloodline perspective, he has the right to sire a big horse.
Certainly, you would think from APTITUDE’s career and his bloodlines that his
horses would be better three-year-olds than two-year-olds, so when
I saw the video of Great Hunter’s starts in Texas, I said ‘Boy, if
he’s doing this early and we can get this horse together, maybe
he’ll be a hell of a three-year-old.’ He blossomed before that when
he went around two turns.”
Great Hunter finished second in three graded stakes for
Reddam and the O’Neills before breaking through with a victory in
the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G1), which was his first start
beyond seven furlongs. He added a third-place finish to Street
Sense in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
(G1).
Date:
13 February 2007