The opening Australian Pacing Gold sale will be held at Brisbane’s Albion Park on Sunday 26 January 2020 (Australia Day weekend) commencing at 12 noon. The APG’s Race Series No. 31, forms part of the 2020 Yearling Sales, consisting of a series of two and three year old Group One races, six Group Two 2yo and six Group Three 3yo championship races. Prizemoney for this series of races will approach two million dollars.
The Brisbane, Queensland sale (forty one lots) represents the first Australasian sale at which Always B Miki’s Southern Hemisphere yearlings will be sold. This follows on from his five weanlings (three colts, two fillies) sold at New Zealand Bloodstock’s All Aged Sale at Karaka (Auckland) on 6 May 2019. Emilio and Mary Rosati’s purchase of a colt from Art Major mare Cougar Bromac for $26,000 being the highest priced; all five sold for an aggregate of $94,000 (average $18,800) making him second leading sire on average.
At the Lexington, Kentucky 2019 yearling sales, Always B Miki’s North American foals debuted. On day one, eighteen sold for $2.010m with eleven selling for over $100k (average $111,667), second only to Somebeachsomewhere among the pacing stallions. A filly out of Lisjune (Camluck/Lisheen by Abercrombie) named Always Be Deo (half-sister to I Luv The Nitelife 1:48.4US – $1,944,667) was sold to the Determination Stable, Montreal (Quebec, Canada) for $290,000 (tenth highest priced overall, second highest pacer). Four Always B Miki fillies were his next top lots followed by two colts selling for $140,000. Day two’s highlight was filly Always B My Becky (out of Bettors Delight mare My Little Delight) selling for $150,000 (day two : twenty two sold for $1.426m).
Forty of his yearlings had sold at the opening two sales sessions and a further sixteen sold over the final three sessions, total of fifty six (one more than Muscle Hill), making him leading sire of yearlings sold, fourth highest in aggregate sales ($3.994m), overall sixth leading sire of more than four yearlings sold on averages ($71,321) and third pacing sire on averages after Somebeachsomewhere ($112,763) and just behind Captain Treacherous ($73,776).
As one of the new sires having yearlings for sale for the first time in Australasia, Always B Miki has plenty to offer. Standing at stud in the Southern Hemisphere on behalf of Alabar in association with Nevele R Stud, for the current breeding season 2019/2020, he is physically located at Alabar Australia’s Victorian base at Echuca. During his first two seasons at stud in Australasia he served 430 mares – NZ (192), Australia (238).
ALWAYS B MIKI (2011 Always A Virgin/Artstopper), stopped the clock at 1:53.1US as a two year old, 1:47.4US at three before establishing a new pacers mile/race mile world record of 1:46.0US attained at The Red Mile, Lexington on 9 October 2016, aged five (since equalled by Lather Up, Meadowlands 6 July 2019). In addition, winning on four occasions in better than 1:47.0. A winner of thirty of fifty three race starts in a four year career (two to five) yielding stake earnings of US$2,715,368.
Stats per USTA : note Canadian earnings converted to US dollar equivalents (in some publications earnings at 3, 4 and 5 plus total differ for this reason : alternative earnings value of $2,826,176).
His impressive race record included fifteen group race wins; seven Group Ones, Tattersalls Pace at three with Open Paces at four and five : Breeders Crown (twice, back to back), Allerage Farm, William R Haughton Memorial, TVG (Sam McKee), Ben Franklin. Seconds in elimination and final of Meadowlands Pace (Hes Watching) and to Wiggle It Jiggleit in Canadian Pacing Derby and Dan Patch Invitational at Group One level. His speed and earnings record proving he got better with age.
In 2016 alone as a five year old, he set :
- Canadian record of 1:47.1 (Mohawk, 18 June 2016)
- World record for five year old pacer on the 5/8ths mile Pocono Downs track of 1:47.0US (25 June 2016)
- World record for 9 furlongs of 2:01.1US (1:47.6 mile rate) since bettered by Lather Up in 2019 at Meadowlands (1:46.1, 3 August 2019, Sam McKee Memorial)
- World record for one mile of 1:46.0US at the Red Mile, record shared with Lather Up
- Crowned USA Dan Patch 4yo+ H&G Pacer, Pacer, Fastest Pacer and Harness Horse of Year
Always B Miki was bred by Roll The Dice Stable, Wilmington, Delaware, foaling on 10 May 2011. His sire Always A Virgin (1:48.4US, $1,135,559, Cane Pace/Messenger Stakes; sire of Jugette winner Color A Virgin;) represents the Western Ideal/Western Hanover/Meadow Skipper paternal line back to Electioneer. Available at stud over five seasons in Australia leaving 404 live foals; 134 winners to date including Australian Breeders Crown – 4m winner Lovelist.
Always B Miki is out of 2016 USA Broodmare (Pacer) of Year and Hall of Fame member Artstopper (Artsplace/Ain’t No Stoppn Me), unraced dam of eight foals, six raced for four winners – two sub 1:50.0, both millionaires – Always B Miki and Allerage – Mares winner Yagonnakissmeornot (The Panderosa/Western Hanover). Note : Always B Miki’s pedigree contains multiple crosses to Big Towner (3×3) which has been successful.
Grand dam Ain’t No Stopn Me (Big Towner/Suave Almahurst), 1:55.1US, $300,747, dam of nine foals, seven raced for four winners, all sub 1:53 – Cheyenne Rei, 1:51.1US, $729,933, dam of three $400k plus sub 1:50 Group race winners; Cant Stop Me Now, 1:51.1US; Blind Ambition (Art Major), dam of Big Top Hanover (Western Ideal/Western Hanover, 1:51.0US, $749,082, International Stallion Stakes), Badiou Hanover (Well Said/Western Hanover, 1:49.3US); For My Mum (Western Hanover), unraced dam of Tink And Tiger (Art Major, 1:49.4US).
Note – the successful reverse crosses of the producing mares from Aint No Stopn Me : Art Major/Western Hanover.
Third dam Suave Almahurst (Bret Hanover/Savilla Song), lightly raced non-winner, dam of twelve foals, eleven raced for ten winners, six $100k/two $500k and four 1:55 winners – Aint No Stopn Him (Western Hanover), 1:50.2US, $779,338, Messenger Stakes; Lon Todd Hanover, $665,094; Salute Hanover, $489,340, Meadowlands Pace elimination; producing mare Road Runner, grand dam of Hawaiian Jenna (1:53.2US, $254,186, Sweetheart – 2f; dam of Hana Hanover, 1:48.4US, $1,206,644, Mistletoe Shalee, Allerage and Breeders Crown – Mares) and third dam of Drive All Night (1:49.2US, $628,121), Velocity (1:49,2US, $365,341), Class O Nine (1:51.3, $562,533).
Always B Miki is notable for the total absence of Cam Fella and Direct Scooter in his pedigree making him an excellent outcross for many possible sirelines. Of sixty six registered Always B Miki foals in NZ and ninety in Australia, 15.5% are from Bettors Delight mares, Art Major (12.5%), Mach Three (8.5%), Christian Cullen (5%) and Live Or Die (4.5%), nearly half the foals trace to these five broodmare sires.
Always B Miki is part of the family of AB (U14) who notably was responsible for no classic racehorse appearances in the Southern Hemisphere until 2000’s. It’s major Australasian credits to date are trotters Sheezadoosie (twice NZ Broodmare of Year), dam of champion I Can Doosit (T1:55.5, millionaire, Jewels Ruby – 4T, ID Champion/Rowe Cup twice, Dominion Hcp, NZ Trotting FFA/Championship), National Trot, ANZAC Cup), Snos Big Boy plus NSW pacer Shannonsablast. The family has had considerable success in both North America and Europe. It has recently been announced that Always B Miki will be inducted into the USA Harness Racing Living Horse Hall of Fame on Sunday 5 July 2020.
Having been bred to a great collection of mares so far in both North America and the Southern Hemisphere, results will be expected by breeders. USA Hall of Fame Trainer Jimmy Takter has been quoted as saying “I think this could be the greatest horse that ever lived”. Will that run true in the breeding barn – only time will tell starting in the Southern Hemisphere with just two yearlings for sale in Brisbane, they being Always B Miki’s first yearlings to be sold in the 2020 round of yearling’s sales in New Zealand and Australia. Even without the successful sales of weanlings in NZ and his first North American crop, Always B Miki’s yearlings will be popular with buyers.
In Brisbane, the first of the Always B Miki yearlings for sale are unnamed colts out of :
- Rockin Riches (Lot 21), Rock N Roll Heaven mare out of Rich Heritage (Christian Cullen). Rockin Riches, 1:57.6, $28,219, six QLD (two Albion Park) wins. She is the dam of only the one foal to date, the colt for sale in Brisbane. His grand dam Rich Heritage, 1:56.3, $176,528, twenty one wins, QBred Breeders Classic – 3f, seconds in QLD Oaks, NSW Ladyship Mile; is the dam of six foals, five to race for four winners including Remember Ruby, 1:54.6, $90,708, fifteen wins. Third dam is Rhapsody In Red, 1:56.8, $167,715, twenty three wins, dam of twelve foals, eight winners, six in 1:57.0, four $100k, including Rich Heritage, Rani Major QBred Triad – 3f.
This is the New Zealand family of Lady Antrim (N31) currently notable for performers such as Spankem, Queensland’s Colt Thirty One and Muscle Factory. The family has a further two Always B Miki foals (colt and filly) for sale at Melbourne (family with most Always B Miki progeny for sale during 2020 APG Sales – three)
- Victree Bette (Lot 31) Bettors Delight mare out of Just Del by Fake Left (stood at stud in Queensland). Victree Bette, dam of five foals, three to race for two winners; Pinup Boy (thirteen QLD wins, eleven at Albion Park, 1:52.9, $135,000, APG Brisbane Graduate winner) and Sheriff Juron (eight Redcliffe wins, 1:59.1, $29,968).
Grand dam Just Del, dam of twelve foals including I Am Sam (thirty wins, 1:54.4, $531,702, APG winner at three), Montana Marie (eighteen wins, 1:54.9, $122,763). Third dam is good NZ mare Canberra Del, seven NZ wins (four Alexandra Park), twelve North American wins (1:55.4US) in early 1980’s, $96,485, Te Awamutu Cup and Rising Stars series at Hollywood Park. Dam of twelve foals, nine winners including Vancillino (1:54.3US, $156,618, fifty wins), Just Turf, 1:57.2AUS, $114,365), Canberra Bound, dam of Bound Left (1:51.3US, $207,106) and Canberra Fame (1:53.3US, $103,639).
This is the leading NZ family of Pride Of Lincoln (N1).
Peter Craig
13 Jan 2020
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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