Owner/breeder John Fradkin calls it “Plan C” for his crossbreed Rombauer 2021 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, who returned to light training in December with the long-term goal of marking a return later this year.
Fradkin wants this year to see the first mares arrive with his 5-year-old son. spinning candy , who won or placed on four graded bets and finished his second season with a win of $1,040,500. Instead, as first reported by Daily Racing Form, he now hopes to elevate the classic winner’s race record, making him fresh in the minds of stallion ranchers. breed and reached an agreement to raise stallions in Kentucky by 2024.
Fradkin told BloodHorse: “He was injured at a bad time, around New Year’s Eve 2021 and we could have rushed to sign a deal for 2022 but I think that’s the wrong thing to do.” “I was aiming for 2023 but that didn’t happen. Plan A was to get an agreement to buy stallions in Kentucky and then Plan B would be the deal in Japan, but we didn’t get any. Any suggestions.”
Fradkin said he could have gone to a regional market but he believes the stallion deserves a try in Kentucky as a classic winner in a deep female family that includes the winner. Win Breeders ‘Cup Turf Sprint California Flag European heavyweight Lions roar and graded stake winners Cambiocorsa , Moulin de Mougin And Schiaparelli and bet winner Bronson under his second Ultrafleet dam.
His bad injury timing and a strong early-season crop this year are both against Rombauer, so Fradkin is betting that nurturing the horse’s talent at the track will provide the necessary momentum. . He was inspired by the return of Da Hosswho won the Breeders’ Cup (G1T) Miles in 1996 and returned in 1998 to win the Miles again after not participating in a race in 1997 and starting only once before repeating the Breeders’ Cup 1998 . Royal Val also won the 2001 Mile after not participating in a race the previous year.
Fradkin said of Rombauer: “Interestingly, both of those horses are back in high form on the pitch and I think we should try that. “There’s reason to think he could have had a successful career on the pitch. There’s a lot of grass in the family. He’s got his first win on the pitch impressively. We’re in the running. dreaming a bit here, but if it’s possible to go back to the races and win a graded race, then I think we can get back to the map enough.”
While waiting to see how Rombauer progressed at a training center near Ocala, Fla., Fradkin said Rombauer’s dam was Cashmere, because Cal cowboy , gave much hope that the family legacy would continue to grow. The mare had a Structure colt this year and will be bred again faucet . She aspires, a Rombauer full sister named Brown Sugar, to be offered at Keeneland’s annual September Sale.
“Brown sugar is beautiful,” he said. “Also, we saw some fireworks for Twirling Candy this week at OBS, where he sold millions of dollars and a $900,000 horse. I’m hoping for a good sale. and it looks promising right now.”
Fradkin knows he still has a long way to go before his dreams with Rombauer can come true, but he believes the horse deserves the chance.
“If all goes well, I want him to start three or four times and then we retire again. I hope he can make a splash and we’ll have a slot in 2024 in Kentucky,” he said. speak. “If he’s not back in the race, then we’ll be looking at the regional market, be it California, Florida or Maryland.”
