| Progeny Summaries and Articles for Event of the Year |
| This page last updated: February 20, 2008 |
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2/18/2008: Fortunate Event Places in 7th Stakes Race Although he's never won a stakes race, Fortunate Event has created a highly satisfactory race career with earnings of more than $300,000, and he's continuing to make it even better. The 6-year-old son of Event of the Year posted his seventh stakes placing Saturday, a third in the $50,000 Sun City Handicap at Turf Paradise that increased his career earnings to $321,516. Fortunate Event raced near the back of the eight-horse field in the early stages of the one-mile Sun City before moving up to fourth at the top of the stretch and eventually to third at the finish. He's started 34 times over five seasons, with three wins, 10 seconds, and five thirds. He's placed in stakes races at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Fairplex Park, and Emerald Downs. Bred in California by The Thoroughbred Corporation, Fortunate Event is owned by Dan J. Agnew and trained by Mike Chambers. His rider in the Sun City was Glenn Corbett. Event of the Year, a son of Seattle Slew, won three graded stakes and placed in three others, two of them Grade 1, retiring with earnings of $1,095,200. He stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--February 18. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Fortunate Event is having a successful race career, with earnings of $315,215 and the prospect of more to come. The 6-year-old son of Event of the Year has placed in stakes races at five different tracks in three states, including the $50,000 Glendale Handicap Saturday at Turf Paradise, yet that first added-money victory has danced tantalizingly away from his grasp. He missed by just three quarters of a length Saturday, moving too late from seventh in the field of eight in a drive that took him all the way to second place at the finish. Entering the final turn in the 1 1/16-mile event, he led only one horse before jockey Glenn Corbett turned him loose for a rally that was almost good enough. When Fortunate Event, still a maiden, finished second in the Cinderella Stakes at Hollywood Park in the second start of his career, no one would have predicted that in 32 races to follow he'd still be looking for his first stakes victory. Those 32 races included two allowance wins and four seconds and a third in stakes races. He's placed in stakes races at Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, Fairplex Park, Emerald Downs, and Turf Paradise at distances ranging from 6 1/2 furlongs to a mile an a quarter, dirt and grass. When it comes, that will be the fortunate event that tops a highly successful career. For now, he and owner Dan Agnew are steadily collecting paychecks. Fortunate Event, bred in California by The Thoroughbred Corporation, was trained by Mike Chambers in his stakes placings Saturday at Turf Paradise and last summer at Emerald Downs. In California, he's trained by Jerry Fanning. Event of the Year, a millionaire son of Seattle Slew, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--January 7. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Curiously Sweet became Mud Route's third stakes winner and Kalookan Year Event of the Year's 11th stakes horse in a one-two finish that followed a stretch-long battle in the $100,000-added Cat's Cradle Handicap Friday at Hollywood Park. Curiously Sweet earlier had run second in the Melair Stakes at Hollywood Park; Kalookan Year earned her first black type in Friday's race. Kalookan Year took the lead out of the gate in the 7 1/2-furlong Cat's Cradle. Curiously Sweet moved up to challenge nearing the turn for home and edged a head in front at the top of the stretch. Kalookan Year gave ground stubbornly and held the winner's margin to one length. Curiously Sweet's victory was her third in a row, giving her a career total of four wins, a second, and a third in seven starts. Unraced at 2, she finished fifth in her first start at 3 and has won or placed in every start since then. She's earned $207,600. Kalookan Year, also unraced at 2, also has been unplaced just once in seven starts, with three wins, two seconds, and a third for earnings of $145,280. Bred in California by Milt A. Policzer, Curiously Sweet is owned by Gary and Cecil Barber and trained by John Sadler. Patrick Valenzuela was her winning rider. Bred by Asistio /Romulo Stables, also in California, Kalookan Year is owned by Luis A. Asistio and trained by Walther Solis. Mike Smith was her rider in the Cat's Cradle. Mud Route, a multiple graded stakes winner of $672,040, stands at Special T Thoroughbreds, Temecula, Calif. Event of the Year, a multiple graded stakes winner of $1,095,200, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--December 23. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Daughters of California sires captured two of the top three spots in the $100,000-added Emerald Distaff Handicap Sunday at Emerald Downs. Fortunate Event, by Event of the Year, finished second and Beaulena, by Beau Genius, third in the major Emerald Downs distaff event. Both of those sires stand in California, and Wild Rush, sire of the winner, Gemstone Rush, stands even farther away--in Japan. Fortunate Event and Beaulena exchanged places while running second and third but never reached the lead in the 1 1/18-mile race. After racing in Southern California in every one of her previous 29 starts, 5-year-old Fortunate Event finally came to the home state of her owner, Dan Agnew, for the Distaff. She's a California-bred with career earnings of $314,215. Beaulena, a 7-year-old Kentucky-bred, is based in Washington while racing for owners Ernest and Roberta Sherman and has raced primarily at Emerald Downs. Her career earnings are $145,687. Fortunate Event, bred by The Thoroughbred Corporation, is trained by Mike Chambers and was ridden in the Distaff by J. C. Estrada. Beaulena, bred by Jack, George and Keith Lancaster, is trained by Richard Wright and was ridden by Macario Rodriguez. Event of the Year stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif. Beau Genius stands at Ballena Vista Farm, Ramona, Calif.--August 22. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Old Man River launched a late bid that carried him from last place to the third stakes placing of his career in the $100,000 On Trust Handicap Thursday at Hollywood Park. Halfway through the 7 1/2-furlong event, the 4-year-old son of Event of the Year was running seventh, eight lengths behind the leader, when jockey David Flores set him in pursuit. By midstretch he'd moved up to fourth and finished third, less than two lengths behind the winner. It was his third blacktype finish in 10 career starts in which he won three times. Unraced at 2, he won two of his three starts and this year at 4 he posted the second of his two allowance wins, was second in the California Turf Sprint Championship at Bay Meadows and third in the Sam J. Whiting Memorial Handicap at Pleasanton. He's never been off the board in seven starts this year at 4 and now boasts career earnings of $152,835. Bred in California by Mr. and Mrs. John C. Mabee, Old Man River is owned by Golden Eagle Farm and trained by Terry Knight. Old Man River is one of 10 stakes horses sired by Event of the Year, a multiple graded stakes-winning son of Swaps standing at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.----November 25. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Showcase stallions and other members made a major impact at Cal Cup XVII Saturday at Santa Anita, collecting their share of wins and chunks of the $1,300,000 in purses offered. Yearly Attitude is a 4-year-old filly by Event of the Year bred by Mrs. John C. Mabee, owned by Thomas J. Wafer, Jr., and trained by William Spawr. She's won four races and earned $140,000. Fortunate Event, another 4-year-old daughter of Event of the Year, was bred by The Thoroughbred Corporation, is owned by Dan J. Agnew, and is trained by Jerry Fanning. She's won only twice but has earned $234,637. --October 30. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) First Rate Event continued his strong spring/summer campaign Saturday at Golden Gate Fields, taking second in the $50,000-added China Basin Stakes with a stout run in the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile event on the turf. The 5-year-old son of Event of the Year settled into fourth place at the start and remained there, racing three wide around the final turn, before jockey Luis Martinez kicked him into gear in midstretch. From there he overtook two of the three runners ahead of him but couldn't catch the other. After finishing sixth in his first 2006 start, First Rate Event has won once, run second three times, and finished third once in five starts, all in stakes or allowance company. In his last three starts he's run second in the Alamedan Handicap at Pleasanton, third in the Joseph T. Grace Handicap at Santa Rosa, and now second in the China Basin Stakes at Golden Gate Fields. His career record shows five wins, five seconds, and three thirds in 19 starts, good for earnings of $175,508. Bred in California by Mr. and Mrs. John C. Mabee, First Rate Event is owned by his trainer, Armando Lage, in partnership with James B. Perry. Event of the Year, a three-time graded stakes winner of $1,095,200, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--September 4. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) With his second stakes placing within a month, Event of the Year's First Rate Event increased his career earnings to $162,508 with a third-place finish in the $100,000-guaranteed Joseph T. Grace Handicap on the grass Saturday at Santa Rosa. The 5-year-old was spread three wide on the final turn of the 1 1/16-mile event and then failed to change leads in the stretch, but he still missed by only a head and a length for all of it under jockey Catalino Martinez. Although he had won five races--four in allowance company--in his career, First Rate Event had tried stakes company only once before he ran second in the Alamedan Handicap last month at Pleasanton. Now he's placed twice in two added-money events in a row. Bred in California by Mr. and Mrs. John C. Mabee, First Rate Event is owned by his trainer, Armando Lage, and James B. Perry. Event of the Year, a multiple graded stakes winner of $1,095,200 in only nine career starts, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--August 8. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Sons of Event of the Year were prominent last weekend in two of the most important races of the Pleasanton meeting, taking second place in the Sam J. Whiting Memorial Handicap on Saturday and the Alamedan Handicap on Sunday. Four-year-old Old Man River posted his second stakes placing with a runner-up finish in the Whiting; 5-year-old First Rate Event became his sire's ninth stakes horse with a second-place finish in the Alamedan. Each made a late move at the top of the stretch, but neither was able to overtake the winner. Old Man River earlier had finished second in the 2005 California Turf Sprint Championship Handicap at Bay Meadows; First Rate Event's only other stakes effort was a fourth-place finish in the 2006 edition of the same race. With two wins and two seconds in six starts, Old Man River has earnings of $74,983. He was bred in California by Mrs. John C. Mabee and is owned by Golden Eagle Farm. He's trained by Terry Knight and was ridden in the Whiting by Dennis Carr. First Rate Event has five wins, four seconds, and two thirds in 17 starts with earnings of $147,358. He was bred in California by Mr. and Mrs. John C. Mabee and is owned by Armando Lage or James Perry and trained by Lage. His rider in the Alamedan was Luis Martinez. Event of the Year, a three-time graded stakes winner of $1,095,200, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--July 11. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Thrilling Victory ended her first season of racing competition on a high note Saturday at Santa Anita when she posted a third-place finish in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes in her first venture into graded stakes company. The 3-year-old daughter of Event of the Year plunged into the top tier of racing at its highest level--Grade 1--and concluded a late-season surge that saw her win two stakes races and place in a third in the final three races of her first year of racing. Unraced at 2, Thrilling Victory broke her maiden in her first race, on February 4 at Bay Meadows, and lived up to her early promise. She concluded the year with six wins, a second, and three thirds in 12 starts with earnings of $209,670. She won the Bay Meadows Oaks at Bay Meadows and the Albany and Angel Island Stakes and ran third in the Golden Poppy Breeders' Cup Stakes, all at Golden Gate Fields. In between, she won two allowance races at Bay Meadows. In the La Brea, she started slowly, running last in the field of 11 in the early going, and finished strongly but was unable to overtake the top two. She was ridden by Martin Pedroza. Bred in California by Mrs. John C. Mabee, she's owned by Halo Farms and trained by Jerry Hollendorfer. Thrilling Victory is one of six stakes horses from the first three crops of Event of the Year, a multiple raded stakes winner of $1,095,200 who stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--January 2. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Swiss Yodeler and Event of the Year are nearing the close of 2006 on an upbeat as two of their 3-year-old sons placed in opening-day stakes races Monday at Santa Anita. Thor's Echo, by Swiss Yodeler, finished third in the Grade 1 $250,000 Malibu Stakes and Follow the Rainbow, by Event of the Year, took third in the $86,500 Sir Beaufort Stakes Thor's Echo made a bid in the stretch of the seven-furlong Malibu but couldn't catch the two leaders; Follow the Rainbow reversed the script in the one-mile Sir Beaufort, leading to the final sixteenth before being overtaken to finish less than a length behind the winner. Neither Thor's Echo nor Follow the Rainbow has been off the board more than once, each finishing fifth just one time. Thor's Echo has won or placed in seven stakes races in 11 starts, earning $534,053; Follow the Rainbow is also a stakes winner, with $169,500 in earnings in nine starts. Both are California-breds. Thor's Echo was bred by Fast Lane Farms and Block and Forman and is owned by Royce S. Jaime Racing Stable, Inc. and Suarez Racing, Inc., and trained by Doug O'Neill. Follow the Rainbow was bred by Mrs. John C. Mabee and is owned by Ed Friendly and trained by Bob Baffert. The two sires are neighbors in Santa Ynez, Calif. Swiss Yodeler, a multiple graded stakes winner of $761,442, stands at Pepper Oaks Farm and Event of the Year, a multiple graded stakes winner of $1,095,200, at Magali Farms..--December 28. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Planning Surprises, a 3-year-old daughter of Event of the Year, found the winner's circle for the first time last month and headed right back Friday with an allowance victory at Hollywood Park. Planning Surprises stayed in second place, not far behind the leader, for the first six furlongs of the 1 1/16-mile race, then launched a drive the length of the stretch that gave her a hard-fought victory by three quarters of a lengths under steady urging by Martin Pedroza. Twice-placed but winless in her first five starts--one stakes and four maiden special weight races--she broke through to win on October 23 at Santa Anita and followed through with another victory in Friday's race. She's earned $73,000 in seven starts, never running for a claiming price. Bred in California by Mrs. John C. Mabee, she's owned by Golden Eagle Farm and trained by Bob Baffert. He sire, Event of the Year, is a multiple graded stakes winner of $1,095,200. He stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--November 21. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) A risky last-to-first game plan paid off for Eclipse Winner Friday at Golden Gate Fields and the Event of the Year filly came home with the third allowance victory of her career. The 4-year-old, who's never run for a claiming price, increased her career earnings to $130,385 in 22 starts by lagging in seventh and last place for the first half of the one-mile race and then making a big run for the victory. She swung wide around the final turn and hit the stretch in third place, running strong. According to the official chart, she "closed determinedly to collar the leader and win going away," clear by a half-length. Eclipse Winner was bred in California by Daniel P. Kenny and Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains the filly and owns her in partnership with Rancho San Miguel. She's one of 62 winners from the first three crops of Event of the Year, a multiple graded stakes winner of $1,095,200. He stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--November 13. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Never off the board in her five previous starts, Yearly Attitude finally found just the right combination and scored an easy victory in her sixth outing, becoming Event of the Year's 60th winner in just three crops Thursday at Santa Anita. She'd finished second once, third twice, and fourth once in four efforts at 6 and 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt and fourth on the turf in her only start at a mile. Then, at a mile on the dirt, she waltzed home by three lengths in Thursday's sixth start. The 3-year-old filly raced close to the leaders until near to the turn for home when she swung three wide to take a lead that steadily grew through the stretch. Bred in California by Mrs. John C. Mabee, she's owned by Carroway and Girdner and trained by Jeff Mullins. Though his first foals are only 4, Event of the Year already has 60 winners from 98 starters with earnings of more than $2,600,000 with six stakes horses. Event of the Year, a three-time graded staks winner of $1,095,200, stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez Calif.----October 9. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) Event of the Year's 3-year-old son Follow the Rainbow chalked up his third consecutive victory Thursday at Santa Anita, leading from start to finish in a one-mile allowance race on the turf. The win followed a maiden special weight victory on August 19 and a triumph in the El Cajon Stakes on September 3, both at Del Mar. The colt's earnings now total $146,320. Unraced as a 2-year-old, Follow the Rainbow began his career with two seconds and a third in maiden special weight races before breaking his maiden to launch his current three-race win streak. Never ahead by more than two lengths in Thursday's race, Follow the Rainbow resisted every challenge and came home a length in front of his nearest rival. Bred in Kentucky by Mrs. John C. Mabee, Follow the Rainbow is owned by Ed Friendly and trained by Bob Baffert. Millionaire Event of the Year stands at Magali Farms, Santa Ynez, Calif.--October 1. (Source: The THOROUGHBRED SHOWCASE of the West) LAS VEGAS - Stallions standing in California who command the highest stud fees are General Meeting ($40,000), Bertrando ($30,000), Event of the Year ($30,000), and In Excess ($25,000). The formidable trio of Cee's Tizzy, Free House, and Avenue of Flags are next at $15,000, while Mr. Purple and Smokester stand for $10,000. But there are literally hundreds of well-bred stallions who were either unraced or didn't win grade 1 races, and they are very attractive at stud fees ranging from $1,000 to $7,500. All of the stallions standing in California who command the highest stud fees have proven themselves with the exception of Event of the Year, whose first foals arrive this year. Although Event of the Year's initial stud fee of $40,000 raised many eyebrows for a stallion standing in California, he has all the tools to be a major stallion. Winner of his only start at 2, Event of the Year developed rapidly at 3, winning an allowance race, then El Camino Real Derby and Jim Beam Stakes. His latter two victories were so authoritative, he headed to Louisville as one of the favorites for the 1998 Kentucky Derby but was injured only weeks before the big race. He returned later that year to finish third in the Malibu Stakes, which set him up for his 4-year-old campaign. He was second in the San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes to Dixie Dot Com, then returned to his best form capturing the Strub Stakes. He finished second to Free House in the Santa Anita Handicap, defeating Silver Charm, Dr. Fong, Puerto Madero and Siphon. With his racing record and blue-blood pedigree, Event of the Year (Seattle Slew-Classic Event, by Mr. Prospector) would have been very welcome to stand in Kentucky at a lofty fee. But his owners, John and Betty Mabee, elected to stand him in California at their Golden Eagle Farm, where they could breed dozens of their own well-bred mares to him. Based on early returns, the Mabees may have struck gold. Although many of their best broodmares are about ready to drop their foals by Event of the Year, others have already produced foals, and by all accounts, they are outstanding. Among them is a strapping black colt out of Ubetshedid, the dam of stakes winner Best Pal, as well as stakes-placed American Day, Prosperous Bid and Best Mate. Born on Jan. 4, the Event of the Year colt is the talk of the farm. Other notable mares who have either had foals or will be producing foals very shortly are Alydar's Promise, the dam of General Meeting. Alydar's Promise is a half-sister to the dam of Carson City. Other mares included in Event of the Year's first book are Aunt Carol, the dam of stakes winner Nostalgia's Star; Beautiful Aly, a half-sister to stakes winner Jeanne Jones and top California sire Avenue of Flags; Annual Reunion, whose sensational female family stems from the legendary, Cosmah; Excellent Spirit, from the family of Darby Dan mare Stealway; and Golden Treat, a stakes-winning half-sister to Bet Twice by Theatrical. Eagerly anticipated is the first foal of Helwa, a $350,000 purchase by the Mabees. A daughter of Silver Hawk, she is out of the Mr. Prospector mare Team Colors. The next dam is Private Colors, a full sister to the undefeated Personal Ensign (as well as Personal Flag). With mares like these, how can Event of the Year miss? Written By: Lauren Stich Source Daily Racing Form (note: entire article not reprinted here)
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