Del Mar Yearlings by Bertrando Always in Demand

ARCADIA, Calif. (July 3, 2002) -- Will history repeat itself this August at Del Mar?

Two summers ago, a yearling colt by Bertrando, bred by River Edge Farm, sold for $175,000 at the Del Mar sale. Two-year-old Officer was resold in March, 2001 for $700,000 and for much of last autumn captivated the racing world's imagination.

Will a similar gem be discovered this year? Those buyers believing Bertrando holds the key to that quest will choose from 14 catalogued yearlings sired by the 13-year-old resident of Marty and Pam Wygod's River Edge Farm in Buellton, sire of two Cal-bred champions and nationally a leading juvenile sire. 

Like his Breeders' Cup Classic-winning sire Skywalker, Bertrando scaled his greatest heights at age 4, earning $2.2 million and national honors as 1993's champion older male.

Pedigrees belonging to several Bertrando yearlings in this year's sale clearly emote the notion of breeding classic-pedigreed mares to a stallion who has frequently passed on his brilliant, middle-distance staying speed.

Fleet Cozzene is a daughter of the wonderful Cozzene and the Don B. mare Lady Argyle, and thus a half-sister to the recently retired Queenie Belle, herself an elegant daughter of Bertrando. Fleet Cozzene is the dam of Hip 117, a filly. 

Another filly, Hip 18, is out of a daughter of leading broodmare sire Private Account named Private Maid, whose second dam is Firm Policy, a top class daughter of Princequillo. Firm Policy won 12 of 21 career starts, including the Alabama, Test, and Monmouth Oaks of 1962.

Firm Policy is a granddaughter of the influential producer Alcibiades. This is the family which beholds the origins of the highly influential Sir Ivor. 

A match of Bertrando with a daughter of Slewpy has 'racehorse' pedigree written all over it. Anachristina, dam of Hip 71, a colt, is out of a daughter of The Minstrel, and descends from strong Darby Dan bloodlines, among the cream of American influences over the past 50 years.

All three California-bred yearlings profiled are consigned by River Edge Farm. 

Other notable broodmare sires in the Bertrando contingent include the venerable Desert Wine and Pirate's Bounty, the latter holding that same role on behalf of leading Bertrando-sired earner Smooth Player.

-- Robert Knolhoff, Jr.