Event of the Year's Yearlings Debut

DEL MAR, Calif. (July 11, 2002) -- Throughout the spring of 1998, no American 3-year-old was more impressive than a strikingly handsome son of Seattle Slew named Event of the Year. 

The Golden Eagle Farm-homebred sported a perfect 4-for-4 record heading into Louisville, including a runaway victory in the Jim Beam, but a knee fracture sustained while training forced him out of the Kentucky Derby. 

Six years earlier another colt by Seattle Slew was heavily favored to win that year's Derby, but missed his chance due to a fever incurred the morning of the race. A.P. Indy rebounded to earn 1992 Horse of the Year honors, and is now one of America's leading sires. 

Once healthy, Event of the Year did not quite attain those lofty heights, though he did reaffirm the high honors garnered earlier in his career. In five subsequent starts he won the 1999 Strub Stakes and was a terrific second between Free House and Silver Charm in the Santa Anita Handicap. 

Event of the Year retired to Ramona to stand beside other Seattle Slew stallions including General Meeting and Avenue of Flags. His first foals are yearlings of 2002, seven of whom are catalogued at the upcoming Del Mar Yearling Sale.

The most impressively bred yearlings include those out of mares by Flying Paster, Vaguely Noble, and Chief's Crown, the broodmare sire of General Meeting's major stakes winners Excellent Meeting and Crowning Meeting. 

The pedigree belonging to one of the stallion's five yearlings consigned by Golden Eagle deserves very special mention. Hip 76, a bay filly, is out of the 24-year-old mare Aunt Carol, dam of one of the all-time great Cal-breds, Nostalgia's Star.

Nostalgia's Star won nine races, including the 1986 Strub Stakes over a top-notch field and four other graded races, and retired with earnings of over $2.1 million. The grand career of the Jay Robbins-trained son of Nostalgia featured strong showings on both coasts, including a second to Java Gold in the 1987 Marlboro Cup at Belmont Park.

Aunt Carol is a daughter of Big Spruce, the 1974 Marlboro Cup-winning son of Herbager and the Prince John mare Silver Sari. She is the dam of seven other winners and a half-sister to ace New York sprinter Clock's Secret.

Event of the Year is out of the Mr. Prospector mare Classic Event, kin to Golden Eagle stallion Half a Year. 
-- By Robert Knolhoff, Jr.