Gold Rush

Big River Edge Turnout for Gold Rush

BUELLTON, Calif. (Apr. 21, 2006) -- When Benchmark went to the breeding shed, owner Marty Wygod offered his services for free for his first three years at stud.

One of the results of those free matings was Kentucky Derby favorite Brother Derek.

Six days before the 132nd Run for the Roses, as many as seven other sons and daughters of the 15-year-old stallion could be in action at Hollywood Park.

They are nominated to the seventh California Gold Rush, 10 races for Cal-breds on April 30 worth $1.3 million in purse money.

River Edge Farm, where Benchmark stands, also is represented among the Gold Rush nominees by 13 sons and daughters of 17-year-old Bertrando.

Wygod and his wife Pam, of course, don’t own all those runners. But the couple has at least one nominee -- 11 in all -- in each of the 10 races on the Gold Rush program.

“We’re proud of Benchmark and Bertrando and the runners they’re getting,” said Russell Drake, River Edge’s farm manager.

Proposed, bred and owned by the Wygods and nominated to both the B. Thoughtful and Fran’s Valentine Stakes, has the blood of both stallions in her pedigree.

The 4-year-old filly is by Benchmark out of the Bertrando mare Quiet Romance. Trained by John Shirreffs, she has a victory in the Grade II El Encino Stakes on her 2006 resume.

Seam Seeker, bred by the Wygods and trained by Ed Moger Jr. for E and J Racing Stable, is a contender in the Melair Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. She is by Bertrando out of the Pirate’s Bounty mare Wisdom Keeper.

Tiznow Stakes nominee Red Warrior, bred by Madera Thoroughbreds, is a 6-year-old son of Benchmark -- the result of a free mating out of Sparkling Nickle, by former Sprint Eclipse Award winner Plugged Nickle.

Fran’s Valentine nominee Ran for the Dough, was bred by the Wygods. Trained by Paddy Gallagher, the 6-year-old mare is by Bertrando. Her dam Brief Interlude is by former 2-year-old champion Deputy Minister.

Other Cal Gold Rush nominees who were bred and are owned by the Wygods are Snow Chief Stakes candidates Exchange Offer and Mesa Magic; Melair Stakes nominees Exquisite Bounty, Night Power and Unchanged Melody; TVG Khaled Stakes possibles Common Trust and Legal Logic; and Pepper Oaks Farm Stakes nominee Social Satire.

Exchange Offer, also nominated to the Barretts Stakes, is a 3-year-old gelding by Bertrando-Feverish, by Pirate’s Bounty. Mesa Magic, also a 3-year-old gelding by Bertrando, is out of the Never Tabled mare Mirabilia.

Exquisite Beauty, a 3-year-old filly also nominated to the Warren’s Thoroughbreds Stakes, is by Bertrando out of the Storm Cat mare Lasting Beauty. Night Power, a 3-year-old Benchmark filly also named to the Magali Farms Stakes, is out of the Native Prospector mare Spirited Carly.

Unchanged Melody, a 3-year-old filly and also a candidate for the Warren’s, is by Tale of the Cat out of Changed Tune, by Tunerup. Common Trust is a 4-year-old Bertrando gelding out of Common Hope, by Storm Cat. Legal Logic, a 6-year-old gelding by Bertrando, was foaled by Fleeting Image, who is by Pirate’s Bounty.

Social Satire is a maiden 3-year-old colt by Bertrando. His dam is the Pirate’s Bounty mare Sound Wisdom.

River Edge Farm has had talks with several Kentucky farms about moving Benchmark to the Bluegrass state, Drake said.

“But he’s been bred to more than 100 mares a year the last few years,” he said. “And we’re already getting calls for next year. After each race Brother Derek won, we kept getting calls. But we had to limit the number of mares in his book.”

--Larry Bortstein