NEWS
Salute the Sarge to Walmac
Posted: Friday, September 26, 2008 11:33 AM
SALUTE THE SARGE
Benoit & Associates photo
Walmac Farm purchased a 50% interest in multiple graded stakes winner Salute the Sarge from Southern Equine Stable LLC on Thursday and will stand the three-year-old colt at its Lexington facility.
Salute the Sarge, by Forest Wildcat, won two graded stakes races in his career and twice finished second in Grade 1 races.
“His sire, Forest Wildcat, has a real hard boot following here in Kentucky,” said John T.L. Jones III, managing director of Walmac. “Known for consistency and precocity, Forest Wildcat came up through the ranks, starting at $10,000 and ultimately standing for $60,000. Salute the Sarge is by far the most brilliant two-year-old colt Forest Wildcat ever sired.”
Trainer Eric Guillot said Salute the Sarge is expected to make two more starts, including, the Kentucky Cup Sprint Stakes (G3) on Saturday, before retiring.
“We’re very excited about our first Kentucky stallion,” said Guillot, who is also a partner in Southern Equine. “We plan to substantially support him with some of our best mares.”
Salute the Sarge won his first three starts as a juvenile, including the Best Pal Stakes (G2) and the Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes (G3). He finished second in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and the Norfolk Stakes (G1) later that season before culminating his juvenile campaign with a ninth-place finish in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).
Salute the Sarge won the San Miguel Stakes on March 29 at Santa Anita Park in his three-year-old debut prior to four unplaced finishes.
One of four starters from as many winners out of the Grade 2-placed winning Silver Ghost mare Dixie Ghost, Salute the Sarge is a half brother to Grade 3 winner Chelokee and Grade 2-placed stakes winner Mymich.
His sire, Forest Wildcat, died August 21 at age 17 after undergoing emergency surgery at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington. Forest Wildcat, a two-time Grade 3 winner, sired 16 graded stakes winners.
