Few horses burst into stardom with the panache shown by Venetian Harbor. After breaking her maiden by nearly 11 lengths at second asking on December 29, the Munnings filly showed equal disdain for graded stakes competition when making her black type debut in the Las Virgenes Stakes (USA-G2). Bet down to 1-5, she ran as an odds-on favorite should, romping home by over 9 lengths. She is now being touted as a likely favorite for the Santa Anita Oaks (USA-G2), and if successful there, the Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1).
Although the filly is no longer owned by breeder Colts Neck Farm (which sold her for US$110,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale), she surely brings back memories for Colts Neck owner Richard Santulli, who partnered with Barry Weisbord to purchase a stakes-winning Maryland-bred filly following her juvenile season in 1988. Named Safely Kept, that filly took Weisbord and Santulli on the ride of a lifetime, winning a title as American champion sprinter in 1989 and defeating European champion Dayjur in a memorable edition of the Breeders' Cup Sprint (USA-G1). She raced on through age 5 and retired having won 24 of her 31 starts and US$2,194,206.
Since her retirement, Santulli has nurtured Safely Kept's family for generations, originally under the name of Jayeff B Stables and then as Colts Neck. The great mare produced 10 named foals, including Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner Contrast (by Unbridled) and listed stakes winner Peace Chant (by War Chant).
Given the quality of the stallions Safely Kept was bred to during her broodmare career, these results could be considered somewhat disappointing. Nonetheless, she left four daughters to continue her family. The important one turned out to be the eldest, the 1995 Mr. Prospector mare Safe Return. Bred to Dixieland Band, she produced Welcome Home, who won the Montclair State University Stakes at The Meadowlands as a 4-year-old in 2005.
In her turn, Welcome Home produced Pool Winner (by Broken Vow), who won the 2016 My Frenchman Stakes as a 4-year-old and placed in two Grade 3 races. More importantly, she also produced Sounds of the City (by Street Cry), who placed in six stakes races before producing Venetian Harbor as her second foal. Sounds of the City has had no produce since Venetian Harbor but was bred to Oscar Performance in 2019.
Munnings is a stallion that has shown plenty of ability to transmit speed, but another key to Venetian Harbor's exceptional ability may be the high quality of the sires this branch of Safely Kept's family visited. Both Mr. Prospector and Dixieland Band were American champion broodmare sires, and Street Cry was a good sire who has the superstar mares Winx and Zenyatta to his credit. While the produce of their matings with Safely Kept's line never quite lived up to expectations, the result was an accumulation of high-class genes that appears to have finally found expression---not least those of Safely Kept herself, who may at long last have a worthy descendant to maintain her legacy.
Although the filly is no longer owned by breeder Colts Neck Farm (which sold her for US$110,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale), she surely brings back memories for Colts Neck owner Richard Santulli, who partnered with Barry Weisbord to purchase a stakes-winning Maryland-bred filly following her juvenile season in 1988. Named Safely Kept, that filly took Weisbord and Santulli on the ride of a lifetime, winning a title as American champion sprinter in 1989 and defeating European champion Dayjur in a memorable edition of the Breeders' Cup Sprint (USA-G1). She raced on through age 5 and retired having won 24 of her 31 starts and US$2,194,206.
Since her retirement, Santulli has nurtured Safely Kept's family for generations, originally under the name of Jayeff B Stables and then as Colts Neck. The great mare produced 10 named foals, including Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner Contrast (by Unbridled) and listed stakes winner Peace Chant (by War Chant).
Given the quality of the stallions Safely Kept was bred to during her broodmare career, these results could be considered somewhat disappointing. Nonetheless, she left four daughters to continue her family. The important one turned out to be the eldest, the 1995 Mr. Prospector mare Safe Return. Bred to Dixieland Band, she produced Welcome Home, who won the Montclair State University Stakes at The Meadowlands as a 4-year-old in 2005.
In her turn, Welcome Home produced Pool Winner (by Broken Vow), who won the 2016 My Frenchman Stakes as a 4-year-old and placed in two Grade 3 races. More importantly, she also produced Sounds of the City (by Street Cry), who placed in six stakes races before producing Venetian Harbor as her second foal. Sounds of the City has had no produce since Venetian Harbor but was bred to Oscar Performance in 2019.
Munnings is a stallion that has shown plenty of ability to transmit speed, but another key to Venetian Harbor's exceptional ability may be the high quality of the sires this branch of Safely Kept's family visited. Both Mr. Prospector and Dixieland Band were American champion broodmare sires, and Street Cry was a good sire who has the superstar mares Winx and Zenyatta to his credit. While the produce of their matings with Safely Kept's line never quite lived up to expectations, the result was an accumulation of high-class genes that appears to have finally found expression---not least those of Safely Kept herself, who may at long last have a worthy descendant to maintain her legacy.
RSS Feed