Breeding the best racehorses is a philosophical blend of creativity and science. Bell River Thoroughbreds excels at this; combining farming ability, pedigree planning, and the ability to understand what makes an athletic type of horse. The Ferguson family who bred Extreme Choice and sold him at the Classic Sale have been rebuilding their new property to focus on the strengths that allowed them to breed many great horses and pulling those factors into future successes.
“This draft is our turning point. It has taken a few years at this new farm to get everything into place structurally with the same strengths that made Bell River Thoroughbreds such
a success in the past,” said James Ferguson. “This season’s Classic draft is probably the most consistently bred draft since we’ve taken Bell River Thoroughbreds back to the sales. When we started again, we had to purchase a lot of in-foal mares. Our 2023 yearlings are the first results of mating choices we made, and I’m very proud that they are an even consistent draft. The last time this happened was when we had huge success at the old property with horses like I Am Excited, Ace High, Extreme Choice, and Prophet’s Thumb. Already from this farm, we’ve had Volcanic Rock, Baranof, and recently Chrysaor win a two year-old city race. Our latest star Classic graduate is unbeaten Vermentino, by Extreme Choice. He’s now 3/3, a city winner and a rising star of the turf. Seeing results from the get go is a positive sign for the farm going forward.”
Bell River continued on with their old record of success with their 2020 Inglis Classic draft, selling Listed The Phoenix Stakes winning two year-old Volcanic Rock and Baranof, second
in the Listed Inglis 2YO Millennium at his third start. In 2023, Bell River Thoroughbreds will present a draft of twelve yearlings at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Listed winner Global Thinking’s full brother, Lot 303, by So You Think colt from winning mare Capital Raising, who is a half-sister to Listed winner See The World. So You Think filly, Lot 357, is a filly out of two year-old Listed winner Dancer’s Tale, whose first foal is a winner, and who is a half-sister to stakes winner Matchbreaker and Travimyfriend.
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Bell River Thoroughbreds bred and sold Extreme Choice, and they have two yearlings by him. The filly, Lot 469, is out of winning mare Heart of Tier (Show a Heart), who is a half-sister to Listed winner Tierqualo, and to the dam of group winner Wisdom of Water. The Extreme Choice colt, Lot 615, is out of winning mare Mixed Emotions (Testa Rossa) who has left two winners, and who is a half-sister to group placed winner Fight and Defend, from the great Northern Meteor’s family.
Listed winner Mrs Kipling has a Brazen Beau colt, Lot 624, making him a half-brother to group placed winner See Me Exceed, from the family of Gr1 winners Fairy King Prawn and Easy Rocking.
Bell River Thoroughbreds will offer two Spirit of Boom yearlings in 2023 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. Lot 482 is a half-sister to stakes horses Schilldora and Dreams of Platinum from the family of Rainbow Quest. Lot 124 is a colt out of winning mare Super Swell whose three foals to race are all winners, including Bel Chandon, a two year-old city winner, while this yearling’s second dam is Listed winner Drop Anchor, dam of Gr1 winner Bel Mer, dam of stakes winner All Too Royal.
Merchant Navy filly, Lot 371, is out of winning High Chaparral mare Diamond Fever, a daughter of Champion race mare Dane Ripper, dam of stakes horses Switchblade and Star Ripper.
The Everest winner Yes Yes Yes has two yearlings in this draft. Lot 286 is the first foal of an I Am Invincible mare who is a half-sister to Champion 2YO in Singapore Super One, while Lot 437 is a filly out of city winner Frilly Curtain (Mossman), from the family of Gr1 winner Our Cure.
The second foal of Gr1 placed winner Believe (Fastnet Rock) by first season sire Castelvecchio is a colt, Lot 274, from the Makybe Diva family. Triple Gr1 winner and first season sire Too Darn Hot’s colt, Lot 401, is out of a winning Lonhro daughter of Listed winner Happen, dam of group placed winner One in a Million (dam of three stakes winners).
Bell River Thoroughbreds have a strong record of producing quality racehorses and their 2023 Inglis Classic draft will be the first one with all the factors of their past success brought together for their future.