Arthur B. Hancock III   --   200 Stoney Point Road, Paris, Kentucky 40361
Tel: (859) 987-3737   Fax: (859) 987-1474   E-mail: stonefarm@stonefarm.com

LEADING SIRE HALO PASSES AWAY at STONE FARM

Leading Sire Halo passed away on the morning of November 28, 2000 at Stone Farm. Pensioned since 1997, the 31-year-old stallion sired 62 stakes winners and twice led the list of Leading Sires in North America.

Halo topped the Leading Sires list in 1983 when he was represented by his first Kentucky Derby winner, Sunny's Halo, and again in 1989 when Horse of the Year Sunday Silence won the Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic. He sired four other champions, including full siblings Devil's Bag and Glorious Song, dam of Rahy and Singspiel.

Demonstrating his continuing influence, leading sons of Halo at stud today include Sunday Silence, Saint Ballado, Devil's Bag, and Southern Halo. Stone Farm currently stands two Kentucky Derby runner-ups from the Halo male line -- Strodes Creek is a son of Halo, and Menifee is by Halo's grandson Harlan.

STRODE'S CREEK PROGENY CONTINUE TO STRIDE OUT IMPRESSIVELY

After leading last year's freshmen sires with 33% winners from foals (over 20 starters), Strodes Creek, continues to post impressive numbers. His progeny continue to be characterized by:

• Black-type performers -- Already 4 horses from his first crop are stakes-placed. In October, 2 year-old filly ACROSS THE CREEK cruised to an easy $75,000 stakes victory.
• Precociousness -- Through mid-November, 24% of Strokes Creek second-crop 2 year-olds have already broken their maidens.
• Consistency -- Although oldest foals are only 3 year-olds, Strodes Creek's median earnings per runner are already over $22,000.

SKYWALKER GREETS COLD WEATHER WITH a FLURRY of WINNERS

Skywalker was on a roll in mid-November with four winners and a stakes placed filly in five days. Highlights included:

• Eyebrow Raiser - 2 year-old filly won a MSW at Hawthorne by 8 lengths.
• Guitar - Won an allowance race over the Laurel Park turf by 2 lengths.
• Sky Menace - Broke maiden by 4 lengths at Hollywood Park.
• Don Regino - Won $17,500 race by 4 lengths at Hawthorne.
• Lady Sky Racer - Added another stakes placing in the Cy-Fair Stakes.

Skywalker's progeny earnings for the year are quickly approaching the $2.5 million mark and are now over $18 million lifetime.

FUSAICHI PEGASUS RETURNS AND WINS THE JEROME (G2)

In an impressive effort in his first start since the Preakness, Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus cruised to an easy victory in the Jerome Handicap (G2). He made the lead earlier than expected and ran 6 furlongs in 1:08 1/5, much to the surprise of his jockey Kent Desormeaux who thought they were cruising along in about 1:12.

Good luck to Fusaichi Pegasus as he begins his stud career next year at Ashford Stud.

    Fusaichi Pegasus in
     the Winner's Circle
     after the Wood (G2)
  (photo by Barbara Livingston)

STONE FARM BRED, RAISED AND CONSIGNED, FUSAICHI PEGASUS WINS THE KENTUCKY DERBY
See the Stretch Call from ABCsports.com ( RealVideo | AVI )

FUSAICHI PEGASUS, bred by Arthur B. Hancock III and Stonerside Stable, wins the Kentucky Derby-G1. Out of the Danzig mare Angel Fever, the 3-year-old son of Mr. Prospector followed his victory in the San Felipe S.-G2 and the Wood Memorial S.-G2 with an impressive win in the Kentucky Derby-G1. To quote his jockey Kent Desormeaux "He's a marvelous horse. He just reeled them in real easy. He's a pretty boy who can run". Fusaichi Pegasus finished in 2:01.12 over a fast track, fourth-fastest in Derby history. He paid $6.60 to win.

Fusaichi Pegasus first made headlines at the 1998 Keeneland July Yearling Sale, when the colt was purchased for a sale-topping $4 million (the highest sale price for more than a decade) by Japanese businessman Fusao Sekiguchi.

At the time of the sale, Hancock told the The Blood-Horse, "This is the best yearling I've ever seen. He's athletic. He's smart. He's got so much class. From the day he was born, he's been a star. He's a special colt, and he'll be a great racehorse."

Angel Fever is in-foal for 2001 and resides at Stone as does her yearling filly, a full sister to Fusaichi Pegasus. A full brother to the pre-race Kentucky Derby favorite sold at last year's Keeneland July sale for $1 million.

Anne Campbell Honored as Broodmare of the Year

Stone Farm mare Anne Campbell has been voted the prestigious Broodmare-of-the-Year Award by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders. The 27-year-old mare, now a pensioner at Stone Farm, was honored at the annual luncheon hosted by the organization at Keeneland Racecourse.

Anne Campbell is the dam of Blue Grass S.-G1 and Haskell S.-G1 winner Menifee and Hollywood Gold Cup-G1, Strub S.-G1 and Californian H.-G1 winner Desert Wine. She also has the distinction of being the only mare to produce two runners up in both the Kentucky Derby-G1 and Preakness S.-G1 (Menifee in 1999 and Desert Wine in 1983). Anne Campbell also is the granddam of last year's European Champion colt Fasliyev as well as 1999's top-priced yearling, a colt which sold for $3.9 million at the Keeneland September sale.

Arthur Hancock purchased Anne Campbell for $725,000 in foal to Mr. Prospector at the 1987 Keeneland fall sale. The resulting foal was the graded stakes horse Excavate who raced in partnership for Hancock. In addition, Anne Campbell produced stakes winner Arsaan, stakes-placed Dupree, and Dame Sybil, the dam of three stakes winners.

"Anne Campbell is doing fine," Hancock said. "She is with four other retired mares in a big field and they're all buddies." Past Broodmare-of-the-Year honorees include Somethingroyal, Fall Aspen, Courtly Dee, Glowing Tribute, Weekend Surprise, Too Bald, Hasty Queen, Best in Show, Personal Ensign, Relaxing, Kamar, Dunce Cap, Sweet Tooth, Shenanigans, Cosmah, and Miss Disco.

Two Grade 1 Stakes Winners Retire to Stud at Stone Farm

Two promising young stallions entered stud at Stone Farm in 2000 - Grade 1 stakes winners Wagon Limit and Menifee. Wagon Limit raced for Jospeh V. Shields and Menifee raced for James Stone and Arthur Hancock III.

Wagon Limit is best remembered for his 5 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup over subsequent Horse-of-the-Year Skip Away. A tough and consistent New York campaigner, Wagon Limit also showed his class and versatility in winning the Grade 3 Westchester H. at 1 mile. His time of 1:34 flat earned him a 118 Beyer Figure - the highest figure for the distance in the world in 1998.

Trained by Hall-of-Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, Wagon Limit is by Conquistador Cielo, whose sons already have sired 45 stakes winners, including Eclipse Champion Artax and Grade 1 winner On a Soapbox. Wagon Limit also is from a well known family of sires, with stallions under his first three dams siring some 85 stakes winners.

"He's a very balanced, masculine individual, and as his trainer told me he had speed and heart and could sprint or go a classic distance," Hancock said. "He is by an emerging sire of sires and has sire blood on his bottom side as well."

Homebred Menifee is out of Broodmare-of-the-Year Anne Campbell by the Storm Cat stallion Harlan.

An impressive winner of the Blue Grass S.-G1 and Haskell Invitational-G1 over top fields, Menifee also finished a gallant second in the Kentucky Derby-G1 and Preakness S.-G1 to Horse-of-the-Year Charismatic and placed in the Travers S.-G1 and Super Derby-G1. He earned $1.7 million and finished first or second in nine of 11 starts.

Menifee's return home to his birthplace fills a void left by the untimely death of his sire, Harlan, a Grade 1 stakes-winning son of last year's record-setting leading sire Storm Cat. One of the best sprinters of his year, Harlan won or placed in 16 races. He won the Vosburgh H.-G1 over Champion Cherokee Run and was fourth, beaten only 1 3/4 lengths, in the Breeders' Cup Sprint-G1.

"It's a wonderful feeling to have Menifee come back," Hancock said. "What happened to Harlan, that's the worst blow I've ever had in the horse business. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe a mare we would have bred to Harlan we'll breed to Menifee and get a Triple Crown winner."

Kentucky Derby Winner Returns Home

Gato del Sol, who won the 1982 Kentucky Derby-G1 for owner/breeders Leon Peters and Arthur Hancock III, returned to Stone Farm in August of 1999 after concluding his stud career in Germany. The 21-year-old gray will live as a pensioner on the farm where he was bred and raised.

The first Kentucky Derby winner to represent Stone Farm, Gato Del Sol rallied from last in the field of 19 to take command at the top of the stretch and pulled away to a 2 1/2-length victory in the 108^th Run for the Roses. Prior to taking the top prize in the world's most famous horse race, the then steel-gray colt finished second in Keeneland's Blue Grass S.-G1. He also placed in the Belmont S.-G1 and San Felipe S.-G2 during his sophomore season.

Honest and durable, he campaigned until he was six and won stakes every year except his five-year-old season when he was Grade 1-placed four times. He concluded his 39-race career with a 7-9-7 record and earnings of more than $1.3 million.

In an interview in Backstretch magazine earlier this year, Hancock summed up his feelings about Gato del Sol's return by saying he wanted to "repay a favor to an old friend."

Arthur B. Hancock III   --   200 Stoney Point Road, Paris, Kentucky 40361
Tel: (859) 987-3737   Fax: (859) 987-1474   E-mail: stonefarm@stonefarm.com