Having never bred the large books of mares of so many of his contemporaries, Airdrie’s upstart sire Istan began the year under many horseman’s radar. However, thanks to a slew of graded stakes success stories in 2014, he’s become a buzz name in informed industry circles. The momentum continued Saturday as his brilliant daughter Istanford made short work of the west coast’s top three-year-old turf fillies by decimating her rivals in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar. Leading from the outset with her signature early speed, the sophomore filly was never threatened while stopping the clock in a hugely impressive 1:33 and change for the mile distance. Airdrie sends our biggest congratulations to her owners Ike and Dawn Thrash and Sam and Janet Alley, breeder Hardacre Farm and trainer Michael Stidham.
Istanford’s success comes on the heels of two other big performances by Istan 3-year-olds as his son Albano aired by more than 6 lengths in the recent Grade 3 Pegasus S. at Monmouth while Myositis Dan demonstrated his readiness for the Grade 1 King’s Bishop S. with a dominant win at Arlington Park. These results are made all the more impressive when considering that these talented three-year-olds were produced from a crop of just 12 named sophomore foals!
Small books … BIG success. And people are starting to take notice. Think About It!
