With only a handful of runners from his first northern hemisphere-bred crop to hit the track so far, Any Given Saturday has recorded three individual winners and a further six which have earned their connections a prize money return.
In the space of 24 hours, starting August 12, the G1-winning son of Distorted Humor was represented by his first, second and third winner – quite a remarkable achievement.
Leading the way was the European runner Ittasal, who scored on debut at Kempton Park by three-quarters-of-a-length. Bred by Darley, Ittasal is out of the Group-placed juvenile Journalist, herself a half-sister to the G2-winning two-year-old Sheer Viking and from the family of G1 1,000 Guineas winner Las Meninas and top sprinter Kingsgate Native. Journalist has already produced two Stakes horses in La Presse and Emirates Girl, and also has a yearling filly by Exceed And Excel.
A few hours later, this time in the USA, Any Given Saturday colt Saturday Launch recorded a dominant victory two length victory at Ellis Park at only his second start. Racing over a mile on the turf track, the colt is out of the out of the Stakes-placed Cee's Tizzy mare Ardum Relaunch.
The very next day, also in the USA, two-year-old colt Brother Pat recorded his maiden win on his racetrack debut over 1600m. Brother Pat is the first foal out of the Tiznow mare Anyhow. Anyhow is a half-sister to G3 winner Mythical Gem, Graded-placed Apple Charlotte, and Stakes-placed runners Multitudinous and Claremont.
A winner of two of his three starts as a juvenile, the Todd Pletcher-trained Any Given Saturday returned as a three-year-old for a first up win in the Listed Sam F. Davis Stakes over 1400m before narrowly being beaten by fellow Darley stallion Street Sense in the G3 Tampa Bay Derby.
Tackling G1 company at his next two starts, Any Given Saturday finished a gallant third in the Wood Memorial before finding the distance of the Kentucky Derby a little beyond him. Recording victory in the G2 Dwyer Stakes next time out, the impressively looking colt then took out the G1 Haskell Invitational in impressive fashion at his next start.
With three of the last five winners of the G1 Haskell Invitational; Any Given Saturday, Lookin At Lucky and Big Brown all standing the forthcoming southern hemisphere season in Australia, Any Given Saturday’s four-and-half length romp over Darley’s fellow first-season sire Hard Spun and Curlin was the largest winging margin of the three and he also recorded a Beyer speed figure of 113, significantly superior to the figures recorded by the other two.
Retiring to stand at Darley America two months after his G1 victory, Any Given Saturday added a final Stakes race to his impressive resume, winning the G2 Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont.
Defeating some of the biggest names of his year; Curlin, Hard Spun and Nobiz Like Shobiz, Any Given Saturday may just have been the best of an outstanding and memorable crop of three-year-olds.
With his yearlings selling well early this year, being purchased by astute judges Colin Alderson, Vin Cox Bloodstock, N & J Moore Bloodstock, Gary Mudgway, Bruce Elkington and Michael Kent, a few interesting names have already been registered; Weekend Passion, Champagne Saturday, That’s A Given and Any Day Will Do. We eagerly await his first runners in the coming months in the southern hemisphere.
Any Given Saturday is the only son of the phenomenal sire Distorted Humor to stand the forthcoming season in Australia. Having produced 12 individual G1 winners himself including Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide, Travers Stakes winner Flower Alley, Whitney Handicap winner Commentator, Belmont Stakes victor Drosselmeyer and the G1 South Australian Oaks winner Rinky Dink, Distorted Humor currently stands in the USA at a fee in excess of $100,000.
Standing the forthcoming season at Darley’s Victoria base Northwood Park at a fee of $13, 750 (inc GST), Any Given Saturday is one of the best value sons of the internationally successful sire-line that breeders can access. If you require any further information on Nadeem, or any of the remainder of the 2011 Stallion Roster, please contact one of the Nomination Team members.