Best On Breeding

Allen Paulson came to the notice of Australians when he purchased our globetrotting star Strawberry Road to stand at his Brookside Stud in Kentucky.

Strawberry Road became an excellent stallion for Paulson siring the likes Ajina, the 3-year-old champion filly of 1997 and Escena, the best older filly or mare of 1998.

Paulson also raced Cigar, the Horse of the Year in 1995 and 1996, Estrapada, the champion female on turf champion in 1986; Theatrical, the male turf champion of 1987; Arazi, the juvenile champion colt of North America and Europe in 1991, while the 2002 US Horse of the Year Azeri also carried his colours although Paulson died before she raced.

The honour of the first champion bred at Brookside Farm was the Mt Livermore mare Eliza.

On a memorable day for Paulson at Gulfstream Park, Eliza wrapped up the Eclipse Award for Champion 2yo filly of 1992 with a dominant perforce in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Later that day Paulson won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Turf with Strawberry Road’s son Fraise.

Eliza went on the win the Santa Anita Oaks at three and finished second in the Kentucky Oaks.

She had a long and productive life at stud leaving 14 foals with 11 getting to the track and eight winners.

Her only stakes winner was Samuel Morse (Danehill Dancer) a Listed winner in Ireland while her stakes-placed daughter Miss Doolittle (Storm Cat) is the dam of Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Dialled In (Mineshaft).

Another winning daughter of Eliza is Our Fair Lady (Theatrical) who may have faded into obscurity had it not been for her daughter Butters (USA) who won a minor black-type race before heading to a new home in Australia for SF Bloodstock.

A daughter of the influential Sadler’s Wells stallion El Prado, Butters (USA) was carrying a Distorted Humor colt who was named Exciting Prospect and won four raced in Singapore.

To Myboycharlie (FR), Butters left Butterboom a solid performer for Champion Thoroughbreds who outlaid $40,000 at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

The winner of four and placed in 10 of her 23 starts Butterboom has banked over $212,000.

But the real star of the team has been Butters’ (USA) third foal, Foxplay (photo Lisa Grimm). 

Purchased by Star Thoroughbreds for $140,000 at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the first crop daughter of Foxwedge took some time to find her feet at two winning at Rosehill and twice second from five starts.

She came out with all guns blazing in the spring at three, winning the Group II Furious Stakes at Randwick and the Group II Tea Rose Stakes on the same track.

In her season finale, Foxplay earned a career highlight victory in the Group I Coolmore Legacy Queen Of Turf Stakes at Rosehill.

She has turned the $140,000 into $1.2 million and counting for her enthusiastic band of owners.

Foxplay made her 4-year-old bow in the Group II Bob Ingham Warwick Stakes and almost did the unthinkable, ending the winning run of her stablemate Winx.

When Foxplay contests Saturday’s Group II Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill Gardens she will be asked again to break a 6-race winning streak by another stablemate, Egg Tart (Sebring).

It will be no easy task as the grey carries 4kgs more than the daughter of Sebring and will be conceding weight to Deploy, Dixie Blossoms, Euro Angela and Cannyescent.

The same year Foxplay went through the sales ring, her dam Butters was offered at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Carrying a negative test to Al Maher, Butters made just $6,000 as part of the unreserved Heinrich Bloodstock Dispersal Sale.

According to the Stud Book, Butters is still owned by the Heinrich Bloodstock Syndicate.

She has an unraced 3yo sister to Foxplay named Kiama and a yearling colt by Animal Kingdom (USA).

Butters (USA) was covered by Redoute’s Choice last spring.