NEWS: BREEDING

Frost Giant off to sizzling start at stud

Wednesday, December 12th, 2012

Photo by EquiSport Photos

Keene Stud announced Tuesday that leading New York freshman sire Frost Giant has established a record in progeny earnings for New York-based freshman sires.

The dominating 9 1/2-length win by his daughter Kelli Got Frosty in the East View Stakes at Aqueduct on December 9 increased Frost Giant’s progeny earnings to $752,543. According to sire lists on the Blood-Horse online Stallion Register going back to 2001, the previous top-earning freshman sire in New York was Precise End with $709,293 in 2004.

A Grade 1 winner by Giant’s Causeway, Frost Giant currently ranks sixth among all stallions on the North American freshman sire list even though he has fewer juveniles in his first crop (30) than any other sire in the top 30. From the prolific female family of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and other Grade 1 winners including Bluegrass Cat and Girolamo, Frost Giant has sired nine winners, two stakes winners and two stakes-placed maiden special weight winners from 14 runners.

With 14.3% stakes winners from runners, Frost Giant is tied for the lead among all North American freshman sires.

“We’re pleasantly surprised at how well Frost Giant’s first offspring are doing as two-year-olds because they are big horses who we expect will get better as they mature and go longer distances,” said Andrew Cohen, who manages the stallion under his Sunset Stables LLC banner.

Cohen, who bred and co-owns Kelli Got Frosty and co-owned Frost Giant during his racing career, said the blaze-faced chestnut stallion is stamping his progeny and giving them his courage.

“When I’m watching these races in which his babies are running, it’s like I’m watching him again. You see these white faces charging around the far turn and taking off,” Cohen said.

Frost Giant is passing along his versatility along with his looks. A Group 3 winner on turf at seven furlongs as a juvenile in Ireland and winner of the Grade 1 Suburban Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on dirt at Belmont Park, he has sired winners on dirt and turf. Frost Giant’s first stakes winner and leading earner, West Hills Giant, captured the $247,338 New York Breeders’ Futurity, run at six furlongs on dirt, after breaking his maiden on the last day of the Saratoga meet in a 1 1/16-mile turf race.

Frost Giant will stand his first season at Keane Stud in Amenia in 2013 after previously being located at Vinery at Sugar Maple. His fee will be $7,500.

For more information, contact Dr. Winslow Stevens, general manager of Keane Stud, at 845- 373-9601, or Eric Bishop at 516-606-9768.

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