Journeyman's Khozan Guarantee: Off to a Fast Start

Saturday, May 4, 2019

Bernies Blog

On Dec. 10, Eric Mitchell wrote on Blood-Horse online that Journeyman Stud is offering a top freshman sire guarantee on Khozan, one of the two frosh sires on the roster at Brent and Crystal Fernung's stud farm.

"Brent and Crystal Fernung are so confident their stallion Khozan has the quality to be Florida's leading freshman sire next year that they are putting the breeding fees from 25 matings on the line," Mitchell wrote.

"In my opinion, Khozan far and away represents the best combination of talent and pedigree of any stallion in Florida," Brent said, "and we're thrilled with the quality of Khozan's first yearlings. Consequently, we are willing to put our money where our mouth is. The first 25 contracts issued to Khozan for the 2019 breeding season come with this guarantee: If Khozan is not Florida's leading first-crop sire in 2019, you don't have to pay the stud fee for your 2020 foal."

Since Khozan stands for $4,000, we're talking about a potential loss of $100,000.

It's only May 4, and Dec. 31 is a long way off, but Khozan already has two winners, and is not only Florida's leading freshman sire, he's second in the country behind American Pharoah. After Solid as a Rock became winner No. 1 at Gulfstream Park on Thursday, Lure Him In followed up with a maiden victory yesterday. Both winners were bred by their owner, Gil and Marilyn Campbell's Stonehedge Farm in Williston.

Lure Him In was chased to the wire by Rebelde, another Khozan colt who had finished fourth in his debut a few weeks ago. The trio has accounted for nearly all of the stallion's $82,740 in earnings. American Pharoah isn't that far ahead with $88,764.

This one promises to be stirring up quite a bit of interest for the next seven-plus months.

MISNOMER - Let's get one thing straight on Kentucky Derby morn. Omaha Beach was not the Derby favorite, no matter how many people said so on your TV set. The Derby favorite is the horse whose tote board price is the lowest when the gate springs open later today.

Omaha Beach was the horse who the track handicapper (Mike Battaglia) guessed the public would make the favorite at post time, but it didn't have to be so.