This partnership is comprised of three exciting yearling colts purchased from the 2009 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The colts arrived at our farm in Middleburg, Virginia in great shape and will soon begin their early stages of training under the direction of Yearling Trainer Paula Parsons. Upon graduating from the farm, they will join trainer Jimmy Jerkens for their racing career on the NYRA/ Florida circuit.

This offering has a total capitalization of $1,275,000, which covers all expenses and insurance through the end of 2010, ensuring partners there will be no additional bills for at least the next 14 months.

Investment in this group is accepted from 5% ownership at $63,750.

“These horses afforded great value, as the average price of thoroughbreds at the sale are down by around 40% from last year,” said Centennial President Don Little, Jr. “In past years, we would have had trouble affording colts with such strength of pedigree through the first and second dams, but because of the market correction we were able to take our time and find some promising horses for cents on the dollar compared with past seasons. Considering the current tax advantages and the quality of these colts, it is an ideal time to be buying horses to race on the track. The pendulum has swung back in favor of stables that race after many healthy years for the commercial breeders.”

Purchased for $300,000 from the 2009 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

This colt is by Empire Maker, winner of three Grade I races during his three-year-old season, including a classic victory in the Belmont Stakes. From just three crops of racing age, Empire Maker has established himself as one of the best sires in the world, producing horses that thrive on all surfaces, and most importantly, going a distance of ground.

Empire Maker is the sire of Icon Project, winner of this summer’s G1-Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga by over 13-lengths. Other top horses include: dual Grade I winners Pure Clan and Pioneerof the Nile; and versatile multiple graded-stakes winners Acoma and Mushka.

Empire Maker hails from one of the finest female families in racing. His dam, the Grade I winning Toussaud, was named Broodmare of the year in 2002 and she has produced five Grade I winners. Empire Maker currently stands stud at Juddmonte in Kentucky for $75,000.

The dam of this colt, Penny’s Gold, was a graded stakes winner at three in France and a multiple graded stakes winner in North America, capturing the G3-Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland and G3-Ballston Spa Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Saratoga to establish herself as one of the top middle distance turf mares of her generation.

The second dam of this colt is the Storm Cat mare Penny’s Valentine, a winner at two in France that placed in the Group II Italian One Thousand Guineas as a three-year-old.

The third dam of this colt is Mrs. Penny, a legendary mare that was champion two-year-old filly in England before garnering championship honors as a three-year-old in both England and Ireland. Mrs. Penny won some of the most prestigious races in Europe, including the G1-Cheverly Park Stakes as a juvenile; and the G1-Prix Vermeille and French Oaks to end her three-year-old season as the second highweighted filly on the French Handicap. Mrs. Penny is also the dam of top European sire Northern Park; and Mrs. Jenney, the dam of the top class Grade I winner Unaccounted For.

This colt has a deep Overbrook Farm family that will be very attractive to breeders if this colt is successful on the racetrack. He represents a rare opportunity to purchase some of the most protected bloodlines in Kentucky. Overbrook Farm raced and stood at stud the legendary Storm Cat and they are now dispersing their assets after many successful years in the thoroughbred business.

This colt is bred on a productive cross and he is closely related to Mushka, the 2006 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale topper at $1,600,000 that was then re-offered at the 2008 Keeneland November Sale, where she sold for $2,400,000 as the Day 2 Session Topper and the third highest-priced filly/mare of the sale.

This colt is by leading sire Elusive Quality, best known as the producer of dual-classic winner Smarty Jones; 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass; and Quality Road, winner of the G1-Florida Derby and G2-Amsterdam Stakes, both in track record time. On the racetrack, Elusive Quality set a world record for one mile on turf, covering the distance at Belmont Park in 1:31 3/5 winning the 1998 Poker Handicap.

Elusive Quality is a stallion with true worldwide appeal that currently stands at Darley in Kentucky for $75,000. Most impressive about Elusive Quality is that his offspring thrive on all surfaces: dirt, turf and synthetic.

The female family of this colt is one of the most respected in the stud book, tracing back through generations of closely-guarded lineage. The dam of this colt, Indigene, is a full-sister to multiple-graded stakes winning Atelier, who was one of the top distaffers of her era for trainer Shug McGaughey.

Atelier, is out of a graded-stakes winning full-sister to the legendary Althea, the champion two-year-old filly of 1993 that was sent to the post as the favorite in the 1994 Kentucky Derby after beating colts during her two-year-old campaign and in the Arkansas Derby as a three-year-old.

Althea’s dam, Courtly Dee, is a Blue Hen mare that was named Broodmare of the year in 1983. She is regarded as one of the true foundation mares of thoroughbred racing, producing 15 winners in the breeding shed, including eight stakes winners.

This is a deep, respected female family that is rarely available to be purchased at public auction. This female family has been guarded in recent years by Helen Alexander, the heir to the King Ranch racing dynasty. This lineage combined with leading sire Elusive Quality is a tremendous mating that is sure to be popular with breeders throughout the world.

The cross of Elusive Quality over a Deputy Minister mare is very fashionable and scores an A++ TrueNicks rating and an A+ Werk Nick Rating. Grade III winning sprinter Omega Code and stakes winning Roi Maudit were both bred on this exact cross.

This colt was bred by Gary Knapp’s Monticule Farm, a midsized breeding establishment in Kentucky. Despite having a broodmare band of just 19 mares, Monticule graduates show higher percentage of stakes-winners and grade-one stakes winners than 98% of all yearling consigners in North America. Monticule’s breeding program is highly respected throughout the world for quality over quantity and intelligent matings that produce athletic and well conformed horses. They bred and raised 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown among other top horses.

Our new colt is a son of Sky Mesa, winner of the Grade I Hopeful Stakes at two and currently a much respected sire in Kentucky. Sky Mesa is a son of Pulpit, currently the hottest sire-of-sires in Kentucky with additional sons Tapit and Corinthian both off to promising careers at stud. Pulpit looks to be the heir-apparent to his sire A.P. Indy and this line is expected to continue to gain prominence in the future.

The dam of this colt, Mettle, was a winner on the racetrack and she has already produced two winners as a broodmare. Worth noting about Mettle is that her full-brother, Atago Taisho, was a high-level racehorse in Japan, earning over $1,960,000 on the racetrack.

This colt’s full-brother Brady Blue Eyes finished second in his career debut on September 9, 2009 at Del Mar against maiden special weight company and he looks to be a very promising racehorse. In addition, Mettle was bred back to Sky Mesa this season, so the breeder obviously believes in this mating, as the expected foal of 2010 will be the third horse bred on this exact cross.

This a deep female family and both the third and fourth dams have proven to be successful producers of horses that are now standing stud throughout the world. This young pedigree is expected to continue to grow throughout the coming years.

This colt is bred on the productive A.P. Indy – Silver Deputy cross and garners a TrueNicks rating of A+. He also shows a Werk Nick rating of A++ based on the Pulpit – Deputy Minister cross.