Marsali Makes Her Mark for Calumet

MARSALI MAKES HER MARK FOR CALUMET 
By Kelsey Riley 
When Marsali charged down the center of the track at Fairyhouse to record an authoritative first-out win yesterday, she wrote another chapter into the already historic annals of one of the world’s most famed stud farms. The dark bay, a descendant of Eclipse champion Hidden Lake, became the first juvenile winner–and starter–in Europe for Calumet, and marked the success of a project commenced by Brad Kelley’s operation last year. 
Calumet, which recorded its first Irish win Apr. 26 courtesy of the 3-year-old Hellenistic (English Channel) at Limerick, decided to make a foray into European racing after forging a strong relationship with Irish trainer Dermot Weld last year. 
“Mr Weld was very smart,” noted John Stuart of Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services. “He sold Calumet a filly that his mother bred, named Starstruck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). She won a race or two in Ireland, but he felt like she’d do better in the U.S., so he offered it to Calumet for a very reasonable amount of money.” 
Transferred to trainer Larry Jones, Starstruck won her Stateside debut–a Churchill allowance–by 5 1/2 lengths, and three months later carried the Calumet silks to victory in the G3 Matchmaker S. at Monmouth Park. 
“We were very pleased with Mr Weld for letting us have the filly, so we rewarded him,” Stuart said. 
That reward came in the form of “about a dozen” horses, including Marsali. Purchased in utero for $230,000 at Keeneland November in 2011, the April-foaled miss always stood out, according to Stuart, but scared many potential buyers away at Keeneland September with a less than ideal scope. Weld, who was in town to scope out the Calumet stock, took a liking to the filly and suggested they keep her, and she was bought back for $45,000. 
“Mr Weld made the effort to come over and look at the Calumet 2-year-olds, and was at the first session of the sales,” Stuart explained. “He particularly liked this filly, as I did, and he made the suggestion not to give her away just because the vets didn’t think the throat was mature at the time. She was always a racy filly. That’s the advice we gave the boss, so she stayed in the racing stable. The throat strengthened up, and she’s a really nice filly.” 
Stuart also noted that the global influence of Marsali’s sire, More Than Ready, encouraged Calumet to try her overseas, and thus far their gamble has been rewarded. Stuart declined to nominate any future targets for Marsali, leaving the decision up to Weld. 
Calumet is also gearing up to make an impact as a breeder in Europe, with some mares already boarded in Ireland, but it is the U.S.-bred Our Channel (English Channel) who has gotten things off to a fast start this season. Bred by Calumet and sold by Stuart’s Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services to breeze-up ace Jim McCartan for $30,000 at Keeneland September in 2012, Our Channel proved not the most profitable pinhook proposition, bringing £33,000 at Goffs last year. He has, however, proved an exciting proposition on the racecourse, having won an important G1 Investec Derby prep Apr. 23 prior to finishing 13th in the main event. 
If their early track record is anything to go by, the Calumet silks could become a familiar sight in winner’s enclosures across Europe.