'TDN Rising Star' Gift Box (Twirling Candy–Special Me, by Unbridled's Song) was represented by his first foal when the 12-year-old Chelsea Road (Speightstown) delivered a colt at St. Simon Place Wednesday, Jan. 19. The colt was bred in partnership by St. Simon Place and Machmer Hall, who teamed to purchase Chelsea Road–the dam of SP Go Big Blue Nation (Animal Kingdom)–for $65,000 with the colt in utero at last year's Keeneland November Sale, the top price paid for a mare in foal to Twirling Candy.
St. Simon Place's Tommy Wente said of the foal, “He's a big attractive colt. I'm very pleased. [He's] got great leg and substance and a very kind eye.” Carrie Brogden added, “He looks just like his father did as a baby.”
Gift Box, bred by Machmer Hall, was accorded 'Rising Star' status for a first-level allowance victory at Belmont in 2016 and became an older horse of considerable importance for Hronis Racing and John Sadler, winning three graded stakes events, including the 2019 GI Santa Anita H. and back-to-back runnings of the GII San Antonio S. He retired to Lane's End with six wins from 18 starts and earnings of $1,127,060.
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