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Grade I Winner, New York Stallion Frost Giant Dies

Grade I winner and longtime New York sire Frost Giant (Giant's Causeway–Takesmybreathaway, by Gone West) was euthanized from complications of laminitis Monday and buried not far from his paddock and barn at ReRun, Inc., a Thoroughbred retraining and adoption organization in East Greenbush, NY. He was 19 years old.

Bought by Coolmore for $600,000 at Keeneland September in 2004, the chestnut started his career in Europe with Aidan O'Brien, winning the G3 Killavullan S. as a juvenile and the G3 Kilternan S. the following year. He eventually was moved to the U.S., where he raced for various partnerships that included IEAH Stables, Andrew Cohen, Sanford Robbins, Pegasus Holdings Group. He reached his career pinnacle in 2008, pulling a 40-1 shocker in the GI Suburban S. for trainer Rick Dutrow and jockey Rudy Rodriguez. He entered stud in 2009 at Empire Stud in New York and later stood at Vinery, Keane Stud and Irish Hill Century Farms before being pensioned last January.

“If I was in the barn and shouted at him, he would always call back,” said Lisa Molloy, executive director of ReRun. “He would give you a run for his money, always want to jack with everybody. But not a mean bone in him though. He just liked to kind of spice life up a bit. He was a rock star. I'm pleased he came into our lives. I really, really enjoyed having him. It just sucks. I was hoping we'd have a little longer with Frosty, but once the spark had gone out you know that it was it.”

Frost Giant has sired 244 winners, 19 stakes winners and the earners of $22,537,016 in 12 crops. His most successful progeny is Giant Expectations, a multiple graded stakes winner who banked over $1.3 million in his racing career. He also sired Australian Group 2 winner and millionaire Valour Road.

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Giant Expectations, Court Vision To Stand At Pryor Ranch In Nebraska

Nebraska's stallion ranks will add a pair of new faces in 2021, with Giant Expectations and Court Vision relocating to Pryor Ranch near Omaha, Neb.

Farm owner Judy Pryor, whose background comes in the Quarter Horse realm, said the decision to purchase Thoroughbred stallions came after the state passed racino legislation in November, opening up future opportunities for the state's breeding and racing programs. However, she said the process of finding the stallions wasn't easy.

Pryor went to the recent Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale looking for a stallion, but the horses she landed on were scratched from the sale either because the owner decided to hang on to them or a private sale was made before the horse entered the ring. She did, however, take note of Giant Expectations, who was being shown as a stallion prospect at a farm near the sales grounds.

“I kind of came home from there with my tail between my legs, thinking, 'I don't need to work this hard, anyway,'” Pryor said. “I started really researching and asking a lot of questions, and the gentleman that owns Giant Expectations, Justin Border, won the Breeders' Cup and an Eclipse Award with a horse by one of the stallions I was interested in.”

Border, through the nom-de-course Exline-Border Racing, campaigns Storm the Court, who won the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile en route to champion 2-year-old male honors. Storm the Court is by Court Vision, who had been standing at Acadiana Equine in Louisiana.

Pryor had always been keen on sons and daughters of Gulch – a rapidly shrinking population in 2021 – so seeing the Gulch sire line run through Storm the Court via Court Vision gave her another target for acquisition.

“I started thinking, 'This guy likes what I like,' so I started researching Storm the Court, and I got it in my head that I was going to get Court Vision,” Pryor said.

After plenty of research and phone calls, Pryor ended up with two new stallions; both of them tied to Border's stable either actively or passively.

Giant Expectations, a son of Frost Giant, won four of 25 starts during his on-track career for earnings of $1,343,600. The 8-year-old is best known for his victories in the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes and San Antonio Stakes.

Bred in New York by Sunrise Stables, Giant Expectations is out of the winning Is It True mare Sarahisittrue, whose five foals to race are all winners. He hails from the family of multiple Grade 2 winner C Z Rocket.

Court Vision, a 16-year-old son of Gulch, is best known on the racetrack for his victory in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs, a swan song that brought his career record to nine wins in 31 starts and earnings of $3,746,658. His other wins of note included the G1 Hollywood Derby, Woodbine Mile, Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, and Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes, the G2 Remsen Stakes and Jamaica Handicap, and the G3 Iroquois Stakes.

From seven crops of racing age, Court Vision has sired 156 winners, with combined progeny earnings in excess of $13.9 million. He began his stallion career in 2012 at Park Stud in Ontario, then moved to Kentucky for one season at Spendthrift Farm in 2016 before relocating to Louisiana.

Storm the Court is Court Vision's best runner to date, conceived during Court Vision's lone season in Kentucky. In addition to bringing in an Eclipse Award and a Breeders' Cup trophy, Storm the Court finished a solid sixth in last year's Kentucky Derby, and he most recently ran second in the G2 Mathis Brothers Mile Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.

Court Vision's other runners of note include Grade 2 winner Mr Havercamp and Canadian champion King and His Court.

Pryor said she was still deciding on stud fees for her two new additions, but her goal would be the same no matter the price: raise a horse that could take her to the Kentucky Derby as a connection instead of a spectator.

Court Vision, in particular, has already gotten one foal to Churchill Downs when the lights were at their brightest, and Pryor hoped history could repeat.

“I'm a 71-year-old lady that always wanted a Kentucky Bluegrass farm, but I live in Omaha, Neb,” Pryor said. “That's been my childhood dream. I know I'll probably never make it, but I'd sure like to go. I've gotten to be in the paddock at all three Triple Crown races a few times.”

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MGSW Giant Expectations Retired

Dual graded stakes winner Giant Expectations (Frost Giant–Sarahisittrue, by Is It True) has been retired from racing and will stand the upcoming breeding season at a location still to be determined pending sale of the horse either privately or at auction.

Giant Expectations was trained by Eurton for Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Gatto Racing, and partners, who issued a release: “The current ownership group and management unanimously elected to retire Giant Expectations in the best interests of the horse, and are excited to follow his next career as a stallion.”

In a career that spanned five seasons and 25 starts, the earner of $1,343,600 hit the board in 13 starts, including wins in the 2017 seven-panel GII Pat O’Brien S. and 2017 8 1/2-furlong

GII San Antonio S., the latter victory a gate-to-wire effort defeating Eclipse Award 2018 champion Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky) and Grade I winners Collected (City Zip) and Hopportunity (Any Given Saturday).

“Giant Expectations was one of the best horses I had the pleasure to ride over my career,” said Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who was in the irons for some of Giant’s biggest races including both the Pat O’Brien and San Antonio wins. “He was a great looking horse, with the stride and the movement to go

with it, long and fluid..a beautiful stride and a powerful stretch run.”

Added trainer Peter Eurton, “He’s always had tremendous speed, stamina, and resilience. He’s a perfectly built horse. Very sound and a gorgeous individual.”

“This is the type of horse you miss the most when they leave,” said Eurton. “Anybody who breeds to him is going to be very happy.”

Giant Expectations is from the Storm Cat male line and has been relocated to Kentucky as a stallion prospect and will be available for viewing near Keeneland beginning next week. To arrange a viewing please call 805-712-1395.

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Grade 2 Winner Giant Expectations Retired; Stud Plans Pending

Multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire Giant Expectations has been retired from racing with career earnings of $1,343,600. He will begin his next career at stud this upcoming breeding season, with the location still to be determined pending sale of the horse, either privately or at auction.

In a career that spanned five seasons and 25 starts, Giant Expectations consistently raced at the highest level from coast to coast. His ability to show tactical speed, both sprinting and routing, set him apart with wins in both the Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at seven furlongs and against a historically tough field for the G2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, winning gate-to-wire and defeating 2018 Eclipse Award winner Accelerate, as well as Grade 1 winners Collected and Hoppertunity.

“Giant Expectations was one of the best horses I had the pleasure to ride over my career,” said Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who was in the irons for some of Giant Expectations' biggest races, including the Pat O'Brien and San Antonio wins. “He was a great-looking horse with the stride and the movement to go with it, long and fluid…a beautiful stride and a powerful stretch run.”

“He's always had tremendous speed, stamina, and resilience,” said Peter Eurton, who has trained Giant Expectations since he was purchased as a 2-year-old. “He's a perfectly-built horse. Very sound and a gorgeous individual.”

Giant Expectations' racing career concludes with 14 top-five finishes in 16 consecutive stakes races, with 13 of those at the Grade 1 or Grade 2 level.

Giant Expectations was trained by Eurton for Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Gatto Racing, and partners, who stated, “The current ownership group and management unanimously elected to retire Giant Expectations in the best interests of the horse, and are excited to follow his next career as a stallion.”

From the same family as this year's probable Breeders' Cup Sprint favorite C Z Rocket, Giant Expectations is from the famed Storm Cat male line, and he has been relocated to Kentucky as a stallion prospect. Viewing is available conveniently just four miles away from Keeneland beginning next week. To arrange a viewing, please call 805-712-1395.

“This is the type of horse you miss the most when they leave,” Eurton said. “Anybody who breeds to him is going to be very happy.”

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