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Aldebaran Burst, a two-year-old trotting filly raced by Melbourne breeder Duncan McPherson, broke maiden ranks at only her fourth start at the famed The Red Mile, Lexington, Kentucky last Tuesday.
Competing in a leg of the Golden Rod Series, the filly unleashed a powerful finishing rally from midfield to win decisively in 1:57.2.
“She has finished second, fourth and now first in her three heats to date,” McPherson said. “There’s exciting times ahead for her in the coming weeks at The Red Mile with another round of heats followed by the $50,000 Final on September 20.”
Aldebaran Burst is trained by Swedish-born horseman Jonas Czernyson and driven by former top NSW reinsman Todd McCarthy.
McPherson, the principal of Aldebaran Park, said the filly will be aimed at the $250,000 International Stallion Stake at Lexington on October 8.
“She’s eligible for the Breeders Crown and other races on the Grand Circuit,” he said.
“The real objective is to target all the big races on the three-year-old calendar next year and then ship her down to Australia to race and breed.”
Bred by the prestige Diamond Creek Farm, Kentucky, Aldebaran Burst was secured by McPherson for $US95,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale last October.
“She’s a big, strong type with a lovely pedigree,” McPherson said.
By last season’s leading USA two-year-old trotting sire Walner, Aldebaran Burst is out of Blue Diamonds, a winning daughter of the 2008 Hambletonian winner Deweycheatumnhowe and the Striking Sahbra mare Constance Hall, a $250,000 winning half-sister to the leading sire and broodmare sire Cantab Hall.
Aldebaran Burst is a half-sister to three winners including two in the 1:55 list.
In further news, a 75 percent share of Generally Speaking SWE, the first foal out of the outstanding Australian trotting mare Maori Time by the champion stallion Readly Express SWE, has been sold to US interests with the colt’s breeders, Menhammar Stuteri AB Sweden and Aldebaran Park HB Sweden – Duncan McPherson and Fred Crews – retaining a 25 per cent interest.
The Readly Express colt was passed in at the Menhammar Stud online auction in Sweden in July. He will be trained from Jonas Czernyson’s New Jersey stables.
