Florida-bred Big Drama, the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) and Eclipse Award champion, will stand the upcoming breeding season at Stonewall Farm Ocala. Big Drama’s stud fee has been set at $10,000.
“To stand an Eclipse Award champion is tremendous,” said Michelle Hemingway, bloodstock director at Stonewall Farm Ocala. “He fits perfectly into our program here. We know he’s going to be an important sire.”
By Montbrook out of last year’s Florida Broodmare of the Year Riveting Drama, Big Drama is a Harold Queen homebred. Big Drama concluded his career with 11 wins from 19 starts and earnings of $2,746,060.
In addition to capturing the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), Big Drama set a Gulfstream Park record for six furlongs earlier this year when he won the Mr. Prospector Handicap (G3) in 1:08 for trainer David Fawkes. Also this season he won the Whippleton Stakes at Calder in September.
He won last year’s Smile Sprint Handicap (G2) at Calder and finished second in both that year’s A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) and the Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.
“He was a standout sprinter on the dirt,” said Hemingway, “and we’re excited to be able to offer Florida’s breeders a stallion like him.”
Joining Big Drama at Stonewall is Burning Roma, who will stand for $3,000 in 2012.
A 1998 son of champion sprinter Rubiano out of the Overskate mare While Rome Burns, Burning Roma earned more than $1.5 million in his racing career.
Burning Roma won the Futurity Stakes (G1) as a juvenile. He won five stakes at age three, including the Sam F. Davis Stakes and the Tampa Bay Derby. He went on to capture stakes races each year he ran through age six.
“We’re thrilled to get him,” said Hemingway. “He’s from a sire line that we’re crazy about. He’s a durable horse and he is getting runners from limited opportunities. We look forward to developing him into the Florida stallion he should be.”
— Photo of Florida-bred Big Drama by Reed Palmer
