Although Australian and New Zealand horses are exported to North America all the time, the ones who really hit the headlines over there are few and far between. A recent profiled purchase from ‘downunder’ has connections to both sides of the ditch, so I was interested to find out more…
Harness Racing Update is a well-regarded news-sheet coming out of North America, and well worth subscribing to – it’s free.
Reuben Brogden winning at Gloucester Park. (Photo: W Crabb)
Among the articles in the 29 March issue was this one, below, about the purchase of Reuben Brogden by the same trainer/owners combination that are having very good early success with Australian import Polak A (by Pacific Fella out of a Million To One mare – Million To One is a son of Falcon Seelster).
As it says in the article, Reuben Brogden is New Zealand bred, by Graham and Judy Bowen of Brogden Lodge fame here in Cambridge NZ. He’s by Real Desire out of the Presidential Ball mare Ruby Choozday (love the name, but as a race horse she wasn’t startling). Reuben Brogen was sent to Australia in early 2012 after a few starts here that showed potential for Tim Butt, and he has since gone on to a good record of 55 starts for 17 wins in Australia, pulling in $161,000 in stake earnings.
Reuben Brogden was offered at the PGG Sale of the Stars Australasian yearling sale at Karaka in 2010 and was a buy-back by the Bowens after he didn’t even get a bid.
It’s a great example of a horse that needed time to develop and show his true potential – and hopefully that can lift yet another notch in North America.
For further information about the family of Reuben Brogden see Facebook page of Standardbred breeding for all
Harness Racing Update article:
Get Ready For Another Invader From Down Under
By Perry LefkoYONKERS, NY – There’s another horse coming from Down Under to America and he might be as good, or evenbetter, than Polak A.
Joe Bellino told Harness Racing Update Saturday that he has purchased another seven-year-old pacer, Reuben Brodgen, who is a New Zealand-bred. The gelding would have been here already but there wasn’t a flight available, so the horse was left in Australia where he won last week at Gloucester Park.
Bellino bought both horses separately. Tony O’Sullivan, the New Zealand native who trains some of the Bellinos’ horses, told Joe Bellino that Reuben Brogden has talent comparable to Polak A, the seven-year-old horse by Pacific Fella who is undefeated in two races in the U.S. since arriving from Australia. He was impressive in a win in the second leg of the Levy Series Saturday night at Yonkers Raceway.
“Tony said that based on the races that he had seen, he thought Reuben Brogden was as good or better than Polak A,” Bellino said. “I told Tony (on Saturday during the day) this could be a double-edged sword. Polak A is getting a lot of press by doing well. If we win again, prices are going to go up. He said, ‘yeah, but it’s a good problem to have.’
“We went there because the prices in North America were getting out of control. I couldn’t find anything in North America that I liked.
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