Champion Benny the Bull will stand at Vinery Florida

Champion Benny the Bull will stand at Vinery Florida

Champion sprinter BENNY THE BULL (Lucky Lionel) will stand his first season

at stud in 2010 at Vinery near Summerfield, Florida, according to an

announcement by Vinery president Tom Ludt. The six-year-old Grade 1 winner will

command a $4,000 fee.

Bred in Florida by Tomoka Hills Farms, Benny the Bull was purchased at the

2004 Keeneland September yearling sale for $38,000 by Greg James. James

campaigned Benny the Bull through the early part of his racing career, including

a win in the 2007 Iowa Sprint H. in his stakes debut, and then sold a major

interest in the colt to a group that included IEAH Stables. In the IEAH colors,

the dark bay went on to win that year's Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash S.

(G1), and also recorded a second in the Forego S. (G1) and a fourth in the

Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

In 2008, Benny the Bull went undefeated in four starts. He opened his

five-year-old campaign with a convincing 4 1/2-length score in the Sunshine

Millions Sprint S. at Gulfstream, then shipped to Dubai to take the prestigious

Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) by 1 3/4 lengths. Next came the True North H. (G2) on

the Belmont Stakes Day undercard, and Benny the Bull capped off his perfect

season with an authoritative two-length decision in the Smile Sprint H. (G2) at

Calder. His four consecutive wins at four different tracks earned him the

Eclipse Award.

Retired temporarily after that season, Benny the Bull returned to competition

in 2009, making three starts, including seconds in the True North H and Smile

Sprint. Overall, he won or placed in 14 of 20 starts and earned $2,353,430.

"Benny the Bull has been a dream horse -- talented, totally sound and

brilliantly fast," said James, who reacquired the entire horse for stud duty.

"I'm very excited about his future at Vinery, and with the stud fee we have

decided on, I think he will offer breeders a wonderful opportunity to breed to a

champion at a very fair and reasonable price."

Benny the Bull hails from a pedigree abundant with speed. His dam, Comet Cat,

was a stakes winner at two and is by the extremely fast Birdonthewire, winner of

the Vosburgh S. (G1), Forego H. (G2), and Tom Fool S. (G2). His third and fourth

dams are by champion sprinters J. O. Tobin and Dr. Fager, respectively. His

sire, Lucky Lionel, a Santa Anita track record-setter and multiple group stakes

winner at two in France and England, is by solid sire and top sprinter Mt.

Livermore (Blushing Groom).