Violette sends out another exciting juvenile in Sovereign Default

Violette sends out another exciting juvenile in Sovereign

Default

"He had shown some serious talent in the morning without being a rocket, and

I think he obviously wants to go a little further," said Violette, who trains

Sovereign Default for owners Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence. "He

galloped out spectacularly today. He was talented enough to win at 5 1/2

furlongs, but not because he's a really precocious two-year-old. He just got

better with every breeze, and hopefully he continues that. (Stay Thirsty) came

in pretty well-heralded. He certainly trained awfully well up in Saratoga. It

was far back to the third horse, and that big of a separation is usually a

pretty good sign."

Sovereign Duty stopped the clock in 1:03 3/5 over a Belmont main track listed

as "good."

All three of Violette's three debut winners have fallen into the same general

price range, with Bail Out the Cat bought for $150,000 at a two-year-old sale

and Let's Get Fiscal acquired for $50,000 as a yearling. Earlier this year,

Let's Get Fiscal was sold as a two-year-old in training for $130,000.

"In some way, you can find an athlete, and you kind of go from there,"

Violette said of the traits he desires in racing prospects. "We usually don't

spend a zillion dollars for the same physique with a lot of pedigree. You try to

get enough pedigree to give you license to have a good horse, but we need an

athlete to start with."

Sovereign Default, who is the first registered foal out of multiple

stakes-placed She is Raging (Aggressive Chief), fits Violette's description. His

third dam is a half-sister to 1990 Arlington Million (G1) hero and 1991 Japan

Cup (Jpn-G1) victor Golden Pheasant (Caro [Ire]).

"(Sovereign Default) has a great hip and shoulder, he's pretty correct, and

he's medium-sized without being big or too small," Violette explained. "He also

has a great mind, and that's something you don't always know when you are buying

yearlings."

The conditioner said he will now consider the Saratoga Special S. (G2) on

August 16 or Hopeful S. (G1) on September 6 for Sovereign Default's next start,

and is optimistic he'll find more success with two-year-olds in the upcoming

months.

"It's hard to fault (Sovereign Default's) performance," Violette said. "Bail

Out the Cat won first time out, and I would think this is just as impressive of

an effort. Hopefully I'll have a few more bullets to fire that I think might be

just as talented. Right now, things in the two-year-old division are pretty good

for us."