Glen Hill Farm homebred Bridle a Butterfly stormed to an impressive victory in the $300,000 William Walker Stakes at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, becoming the first stakes winner for Darby Dan Farm stallion and 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Country House.
Ridden by John Velazquez, Bridle a Butterfly demonstrated an impressive turn of foot, rallying from last to first to score in the 5 ½-furlong turf test. A debut winner at five furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream Park last year at two, Bridle a Butterfly is trained by Al Stall Jr. and is out of the multiple stakes-winning Storm Cat mare Sly Storm. The 3-year-old covered the distance in 1:01.76.
In addition to Kitty House, Country House is represented by graded stakes-placed Epitaph, third in the Futurity Stakes (G3) at the Belmont at the Big A meet last year, and Kitty House, a winner this year.
Country House earned more than $2.1 million in his racing career. Bred by the late Joseph V. Shields and campaigned by Shields’ widow, Maury, his nephew Guinness McFadden of Blackwood Stables, and LNJ Foxwoods, Country House was trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott. Country House won his 3-year-old debut, breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park. He then finished a fast closing second to eventual Classic winner War of Will in the Risen Star S. (G2) at Fair Grounds. In his final prep before winning the 145th Kentucky Derby, Country House finished a determined third behind Omaha Beach and Improbable in the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park.
By multiple champion and Classic winner Lookin At Lucky, a son of two-time Champion Sire and sire of sires Smart Strike, Country House, a half-brother to graded stakes winner Mitchell Road, is out of the winning War Chant mare Quake Lake. His dam is a half-sister to graded stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed Breaking Lucky.
For more information on Country House, contact Stuart Fitzgibbon at (859) 621-6763, or by email at [email protected], or visit www.darbydan.com.
