By Katie Petrunyak
Over the past year, Brent and Crystal Fernung, the owners of Journeyman Stud in Ocala, Florida, have carefully tracked wins from Journeyman first-crop sire Khozan. It's kept them busy.
To date, 20 sons and daughters of the son of Distorted Humor have tallied up 26 victories, but the Fernungs are even more excited about the nine black-type runners Khozan has already accounted for, placing him among the top three freshman sires in the country in that particular category.
“It's one thing to get winners,” said Brent Fernung. “A lot of horses can get winners, but Khozan is getting a high-quality winner.”
Khozan is owned by a partnership that includes Journeyman, Al Shaqab Racing, and Stonehedge LLC. The Fernungs credit this partnership for much of Khozan's early success.
“If you look at the early stakes winners by Khozan, a lot of them are bred by Stonehedge,” said Crystal Fernung. “There's a big upside on a stallion that has a really committed stallion ownership that is willing to put a lot of good mares under him.”
Brent added, “It's always been my theory that in Kentucky, everyone in the state helps make that stallion. But in Florida and other regional markets, the owners are the driving force in a stallion's early success.”
A very similar partnership that includes Journeyman, Stonehedge, and Climax Stallions was formed for St. Patrick's Day (Pioneerof the Nile–Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman), a newly turned 5-year-old full-brother to Triple Crown hero American Pharoah, who will stand his first year at Journeyman Stud this year. Aside from an analogous ownership group, Brent noted other comparable qualities.
“St. Patrick's Day reminds me a lot of Khozan when he entered stud. They are both really talented horses with a tremendous pedigree, plus the looks to back it up.”
Brent Fernung said that they had kept an eye on St. Patrick's Day ever since his career debut. “I remember reading articles after his first start about how much Baffert liked him and knew he would be a talented horse.” On debut, the colt ran second to then-stablemate Zatter (Midnight Lute), who finished second in the GI Del Mar Futurity in his next start.
St. Patrick's Day went on to break his maiden next time out against a talented field that included eventual graded stakes winners Instilled Regard (Arch) and Blended Citizen (Proud Citizen). He was transferred to Aidan O'Brien as a sophomore, placing third in the Millennium Millionaire Celebration S. at The Curragh, and later running second in the G3 Renaissance S. at Naas.
“He just had a lot of speed,” Brent Fernung said. “While an injury prevented him from stretching out like the rest of his family, the raw talent was always there. Plus his physical is exactly what you're looking for in a stallion prospect–beautiful topline, a long, elegant neck, and extremely well-muscled. When you add in that he's a full brother to a Triple Crown winner, that's just the icing you need on your cake.”
St. Patrick's Day is a full-sibling not only to American Pharoah, but also to GI Del Mar Debutante runner-up in American Cleopatra (Pioneerof the Nile). Her half-sister Chasing Yesterday (Tapit) won the GI Starlet S. The Fernungs believe St. Patrick's Day will be a good fit in the Sunshine State.
“Florida breeders are so excited to get a quality pedigree,” Crystal added. “His pedigree is proven, and not just with one or two horses, but a consistently good pedigree.”
The Fernungs said they see St. Patrick's Day's potential to stand out within the Florida stallion market.
“In Florida, you often get stallion prospects with a really good pedigree, or a really good race record,” Brent said. “Very few can claim both. Plus he's a natural fit for the mares down here, as they have a tendency to be fast and tough.”
Four Decades of Experience…
The Fernungs have been involved in Florida's Thoroughbred industry for over 40 years. Not long after they were married and both in their early 20s, the couple was on vacation in Ocala. While there in 1976, Brent and Crystal were offered jobs at the Ocala division of Lasater Farm-Brent had worked for Lasater Farm in Kentucky and his brother, John, was an employee of the farm in Ocala.
In 1989, they made the decision to go out on their own, establishing Journeyman Bloodstock Services, and in 2000, Brent took on the role of General Manager of CloverLeaf Farms, where he oversaw the growth of their stallion division. His recruits included Congrats (A.P. Indy), the leading first-crop sire of 2010 in Florida, as well as eventual four-time leading Florida sire Wildcat Heir (Forest Wildcat).
“When I began at CloverLeaf, they had one stallion,” said Brent. “When they closed seven years later, we were up to 10.” When the farm closed in 2007, the Fernungs created Journeyman Stud, enabling the CloverLeaf roster to remain in Florida as a part of Journeyman's new stallion station.
Journeyman Stud has developed under the Fernungs' collective sharp eye for stallion prospects. Brent explained his two rules for considering a stallion prospect.
“The first and the most important thing I look at is if the horse can run. I don't get caught up in who is the sire of the month, because if he's by a hot stallion I probably can't afford him and the market could change by tomorrow anyways. I also want them to have a solid female family. I want to be able to explain why a horse can run. Both St. Patrick's Day and Khozan have a very prolific female family.”
The Fernungs said they believe that hard work and a hands-on approach to their business have been intregal to their farm's growth over the years.
“We know where all our horses are and we are very much involved in the day-to-day aspects of the operation,” said Crystal. “This has always been a mom-and-pop thing. We are horsemen and that's what we do.”
Added Brent, “I was a groom when I first got here over 40 years ago. Many of the people I started out with went into pinhooking and breaking and training. That's considered the way you do things here in Ocala. But we decided to go the old fashion route by sticking with broodmares and stallions.”
This year, the couple incorporated a silent auction into their fall stallion show, with proceeds going towards Second Chances Farm at the Lowell Correctional Center. The project ended up raising almost $10,000.
“It was one of those years that we felt like it was time to try and give back,” Crystal Fernung said. “Some people can work hard and not have good luck, but we've done this together for the last 44 years, so we are very thankful.”
Good fortune has also played a role, Brent said
“I'll have to admit that luck has had a lot to do with it. But I've found that the harder we work, the luckier we get. We had no reason to believe that no matter how hard we worked, we would be this fortunate. But so far, it has worked out well for us.”
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