BY LAURIE ROSS

For the past seven seasons, Stonehedge Farm South’s Cajun Breeze (Congrats – Cajun Dawn, by Awesome Again) has quietly carved out a reputation as a reliable source of precocious, hard-knocking runners.

AT THE RACES

Bred by Curtis Mikkelsen and Patricia Horth, Cajun Breeze never passed through the auction ring and was campaigned by trainer Michael Yates in partnership with Robert Eversole. A durable and honest competitor, he made 33 starts over six seasons, earning $246,860 while finishing first or second in 14 of those outings.

A typical dirt sprinter, Cajun Breeze was beaten just a half-length when second in the 2012 Florida Sunshine Millions Sprint at six furlongs, a race in which he surged four lengths through the lane. He also demonstrated versatility when tried on turf, finishing third in the 2014 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint after being close to blistering early fractions of :21.23 and :43.66. 

PEDIGREE

Cajun Breeze blends established speed influences with a solid undercurrent of classic stamina, producing a pedigree that leans toward sprinter–miler efficiency with enough depth to stretch when paired correctly.

Through his sire, Congrats, Cajun Breeze inherits a speed-oriented profile influenced by Mr. Prospector through Praise, the dam of Congrats. This line is associated with early speed, quick acceleration and athleticism, traits reflected in Cajun Breeze’s own race record and his ability to transmit sharp early foot.

Awesome Again (Deputy Minister) serves as the damsire, anchoring the pedigree with classic stamina and durability. A Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade1) winner and proven sire of two-turn performers, Awesome Again provides balance to the speed elements of the sire line, supporting soundness, mental toughness and the ability to carry speed beyond pure sprint distances.

Cajun Breeze’s Florida roots run deep. From the first crop of Congrats (A.P. Indy), he was bred while his sire stood at Cloverleaf Farms II near Reddick. Congrats went on to earn Leading Freshman Sire honors in 2010 before the Claiborne Farm-bred returned home to establish himself as a consistent influence.

Congrats carries the royal blood of the Claiborne breeding program and he was the most successful black-type earner in his immediate family, racking up $998,960 in a 26-race career. He competed successfully from a mile-and-a-sixteenth to a mile-and-a-quarter against elite contemporaries such as Empire Maker, Lava Man and Rock Hard Ten.

His pedigree strength was further reinforced through his accomplished half-brother, Flatter, who has enjoyed a productive stallion career of his own.

On the distaff side, Cajun Breeze is out of the Awesome Again mare Cajun Dawn, a product of a Florida family developed by the late Fred Hooper. That female line includes 1999 Acorn Stakes (G1) heroine Three Ring and multiple track-record setter Roman Envoy.

Cajun Dawn, a half-sister to stakes winners Diplomat’s Reward (Roman Diplomat) and Dispersed Reward (Dispersal), proved a highly productive broodmare. In addition to Cajun Breeze, she produced nine winners, including three stakes earners:

• Cajun Delta Dawn (Kantharos), 2016 Florida-bred Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, a precocious multiple stakes winner of $488,105 who captured two legs of the Florida Sire Stakes.
• Mom’z Laugh (Leroidesanimaux), winner of the 2016 Sunshine Millions Distaff and Grade 3-placed runner who earned $292,435 in 22 starts.
• Peace at Dawn (Peace Rules), a sturdy Grade 2-placed sprinter who accumulated $227,689 in 40 starts.

Cajun Dawn is also the dam of Dangerous Dawn (Forest Danger), who is the second dam of 2021 Inaugural Stakes winner Cattin (Neolithic).

STUD CAREER

Cajun Breeze profiles as a speed-oriented sire with structural support from Classic influences, making him particularly effective when matched with mares carrying stamina or two-turn pedigrees. 

Cajun Breeze entered stud in 2015 at Yates’s Shadybrook Farm and made an immediate impression, siring 2018 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Dr. Fager winner Cajun Firecracker from his first small crop. 

In 2018, Gil and Marilyn Campbell acquired a half interest and relocated him to Stonehedge Farm, where he has stood since.

As of Jan. 1, 2026, Cajun Breeze has sired 154 starters from 208 foals, a notable 74% starter rate. Of those runners, 53% are winners, including nine stakes winners. His most accomplished progeny include 2023 Smile Sprint Stakes (G3) hero Dean Delivers, who also placed at the Grade 1 level.

Cajun Breeze has been especially dominant within the Florida Sire Stakes program, siring four winners of the Dr. Fager division winners, more than any other stallion, including back-to-back winners in 2020 and 2021, and the most recent 2025 standout Fourth and Central, who has captured two of his three career starts.

He is also represented by Sunny Breeze, winner of the 2024 Concern Stakes at Laurel and runner-up to fellow Florida-bred Bentornato in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob at Parx. Bentornato later cemented his credentials with a victory in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Reflecting that steady production, Cajun Breeze finished ninth on the 2024 Florida sire list and climbed to sixth by earnings in 2025, ranking a close fourth by number of individual winners.

With proven speed, durability, and consistent stakes production, especially within the Florida Sire Stakes program, Cajun Breeze continues to offer breeders a reliable, value-driven option for producing early, competitive runners that win races.

Cajun Breeze is available for the 2026 breeding season at Stonehedge Farm South for $5,000 stands and nurses.

Return to the January 6 issue of Wire to Wire