BY LAURIE ROSS
Standing at Don and Rebecca Ming’s Ming Farms, Gary D (Successful Appeal – Harford Ghost, by Silver Ghost) flashed speed early, set a Ocala Training Center track record in the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sprint and carried forward a sire line that has been part of Florida breeding for generations. Behind him is the Valid Appeal branch of the In Reality bloodline and enough Man o’ War history to give his pedigree more weight than his race record might suggest.
AT THE RACES
Bred in Kentucky by J. D. Stuart, P. C. Bance, J. S. Amling & C. Noell, Gary D made two rounds of the auction houses. He first sold for $100,000 at the 2007 Keeneland November Mixed Sale, then for $100,000 at the OBS Selected Sale of 2-year-olds in March of 2009. He campaigned in the silks of Donald Ming and was conditioned by Ronald Spatz.
Although he placed in one of two starts as a 2-year-old, Gary D found his footing in his 3-year-old debut, winning a six-furlong maiden special weight at Tampa Bay Downs by six-and-a-half lengths in 1:12 flat, beating eventual Prairie Mile-winner Forestry Type. He followed up with a three-and-three-quarter-length victory in the 2010 OBS Sprint, setting a track record of 1:09.80 over the all-weather surface.
The following year, the pretty gray colt was second in his first start off the layoff in the $60,000 Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, then competed successfully at the allowance class level at Gulfstream Park, Tampa and Presque Isle Downs. Gary D won or placed in half of his 21 starts and banked $135,690.
PEDIGREE
Gary D’s pedigree is steeped in historic Florida bloodlines, beginning with In Reality, who entered stud at Tartan Farms in 1969. In Reality carried a double dose of Man o’ War blood, directly through War Relic, his third tail sire and second damsire, giving the stallion a 4 x 4 cross to Man o’ War.
The In Reality male line remains one of the only surviving male lines directly descended from the legendary Man o’ War, persisting to the modern day through just two successful branches.
The Relaunch branch, carried forward through Tiznow, is perhaps the most prominent at the national level. The Valid Appeal branch, flowing through his son Successful Appeal, has left a lasting mark on sprinting and commercial breeding.
Valid Appeal sired 88 stakes winners during his tenure at Harry Mangurian Jr.’s Mockingbird Stud in Ocala and many of his sons have gone on to excel at stud in the Sunshine State, including the 1999 Florida-bred Champion Male Sprinter, Successful Appeal.
Successful Appeal (Valid Appeal – Successful Dancer, by Fortunate Prospect), also bred by Mangurian’s Mockingbird Stud won or placed in five of six starts at two, including a length-and-a-quarter victory in the 1998 Cowdin Stakes (G2) and placed second after a wide trip in the Nashua (G3). He completed the year with a troubled fourth in the Remsen (G2). After an unsuccessful stab at Kentucky Derby preps, Trainer John Kimmel focused on Successful Appeal’s sprint career and was rewarded with a victory in the Withers (G2). Successful Appeal also captured the Amsterdam (G3) at Saratoga and was a runaway six-length victor of Turfway Park’s Kentucky Cup Sprint (G2) over multiple graded-winner Five Star Day
As a 4-year-old, Successful Appeal fought gamely as the favorite in the A. G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G2) and was bumped hard during a thrilling stretch drive with the multiple graded winning sprinter Intidab. Although that one won the photo by a head, he was disqualified and Successful Appeal declared the winner.
After retiring after 22 starts and $654,681 in earnings, Successful Appeal returned to Florida and stood his first four seasons, topping the 2004 leading freshman sire list before moving on to Kentucky. In all, the hardy sprinter sired 60 stakes winners, including Grade 1-winners J P’s Gusto, Florida-bred Appealing Zophie and Her Emmynency. Additionally, his Florida-bred son Closing Argument placed second in the 2005 Kentucky Derby.
Gary D’s distaff line contributes sprinter speed to his pedigree.
The lightly raced Harford Ghost (Silver Ghost – Miss Hathaway, by Lost Code) hit the board in half of her eight races while campaigning in the northeast. She bore six foals. Four made it to the track and were winners with Gary D the most successful.
Harford Ghost’s half-brother Justawalkinthepark (Ecton Park) placed in a pair of sprints, the Huntington (Listed) at Aqueduct and the Gilded Time at Monmouth Park. Their dam Miss Hathaway (Lost Code – I Like Boys, by Capote) won and placed in a pair of minor sprint stakes at Remington Park and Prairie Meadows.
Gary D inherited his striking gray coat from his damsire, Silver Ghost, a Mr. Prospector-line stallion whose most significant influence emerged through his daughters. While Silver Ghost was known for speed, his broodmare record includes a range of durable performers, from sprinters to turf routers such as Ascend and Finnegan’s Wake.
AT STUD
Gary D has done remarkably well with limited opportunities. With earnings of more than $1.6 million, 16 of his 19 progeny started, 15 won and two own black type.
He consistently sires versatile, capable runners, including Florida-bred Captain D, a precocious type, who won or placed in four starts as a 2-year-old, including a five-and-a-quarter-length victory in Gulfstream Park West’s 2019 Juvenile Turf Stakes, and Florida-bred Ninja Star, winner of last year’s $75,000 Sunshine Turf at a mile-and-a-sixteenth, which was moved to the synthetic.
Captain D and Ninja Star suggest Gary D is equally capable of producing precocious juveniles and versatile performers who can stretch out and switch surfaces, a combination that should appeal to a wide range of Florida breeders, especially for a $1,500 stud fee.
Return to the June 30 issue of Wire to Wire
