When Todd and Angie Lewis of Westbrook Stables began breeding Thoroughbreds in 2016, they by no means thought simply ten years later they’d be the breeders of a champion feminine sprinter and Breeders’ Cup winner in Soul of an Angel and have two homebreds on the Kentucky Derby (G1) path.
California Burrito a 3-year-old colt by Military Mule bested his former pasture-mate Child Max by half a size within the Battaglia Stakes at Turfway Park Feb. 22 to earn 20 and 10 factors respectively on the street to the Kentucky Derby.
“We’re nonetheless on cloud 9 with Soul of an Angel,” mentioned Todd Lewis. “Who would’ve ever dreamed as a small breeder on our funds would provide you with an Eclipse champion and a Breeders’ Cup winner?”
“Within the final eight years, we’ve gone from zero to 100,” echoed Angie Lewis. “I’m very pleased with my husband (Todd). It reveals how the laborious work and dedication lastly does repay. He works so extremely laborious, and so do our guys that work for us. We couldn’t do that with out them.”
The Lewises presently have about 34 of their broodmares and 12 boarders on their farm positioned close to Nicholasville, Ky. Todd Lewis does all of the matings himself, making their current success additional particular. Lewis mentioned they usually maintain round 20-22 mares, however after promoting Soul of an Angel’s dam Issue One for $350,000 on the 2024 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, they determined to reinvest a few of that cash with hopes of extra success.Join BloodHorse Every day
Picture: Courtesy of Angie LewisSoul of an Angel and Olivia Bryant
Soul of an Angel, a 6-year-old mare by Atreides was a $3,000 RNA on the 2020 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, more than likely neglected due to her sire being offered to River Oaks Farm in Oklahoma the 12 months prior.
The Lewises knew their filly was value greater than $3,000 so that they took her residence, the place they had been approached by Gerald James. He bought her privately and raced her for her first 5 races earlier than she was transferred to coach Saffie Joseph Jr. for brand spanking new house owners C2 Racing Secure and Agave Racing Secure.
“We knew the horse was very nice,” Todd Lewis defined. “We don’t have the means to race plenty of horses, so once we introduced her residence and Gerald (James) wished to purchase her, we did promote her.”
Soul of an Angel’s story was a household affair, proper up till her record-breaking sale of $2.6 million on Fasig-Tipton’s digital platform March 4.
The Lewises’ daughter, Olivia Bryant, helped foal Soul of an Angel, in addition to California Burrito and Child Max, and the Lewises had been on website for Soul of an Angel’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Dash (G1) win at Del Mar Nov. 2. Olivia works for Fasig-Tipton and the story got here full circle when she was capable of be part of the mare’s success another way.
Soul of an Angel boasts a race document of 6-7-6 in 42 lifetime begins, with earnings of $1,205,175. She was bought by Chatsworth Stud of Australia.
Coming off the excessive of breeding an Eclipse champion and a Breeders’ Cup winner, the Lewises are nonetheless on cloud 9 with hopes of two of their homebreds making it to the Run for the Roses Might 3.
Picture: Courtesy of Angie LewisCalifornia Burrito after he was born
California Burrito a $60,000 yearling buy on the 2023 Fasig-Tipton July Sale by Lauren Carlisle, agent on behalf of homeowners Aaron and Victoria Haberman, has ignited the Derby dream. His hard-fought win within the Battaglia earned him 20 factors on the Street to the Kentucky Derby, presently putting him twenty second on the leaderboard.
Child Max, who was bought by Sam Aguiar for $20,000 on the 2023 Fasig-Tipton October Sale, sits thirty third on the leaderboard for house owners J S Stables. The previous pasture mates will meet once more within the $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park March 25 when Kentucky Derby factors are provided on a scale of 100-50-25-15-10. With each of the colts sitting on the skin trying in, the race is crucial to them making it to the Churchill Downs beginning gate the primary Saturday in Might.
Picture: Courtesy of Angie LewisBaby Max
“They had been each very nice,” mentioned Todd Lewis of California Burrito and Child Max. “They had been born a bit over a month aside, so that they had been raised right here on the farm collectively. Child Max wasn’t enormous as a child the place California Burrito had much more leg. They had been raised in the identical pasture even after they had been weaned the place they had been within the group of boys up till we began gross sales prepping them.”
As natives of Kentucky, the Lewises are each kids of farmers and have at all times dreamed of getting a horse to make it to the Kentucky Derby. Todd Lewis labored at Buck Pond Farm as a young person earlier than happening to work for Juddmonte the place he had a stint in Europe, studying from the perfect within the enterprise.
“It’s thrilling,” Todd Lewis mentioned of getting homebreds on the Derby path. “It’s the type of factor this enterprise wants proper now. For the little man, it’s very laborious for us proper now. Stud charges are greater than they’ve ever been, and to breed one thing that someone can pay you for is hard.”
Even on a funds, Westbrook Stables is making it occur. They are going to be on website for the Jeff Ruby Steaks March 25, cheering on their homebred colts and, they hope, finally cheering the pair on down the stretch at Churchill Downs come Might 3.
