Holly Crest Farm's homebred Great Navigator became the first winner for New Jersey stallion Sea Wizard when the 2-year-old colt upset a field of fellow maidens June 4 at Monmouth Park, winning by 5 3/4 lengths at odds of 17-1.
The New Jersey-bred rallied from third under Jairo Rendon in an eight-horse field going 4 1/2 furlongs, then pulled away to an easy victory in his first start for trainer Eddie Owens Jr. Ee Yah, who flashed the opening quarter in :22.49, was second-best as Great Navigator went the half in :46.23 and carried on to finish in :52.34 on a fast track.
Great Navigator returned $36.20 on a $2 win ticket while Ee Yah and favored Rol Again Dancer completed the trifecta.
With a $70,725 purse thanks to the New Jersey Bred Enhancement, Great Navigator took home $48,300 in earnings. He is out of the Stephen Got Even mare All Even, herself a winning Holly Crest homebred.
Sea Wizard, a winning son of Uncle Mo, is standing the 2022 season at Sam Fieramosca's Colonial Farms near Colts Neck, N.J. for an advertised fee of $1,500. Bred in Kentucky by R. Alex Rankin and Richard and Patricia Lenihan, he is out of the Tale of the Cat mare Sea Road, a multiple stakes winner and earner of $198,725. Sea Road's dam Packet (by Polish Navy) was a multiple stakes winner on the turf, and traces to a storied Claiborne Farm family.
