Crown of Thorns in spotlight

By JoAnn Guidry

Florida-bred Crown of Thorns captured the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) on Feb. 2 at Santa Anita Park. The victory made Crown of Thorns the first graded stakes winner for Florida stallion Repent.

Bred by CloverLeaf Farms II, Crown of Thorns was making but his third career start. He broke his maiden by seven lengths on Jan. 1 at Santa Anita Park, stopping the clock in 1:20.65 for seven furlongs. Crown of Thorns went into the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) as the favorite and lived up to the billing. He took the lead at the five-sixteenths pole, cruising to a victory by two and a half lengths. Winning time for the mile and one-sixteenths on the Cushion Track was 1:40.76.

Owned by B. Wayne Hughes and trained by Richard Mandella, Crown of Thorns has two wins in three starts for career earnings of $149,640.

The 3-year-old Repent colt with the thought-provoking name is out of the Thunder Gulch mare Crowning Touch who is a half-sister to 1997 Eclipse champion sprinter Smoke Glacken. Brent Fernung, who was CloverLeaf Farms II general manager from 2000-2007, bought the Florida-bred mare on behalf of the farm for $82,000 at the 2003 Keeneland November mixed sale. She was in foal to High Yield at the time.

“We bought her specifically to breed to Repent,” said Fernung, whose Journeyman Bloodstock Services co-owned Repent with CloverLeaf Farms II during the time the stallion stood at that farm. Repent currently stands at Vinery Stud in Summerfield.

Following the closing of CloverLeaf Farms II in June, 2007, Fernung and his wife Crystal established their Journeyman Stud. Fernung remembers Crown of Thorns as being “a little immature as a yearling,” leading to the decision to bypass the February juvenile sales with the colt. On the advice of farm trainer Keith Sargent, who also now holds that position at Journeyman Stud, Crown of Thorns was pointed toward the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2007 March juvenile sale.

“The colt just exuded class as we prepared him for the sale,” said Fernung. “And he worked phenomenally, so we knew he would sell well.”

Consigned by CloverLeaf Farms II with Brent Fernung, agent, Crown of Thorns sold for $300,000 at the OBS March sale. Trainer Richard Mandella and Seth Simkins bought the colt on behalf of current owner B. Wayne Hughes.

“Mandella has done a great job with the colt,” said Fernung. “He’s taken his time with him and let him mature. It’ll be fun to watch him go on from here.”

There are four 3 year olds by Repent, including Crown of Thorns, nominated to this year's Triple Crown who's dams, three of which, were bought by Fernung expressly to breed to Repent.  Ranba dam of nominee Prince Cortez was purchased for $30,000.00, Marianne's Song dam of nominee White Shoes had a price tag of $39,000, and Crowning Touch.

Christmas Lists dam of nominee Check It Twice was a 2001 purchase from Keeneland November for $95,000, the same year Fernung purchased I'll Get Along, dam of Smarty Jones for $130,000.00.  "When buying mares to breed to Repent I wasn't looking for a particular pedigree, I was looking for a particular physical specimen and all of these mares fit the bill", said Fernung.   


Repent, a graded stakes-winning millionaire, is by Louis Quatorze out of Baby Grace (Arg), by Cipayo (Arg). Repent won four graded stakes, including the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) on his way to earning $1,255,660. Repent, who entered stud in 2004, is also the sire of stakes winners Check It Twice, Atoned and Prince Cortez. In addition, he is the sire of stakes-placed Big Al, Campeone and Queen Jock.

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