Southern Image (USA)

Overview

SOUTHERN IMAGE is easily the best performed Halo line stallion standing in Australia today. Southern Image offers one of the most attractive and affordable Danehill line outcross options for Australian mare owners, and here’s why;

• SOUTHERN IMAGE was the most brilliant performer of his generation. He won THREE Group One races at 7, 9.5 and 10 furlongs and earned AUD $2,509,351.00.
• SOUTHERN IMAGE had both the precocity to win at 2 and the propensity to train on as a 3 and 4yr old.
  • He scorched on the race track as a 2yo, clocking a time over 1200m of 1:08 3/5.
  • He won 6 of 8 lifetime starts, including 5 consecutively, not to mention claiming back to back $1 million races – The Sunshine Millions Classic and the Santa Anita Handicap.
• SOUTHERN IMAGE joined the legendary SEABISCUIT and FARMA WAY as only the third horse in history to win the Group 1 double of the Santa Anita Handicap and the Pimlico Special.
• SOUTHERN IMAGE was purchased for $300,000 at the 2002 OBS March Two Year Old In Training Sale after breezing up in 10.2s.
• During his career he defeated G1 winners Peace Rules, Evening Attire, Midas Eyes, Toccet, Perfect Drift, Island Fashion, Buddy Gil. He also defeated millionaires Dynever, Bowman’s Band, Continental Red. In
• SOUTHERN IMAGE joins More than Ready (sire of Golden Slipper sensation SEBRING) as the only North American Group 1 winning Halo line stallions standing at stud in Australia, and at only a fraction of the price (More than Ready stands for $110,000 in 2008).
• SOUTHERN IMAGE is the perfect ‘outcross’ stallion; free of Mr. Prospector with only one Northern Dancer strain. He hails from the Halo sire line which has produced Saint Ballado, Sunday Silence, More Than Ready, Devil His Due (Leading Sire in U.S. in 2005), Southern Halo (dominant sire in Argentina). He also hails from the immediate female line of leading sires Mr. Prospector and Seattle Slew.
• SOUTHERN IMAGE is already producing outstanding foals that are the talk of breeding circles in 2008, and we expect them to make a huge impact on Australian racing come 2009/10.

Career Performance

SOUTHERN IMAGE. 8 Starts. 6-1-1 $2,509,351.

Won Pimlico Special H. [G1] (9 1/2 f.), Santa Anita Malibu S. [G1] (7 f.), Santa Anita H. [G1] (1 1/4 m.), Sunshine Millions Classic S. [L] (9 f.), Del Mar Allowance S. (8 1/2 f.), Santa Anita Maiden S. (6 1/2 f.). 2d Churchill Downs Stephen Foster H. [G1] . 3d Santa Anita San Vicente S. [G2] .

Southern Image’s career prize money earnings totalled an impressive AUD $2,509,351.00 making him easily the best-performed and best value Halo line stallion standing in Australia today.

He etched his name in American history when he won the Group 1 Santa Anita Handicap and Group 1 Pimlico Special. He became only the third horse in history to win both the world famous races, joining revered champions Seabiscuit and Farma Way.

2yo Season

• Won a maiden race at Santa Anita (6 1/2 furlongs, by 3, defeating Minister’s Wild Cat, One Eyed Cobra, Es Special, Comprador, etc).

3yo Season

• Won Malibu S (gr. I, 7 furlongs, by a head, defeating Marino Marini, Midas Eyes, Eye of the Tiger, Watchem Smokey, Posse, Domestic Dispute, Buddy Gil, Toccet, Zavata).
• Won an allowance race at Del Mar (1 1/16 miles, defeating Mr Joe C, Classy Fella, Smile Again, etc)
• 3rd in San Vincente S (gr. II, 7 furlongs, to Kafwain, defeating Runnin on Nitro, Mr Technique).

4yo Season

• Won Pimlico Special H. ( gr. I , 1 3/16 miles, by 1 1/4 lengths, defeating Midway Road, Bowman’s Band, Evening Attire, Dynever, Ole Faunty).
• Won Santa Anita H. ( gr. I , 1 1/4 miles, by a 1 1/4 lengths, defeating Island Fashion, Saint Buddy, Olmodavor, Toccet, Buddy Gil, Royal Place, Star Cross).
• Won Sunshine Millions Classic ($1 Million) (1 1/8 miles, by 3 lengths, defeating Excess Summer, The Judge Sez Who, Peace Rules, Grey Memo, Excessivepleasure, etc).
• 2nd in Stephen Foster S ( Gr. I , 1 1/8 miles, to Colonial Colony by a nose, defeating Perfect Drift, Peace Rules, Best Minister, Midway Road).

Conformation

Southern Image is the perfect compliment to the heavier set Danehill line mares that are so prevalent in Australasia today. Graceful and athletic, he has an excellent length of reign and limb, offering obvious refinement and scope.

A $300,000 two year old in training, the second highest price of the March OBS Sale, Southern Image was purchased by trainer Mike Machowsky;

“When I first laid eyes on him at the Ocala two year old sale I knew he was the horse that I wanted. He was as good a looking horse that you would want to see and had one of the most fluid actions I have ever seen. He was all racehorse,” said Machowsky.

Pedigree

Download pedigree document

By HALO'S IMAGE (USA) (B. or br. 1991 - Stud 1998) Stakes-winner; won 9 races and $656,606 inc. Calder Tropical Park H. [G3], Gulfstream Park Broward H. [G3]; sire of 16 SWs (1 G1) Southern Image, Halo Steven, Mia's Reflection, Sir Oscar, Southern Cal, Hal's Image, Pretty Image, Halo Najib, How's Your Halo, Send Me An Angel, Time to Divorce, Iowa's Image, Libby's Halo, Dutchie, Halos Sailing Sain, Hal's My Hope and SP Cooperation, Izzie's Halo, Bob's Image, Pitanga, Poppy's Image, Tricky Image, Halo's Tiger, Charming Image, etc.

Additional Pedigree notes

Southern Image’s damsire, Dixieland Band, is a phenomenal sire, with a ratio of 21% stakes horses to lifetime runners, and lifetime progeny earnings of over $69 million. He has a broodmare sire index of 1.81, and is the sire of 338 producing daughters, for 110 stakes producers. His daughters have produced 1307 foals for 980 starters (74%), 728 winners (74%) and 83 stakes winners (8%). His average earnings per starter is $71,965.
Dixieland Band is also the dam sire of international Melbourne Cup winner, Delta Blues. Delta Blues also comes from the successful Halo line, his sire a son of Sunday Silence.

Southern Image traces back to Turn-To which in Australasia is responsible for the incomparable Sir Tristram and also via his sire sons Zabeel, Marauding, Grosvenor, Kaapstad etc as well as Imperial Prince, Red Ransom, At Talaq, Don’t Say Halo and More Than Ready. This line has been one of the most pre-potent and dominant Sire lines in Australasia and has blended perfectly with our dominant local lines including Star Kingdom and more recently Danehill.

Southern Image compares favourably as an affordable alternative to sire of the moment More Than Ready. More Than Ready needs little introduction as a perfect example of a successful Halo line stallion in Australia, being the sire of this year’s Golden Slipper winner SEBRING and 2yr old sensation AUGUSTA PROUD . From four crops he has produced 18 individual stakes winners, and in 2007/08 ranked 3rd on the general sires list, with 4 stakes winners, 9 stakes wins and over $6 million dollars in prize money won.

Given their similar pedigrees, Southern Image’s performance record, and the quality of foals he is producing, it is only a matter of time before Southern Image’s first crops have a huge impact on Australian racing.

Like More Than Ready, Southern Image also stands at stud in the US. Southern Image is carefully managed by our Northern Hemisphere partners Taylor Made Farm and WinStar. Taylor Made have also been very selective when putting together his books; “We are only booking mares that are valued at the equivalent of US$120,000, and we have already knocked back 50 mares”, said Byron Rogers, Director of Stallion Operations at Taylor Made Farm in 2006.

Foal Crop

Southern Image was strongly supported in his first two seasons at stud in Australia, receiving 105 mares in his first book and 85 in his second, in spite of the EI outbreak.

His first foals have been the talk of happy breeders in 2008 and are scopey, strong types, with superb athleticism. Due to hit the sales rings in 2009, we are also looking forward to seeing them on the track for their debut 2 yr old season.

Southern Image’s first Northern Hemisphere runners have been immediately impressive, with the filly Southern Fireball breaking a class recoord at Hollywood Park when winning by 4 lengths over the 900m distance.

Media Gallery

Southern Image in action

Southern Image standing