Highclere - Soto

In his career debut under trainer Michael Dickinson, two-year-old SOTO looked beaten at the gate in a six-furlong sprint at Delaware Park. But at the half-mile post, with only two horses beat, the colt began his run. Closing on the outside like a freight train, SOTO engulfed the seven runners in front of him, pulling away from the pack by 1 1/4 lengths and completing his final furlong in a sub :12 fraction. In his second start – around two turns at Pimlico – the chestnut son of DEHERE easily dismissed his competition by six lengths and moved on to graded stakes company.

In the ultra-competitive 2002 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) at Churchill Downs, SOTO thrilled with another late move from seven wide to win going away by a length. Soto returned for a brief three-year old campaign that began with back-to-back wins, bringing his record to 5-5 and adding the West Virginia Derby (GIII) to his resume. In his final start, SOTO engaged in a stretch-long duel with Travers S (GI) hero TEN MOST WANTED before suffering his lone defeat at the wire. The chestnut retired with an impressive career line of 6-5-1-0 and earnings of $666,164. (Click here for race record.)

SOTO is by 1993 Champion Two-Year-Old and multiple-stakes-winner DEHERE, a brilliantly fast colt who has established himself as a leading sire with millionaires TAKE CHARGE LADY and GRAEME HALL, as well as 53 other North American stakes winners with earnings over $32 million thus far. He is also sire of Australian Champion BELLE DU JOUR, and Puerto Rican Champion MI AMIGO GUELO.

SOTO’s broodmare sire, CRAFTY PROSPECTOR, has produced at least 463 winners (146 winners at two) and 42 stakes winners to date. With 4X5 crosses to BOLD RULER and to RAISE A NATIVE, SOTO offers a promising outcross to various pedigree lines.