Khozan Continues Reign Among Leading Florida Sires

Since Khozan  's first foals became racehorses in 2019, the Journeyman Stud stallion has annually held a leading sire title.

Progeny by the 10-year-old son of 2011 leading North American sire Distorted Humor were collectively quick out of the gate and delivered for Khozan a leading Florida freshman sire title (also rank seventh nationally) with 18 winners from 43 runners. The sire's first runners earned a total of $1,258,517 in purses during their debut season, which was more than four-times the progeny earnings of second-ranked Bahamian Squall  .

Khozan would top Florida's general leading sire list for the first time in 2020 as a second-crop sire. With 2- and 3-year-old runners, he nearly tripled his progeny earnings to $3,496,677 and out-paced second-ranked Brethren   by more than $1.2 million.

Florida's leading sire title belonged to Khozan again in 2021 with more than $3.58 million in progeny earnings and a then-single-season career high of 77 winners.

The stallion continues to build on his previous successes as shown by his chart-topping performance for 2022, which included a career single-season high of $4,511,250 in progeny earnings and 78 winners. Eleven black-type performers were among his top runners, which include grade 1-placed, grade 3 winner Hot Peppers  and stakes winners Lure Him In  and Me and Mr. C .

Hot Peppers, raced by Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb for most of 2022, won five of eight starts that included a win in the Victory Ride Stakes (G3) and Jersey Girl Stakes (both at Belmont Park) and a second in the Test Stakes (G1) behind Chi Town Lady  and ahead of Acorn Stakes (G1) winner Matareya . Hot Peppers, bred by Brent and Crystal Fernung, is out of the Friends Lake mare Friends Pro.

"It seems all his foals can really run. They are athletic, they stay sound, and they stay around for several years," said Journeyman Stud owner Brent Fernung. "I always say you never know where a good stallion will come from, but he has a lot of things I like to see. One, he has an incredible family and he's a son of Distorted Humor. Finally, he had a lot of talent. He fractured a hind sesamoid in his last work before the Florida Derby (G1), but if he hadn't gotten injured, he might have been even money that year."

Khozan possessed all the promise an owner could want when Al Shaqab Racing bought him for $1 million from Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds' consignment at Fasig-Tipton's 2014 The Gulfstream Sale, its select 2-year-olds in training sale. The colt is out of multiple grade 3 winner Delta Princess , which makes him a half brother to multiple champion, Hall of Famer, and multi-millionaire Royal Delta  and grade 1 winners Delta Prince  and Crown Queen . He won his first two starts, including a 12 3/4-length romp before he was injured.

As a stallion, Khozan has sired 11 career black-type winners and another 18 black-type performers. His progeny have earned more than $13 million and average $68,073 per starter. Besides Hot Peppers, he also has sired other graded/group winners with Clasico Polla de Potrillos (G1) winner Airbus and Longacres Mile Handicap (G3) winner Background . Khozan stands for $6,500 this year.

"He's justified what I thought he could be and with nearly 130 new 2-year-olds this year, I think the best is yet to come," said Fernung.

Other sire with a GSW is #10 Field Commission