It was with sadness STAGBI learnt that the broodmare APOPKA DENISE (US) has passed away. Apopka Denise was owned by Marc and Jenny Jones, Forgeside Stables in Sennybridge and her name has become familiar to many as a successful broodmare.
Bred by Status Stables USA and raised in Gerogetown, Kentucky. Apopka Denise (US) was out of CHINA MOON (US) a filly that was sold at Harrisburg as a yearling for $60,000. CHINA MOON (US) was a BIG TOWNER (US) mare out of JENNY M HANOVER (US) by ALBATROSS (US). JENNY M HANOVER (US) was a full sister to World Champion JAGUAR SPUR (US) p3, 1.51.2 T1.49.2 $1,806,473 and half sister to JASMINE HANOVER (US). JASMINE HANOVER (US) had 7 foals in 1.54 which included LITTLE MISS DRAGON (US) p3. 1.50.2 $767,634; ARTSTANDING (US) p2, 1.50.1 $743,075 & JAMAICA HANOVER (US) p5, 1.50.3 RT 1.50.2 $230,885
APOPKA DENISE as the first foal out of CHINA MOON who went on to have 5 subsequent foals, her best offspring being FULLY COMMITTED (US), p6, 1.53.1 $289,682 a full sister to Apopka and DUKE OF LUCK (US) by Camluck p6 1.53.2 $121,784.
APOPKA DENISE (US) was originally sold as a yearling at the Kentucky Standardbred Sale, 1999 for $14,000. Apopka herself had little success on the track, she raced as a 2 year old and won $1,095 with no wins. As a three year old in 2001, she was bred to Grinfromeartoear (US). She was returned to Grinfromeartoear for 5 consecutive years, her first two foals INGENUITY and IGNORE THE CRITICS hardly set the world alight. However, things took an upward turn with her next foal, TRANSCENDING who attained a record of 1.48.2 and earned $923,733, followed by CHANGING GEARS who had a record of 1.51.4. In 2006, she foaled her fifth Grinfromeartoear foal, a colt WEXFORD BEACH.
Thus, having foaled in Canada, she was immediately put back in foal prior to being exported to Great Britain in Sept 2006. She was subsequently entered in the Annual Standardbred Sale, Builth Wells. A strong, well built physically impressive 8 year old daughter of Jennas Beach Boy (US) she was sold in-foal to Camotion (US) with a Grinfromeartoear (US) colt foal at foot. Apopka Denise attracted much attention at the sale and she was purchased by Welsh father and son, Les & Marc Jones from Sennybridge for £12,000.
APOPKA went on to have another 12 foals with Mark & Jenny Jones at Forgeside. APOPKA DENISE (US) 1998 f, Jennas Beach Boy (US) $1,095. Dam of 17 foals
- INGENUITY 2002 f, Grinfromeartoear (US) $3,416
- IGNORE THE CRITICS 2003 m, Grinfromeartoear (US) $5,726
- TRANSCENDING (US) 2004 m, Grinfromeartoear (US) p8, 1.48.2 $923,733 41 wins.
- CHANGING GEARS (US) 2005 f, Grinfromeartoear (US) p3, 1.51.4 $189,406 9 wins.
- WEXFORD BEACH (US) 2006 m, Grinfromeartoear (US) p6 1.57.7 £9,879 9 wins.
- FORGESIDEDOTCOM 2007, f Camotion (US)
- INFINATEY 2008 m, Immortalized (US) p5, 1.57.9 £19,288 14 wins.
- ROCK N ROLLER 2009 f, The One Night Pan (CAN)
- THE APPRENTICE 2011 m, Daylon Alert (CAN) p5, 2.02.1 £5,000 10 wins.
- INTENSITY 2012 f,Immortalised (US).p3, 2.02.4 £2,950 2 wins
- JESSIES CONQUEST 2013 f, Arts Conquest (US) p3, 2.00.3 £23,398 15 wins.
- FATHER TED 2014 m, Arts Conquest (US) p5, 1.57.4 £11,823 Exported to US 2020 p7, 1.51 $244,141 15 wins BT 1.49.3
- THE MOCKING JAY 2016 f, Rogue Hall (US) p2, 2.02 £7,559 2 wins.
- UN-NAMED 2017 m, Doonbeg (CAN) Died
- APOPKA G 2018 f, Doonbeg (CAN) p3, 1.58.8 £14,126 4 wins.
- CATCH TWENTY TWO 2020 m, Sweet Lou (US)
- UN-NAMED 2023 f, Foreclosure (NZ) Embryo Transfer
Thus making it an incredible 17 foals in total. Her longevity as a broodmare is commendable and an achievement in itself, but then when you consider what her offspring has accomplished – fair play, and hat’s off to her! APOPKA DENISE was indeed a prolific broodmare and the dam of some stand out individuals including:
WEXFORD BEACH (CAN) was the foal at foot when Apopka Denise (US) was purchased in the Builth Sale in 2006. During his racing career in GB, he was owned, trained and driven by Marc Jones. WEXFORD BEACH started his racing career as a three year old finishing second in a Maiden at Tir Prince. A week later he won a maiden in Amman Valley in a respectful 2.02.7. During that first season he went on to win the 3 year old pace at Tan y Castell, and a heat of the S4C Welsh Cup at Tir Prince (2.02.4) – finishing second to Immpartial in the Final (2.01). He started his 4 year old campaign by finishing second in the Senior Welsh Dragon (won by Rhyds Destiny). His ‘big day’ came at the Ceredigion meeting (Aberystwyth), when to the joy of the Jones’ family he won both heat and Final. Ten days later he won a heat of the S4C Crock of Gold at Amman Valley, and clocking his first sub 2 min mile (1.59.8). The following season, he returned to win another heat at Ceredigion and another sub 2 min mile at Amman Valley (1.58.2). He was subsequently sold and exported to Ireland.
INFINATEY, a 2008 born colt by Immortalized (US). He also started his racing career as a 3 year old, finishing first or second in his first 11 runs. As a 3 year old, he won his maiden at Leominster which proved to be great prep for his trip to Appleby, where he won both heat and final of the Appleby 3yo Grass Championship, leaving the likes of Meadowbranch DJ, Rhyds Topaz and Rhyds Boots in his wake. At the York 3yo Championship, a month later he was narrowly defeated by Little Mill Rogue in his heat and Meadowbranch DJ in the final. The 3 year old campaign moved onto Ceredigion, where INFINATEY contested both the Ceredigion 3yo Championship and the BHRC Pacing Derby. He won his division of the Ceredigion 3 year old comfortably, and once again second to Meadowbrach DJ in the extended one and a half miles of the BHRC Pacing Derby. His final win of his 3 year old campaign came on winning a heat of the Breeders Crown at Amman Valley and fourth in final to Frisco Havago. His 4 year old season saw success but his season was cut very short by injury. Three runs, with 2 wins – heat of the Welsh Cup at Amman Valley and the 4yo NWSA Championship at Tir Prince. By 2013, and now 5 he had overcome his problems and returned to the track as a force to contend with, winning a heat and Final of the Tregaron Spring Handicap on his season debut. Having been placed on his next few outings, Marc took INFINATEY to York, winning in 2.00.2. This was followed by a win at Tir Prince, where he took his personal record of 1.57.09. Clearly a good horse that had hit form, and racing out of his skin, and therefore not surprising that he came to Tregaron and won not only his heat but also the final of The Oriel Jones Welsh Classic. Injury once again kept INFINATEY off the track for the entire 2014 season. His final win for Marc came at Almeley in the Autumn of 2015. INFINATEY was then sold and continued further success racing with Wales & Borders. Unfortunately, W&B record not available but his wins did included a runaway 1.56.4 win at Amman Valley.
THE APPRENTICE – 2011 born colt by Daylon Alert (CAN). Another that was owned, trained and driven by Marc, he had a few starts as a 2 year old but unraced at 3. He won his first race at the Tanycastell meeting when he was 4, followed by wins at Tregaron, Tir Prince and Almeley. By 2016 he won in Walton & Monmouth and then was sold to Andrew & Joanne Cairns where he immediately won a heat at Pikehall, Wolsingham and a heat of the Strata Florida before his final end of season win for them at York, when he also took his personal record of 2.02.1. The Apprentice was subsequently sold to Ireland where he raced in 2017.
JESSIES CONQUEST – a prolific winning filly by Arts Conquest (US), winning 15 of her 22 lifetime starts. She won the NWHOA Championship on her 2 year old debut at Tir Prince (2.03.8), followed by the Ceredigion 2yo Championship and the 2yo Breeders Crown. As a 3 year old, she had 5 consecutive raceday wins – Walton Ht (unplaced final), Monmouth 3yo Championship, Tir Prince, Ceredigion 3yo Fillies and the NWHOA 3yo Fillies Championship (2.00.3). Her next string of wins was an impressive collection of consecutive Group wins, namely the Little Welsh Dragoness, BHRC Oaks & BHRC Sire Stakes and at the end of the season she was voted the BHRC 3yo Filly of the Year. At 4, she successfully returned to win both the Breeders Crown 4yo Fillies Final and the BHRC 4yo Sire Stakes and went across to Portmarnock to win the Mares FFA Pace over 1.25miles and in the hands of US Invitational driver Dan Noble set a new track record for 1.25 miles (2.28.5). In 2018, Jessie was retired for breeding, and was scanned in foal to Hasty Hall (US). Her first foal, Jessies Hallmark was sold as a yearling for £14,200 and went onto win the Junior Welsh Dragoness and the York Graduate. Her second foal, Sweet Ivan (2021 colt by Sweet Lou) was sold at the yearlings’ sales for £28,000.
FATHER TED – a full brother to Jessies Conquest and by all accounts took a while for the ‘penny to drop’. However, his race results would suggest otherwise, as he won a Heat of the York Major 3yo on his racing debut. As a 4yo he was placed on each of his 9 runs, winning heat of the BHRC Star Maker at Amman Valley and the BHRC Star Maker Final at Tir Prince. A month later he went on to win heat and final of the Strata Florida. The following year, Tregaron beckoned again, this time the Welsh Classic finishing 2nd in both heat and final (which was won by Merrington Moving Up), but it was back to the winner’s circle in York when he won the Daniel Welling Memorial Heat & Final in 1.57.4 & 1.57.7 respectively. By the 2020, he was now Father Ted (GB), having been exported to America. Trained by Rob Burke, since being exported he has won 15 races and nearly $250,000, has a record of 1.51 and race timed in 1.49.3.
THE MOCKING JAY looked to have a very bright future as this 2yo filly by Rogue Hall (US) had a successful 2yo campaign. Winner the Group 1 Breeders Crown 2yo Heat & Final and runner up in both the NWHOA 2yo Fillies Championship and the BHRC Fillies Futurity and was subsequently voted BHRC 2yo Filly of the Year. She was then sold and exported to Ireland, however her racing career did not progress.
APOPKA G now a 5 year old and still racing. A daughter of Doonbeg (CAN) she was also voted BHRC 3yo Filly of the Year having won the Group 2 NWHOA 3yo Fillies Championship, STAGBI 3yo British Championship at Amman Valley, Breeders Crown Heat (2nd Final), the Group 2 BHRC Sire Stakes and placed in the Little Welsh Dragoness (Group 1). At 4, she returned to Tregaron to win the Senior Welsh Dragon Group 1 race with ease but was troubled with injury for the remainder of the season. This season her campaign appears to be focused on Mares’ Races and already a winner of STAGBI Mares at Amman Valley, and placed in both York and Tir Prince races. Apopka G currently sits at the top of the points table and the list of invitations extended to the Golden Girls Final at the end of the season.
APOPKA DENISE was certainly a great purchase for the Jones family and she will be missed at Forgeside. Her ashes will be buried along side their training and a tree planted in her memory.
