Connie B

Chateau Vista's Connie B

Carrying on blood to a Warmblood pedigree...

CVL Connie B, "Onnie"

The Jockey Club Registry American Thoroughbred Mare

Bob and John xx X Cox's Ridge xx X Drumfire xx X Ack Ack xx

Chateau Vista Show Jumpers Alumni: Carrying blood to a Warmblood pedigree for talented sporthorses

Chateau Vista Farm's Connie B otherwise known as "Onnie" is a five year old mare sired by the Kentucky Derby runner stallion Bob and John who was foaled May 17, 2003 in Kentucky. Bob and John is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the son of Seeking The Gold out of the mare Minister's Melody. His sire is a son of Mr. Prospector and his dam is from Deputy Minister. Bob and John was bred and raced by Stonerside Stable. He is trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Garrett Gomez. Robert A. "Bob" Baffert is an American racehorse trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

As a three-year-old, Onnie's sire Bob and John was a top contender for the Kentucky Derby after winning the Sham and Wood Memorial Stakes, beating Jazil and Keyed Entry in the latter. He finished seventeenth in the Derby and eighth in the Belmont Stakes. Raced at age four in 2007, his best result was a win in the Grade III Lone Star Park Handicap. Bob and John was retired from racing in August 2007 to stand at Pin Oak Stud near Versailles, Kentucky. This being said, Onnie's dam is much of the same.

Twenty Questions, Onnie's mother, is by the famous stallion Cox's Ridge (1974–1998) an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He bypassed the U.S. Triple Crown series and had considerable success in 1977 and 1978 with his most important win coming in the Metropolitan Handicap. In 1979, the five-year-old Cox's Ridge won the Tom Fool Handicap, ran second in the Whitney Handicap, and finished first in the Philip H. Iselin Stakes but was disqualified for interference and placed second. Cox ridge retired to South Korea after his time in New York at stud.

Bob and John, a Grade 1 winner who ran in the 2006 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, was euthanized on Dec. 10 due to complications from laminitis, according to Korean Racing Authority records and Alastair Middleton of the KRA. The 15-year-old son of Seeking the Gold had resided at Isidore Farm in Korea since early 2016, previously standing at Saratoga Stud in New York and debuting at at Pin Oak Stud in Kentucky during the 2008 breeding season. Per Middleton, the Korean farm's owners first noticed soreness in the horse's front feet a few months ago and treated the laminitic conditions early, but they became progressively worse. Seeing there was no path to a comfortable recovery, the farm made the decision to euthanize the stallion to avoid unnecessary suffering. “The farm wanted to make clear that they were very proud to have Bob and John and are devastated by his loss,” Middleton said. “The farm kept in touch with his former owners in the U.S., and they have been notified of his passing.”

Bob and John's domestic runners were led by G2-placed stakes winner Brothersofthetime and G3-placed stakes winners Pain and Misery and Why Two. His first Korean-sired foals are yearlings of 2018, and he has one more crop set to arrive during the upcoming foaling season. Middleton said Bob and John bred about 20 mares in each of his first two seasons, which is an average number for a new sire standing privately in Korea. Isidore Farm also stands Ecton Park, a U.S. G1 winner who has become a cornerstone sire in Korea. The horse raced as a homebred for Stonerside Stable – named for owner Bob McNair and Stonerside Farm manager John Adger – and he was trained by Bob Baffert. He finished in the money in the listed Real Quiet Stakes and G1 Hollywood Futurity as a juvenile, then came back in the spring of his 3-year-old season to win the G3 Sham Stakes, finish third in the G2 San Felipe Stakes, and win the G1 Wood Memorial. He finished 17th to Barbaro in the 2006 Kentucky Derby, then ran eighth behind Jazil in that year's Belmont Stakes.

Bob and John returned to the races in the summer of his sophomore year to run second in the listed El Cajon Stakes at Del Mar. At four, the colt finished second in the G3 Texas Mile Stakes at Lone Star Park, then returned to the same track to win the G3 Lone Star Handicap in what would be his final start. Bob and John retired with five wins in 14 starts for earnings of $996,330. Passing on a legacy, Cox's Ridge was a very successful sire whose offspring includes millionaire runners and sales offspring. Onnie is the true American dream-bred sporthorse.

Being an oversized mare, Onnie is the perfect match for any jumper stallion across the globe. Bringing not only blood and athleticism but stature and lightness, this mare is a wonderful addition to our line-up for any shorter compact stallion match. Not only adding to the jumper stock, Onnie's offspring have the capability to cross enter into all three rings successfully due to the stride length she passes on as well as her focused workman-like attitude. How lucky we are to have such a talented mare-line in performance as a foundation for our American-bred sporthorses.

Connie B is also a part of the Chateau Vista Show Jumpers program when she is not being utilized in our breeding program. For more information click on the link above or below to visit our sister site.