Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) winner Four Wheel Drive, by American Pharoah and undefeated at 2, has been purchased to stand at stud in Japan for the 2021 breeding season by the Thoroughbred Breeders Club in Monbetsu, Hokkaido, according to sources familiar with the transaction.
Campaigned by Sam Ross and Mike Hall's Breeze Easy and trained by Wesley Ward, Four Wheel Drive became a black-type winner in his first start by taking the Rosie's Stakes at Colonial Downs by 3 1/4 lengths. In his second start, he earned graded stakes credentials after winning the Futurity Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park by three lengths. He rolled right into the Breeders' Cup World Championships as the favorite in the five-furlong Juvenile Turf Sprint, where he set blazing fractions of :21.55 and :44.03 and won gate-to-wire by three-quarters of a length in :55.66.
Bred by Glenvale Stud in Kentucky, Four Wheel Drive is out of the More Than Ready stakes winner Funfair. He was highly regarded as a yearling, selling for $525,000 at Fasig-Tipton's select 2018 The Saratoga Sale to Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds out of Paramount Sales' consignment. Four Wheel Drive was offered again at 2 at The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select sale of 2-year-olds in training, where he was bought back on a final bid of $825,000.
Four Wheel Drive, who retired with three wins from four starts and earned $693,385, is out of the same family as grade 1-placed, multiple graded stakes winner Dynever (by Dynaformer) and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Furthest Land (Smart Strike).
Presently Four Wheel Drive is in quarantine awaiting shipment to Japan.
