Calumet Farm's homebred grade 2 winner and first-crop sire Bravazo was represented by his first winner Sept. 23 at Prairie Meadows, where Excellent Empire took the ninth race, a six-furlong maiden special weight.
Taking the lead early for jockey Alex Birzer, the bay colt completed the distance in 1:12.37 while finishing 1 1/4 lengths clear of odds-on favorite F B I Bob. The colt is owned by 5 Finger Racing and trained by Tanner Tracy.
Bred in Kentucky by Castle Oak, Excellent Empire is out of the winning graded stakes-placed Empire Maker mare Colonial Empress, who participated in the 2012 Kentucky Oaks (G1). Like Bravazo, she was trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas.
A runner-up in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at 2, the son of Awesome Again won the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at 3 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. He was one of only two horses to compete throughout the entire 2018 Triple Crown series, which included a runner-up finish in the Preakness Stakes (G1) by a half-length to Triple Crown winner Justify .
Bravazo completed his 3-year-old season with placings in the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), Travers Stakes (G1), Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), and Clark Handicap (G1).
Racing until 5, Bravazo completed his career with a record of 3-4-3 from 22 starts and earned $2,033,195. The 9-year-old stood the 2024 season at Calumet Farm in Lexington for $5,000.
