SANTA ANITA - When Ocala Stud Farm took Hewitts to the 2006 OBS April sale for breeder Dianne Cotter, she expected the son of Concerto to bring a fair price. "He looked like a racehorse," she said, "and they told me he’d sell pretty well."
What happened next was totally unexpected, though. Hewitts, who was the first foal out of the Cozzene mare Romance Me, worked a quarter of a mile in 21 3/5 at the under tack show, and promptly sold for $225,000. "We didn’t expect it," Mrs. Cotter said, "either the work or the price. It was a wonderful surprise." Hewitts, a ridgling, didn’t show up in the entries for a year, until the next April 11, in the barn of Robert B. Hess Jr. at Santa Anita.
With David Flores aboard, he finished second by 2 1/2 lengths in a $47,000 maiden special at 6 1/2 furlongs. A few weeks later, at odds of 3/5, Hewitts broke his maiden over the synthetic track at Hollywood Park, winning by nearly three lengths in 1:15 4/5 for the 6 1/2 furlongs. On May 28, he made it two straight with a two-length victory in a $51,000 allowance, racing seven furlongs in 1:23 1/5.
Then Hewitts took another vacation, not reappearing until last Monday in the seventh race at Santa Anita. And, there was a slight change on his breeding line in Daily Racing Form. "They gelded him last year," Mrs. Cotter said, "after the last race he ran."
Hewitt’s return came in a $57,000 allowance race at seven furlongs and the uncertainty over his odd career sent him away at 2-1. With Michael Baze aboard, the same jock who had broken his maiden last May, Hewitts was not only much the best, winning by nearly two lengths, but he raced the distance in 1:20:41, just a tick away from the track record.
Breeding a solid runner by Concerto is nothing new to Mrs. Cotter. "We also bred Bellamy Road," she said. "We’ve been very lucky. And we bred a mare to Bellamy last spring."
As for Romance Me, the dam of Hewitts, the 4-year-old was her first and last foal. "She died the following year," her breeder said, wistfully.