Nothing But 'Sunshine' For The Brogdens in Dubai

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Better known for breeding and selling top racehorses, Carrie and Craig Brogden touched down in Dubai late Wednesday and were trackside at Meydan on Thursday morning to watch their G2 Godolphin Mile hopeful Steal Sunshine (Constitution) turn in some light work over the track.

It isn't the first time that the high-class Machmer Hall operation has been represented on foreign soil. The late Tepin (Bernstein) was bred by and came through the consignment before beating the boys on three occasions, including the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Mile and G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. But to participate in a seven-figure race at a meeting as prestigious as the Dubai World Cup?

“It feels different,” said Carrie Brogden. “We have certainly cheered on a lot of horses that we bred in the Derby and Tepin and had some amazing, amazing experiences. But I don't think anything quite like this, actually. It probably hasn't hit me yet, but I do know if he were lucky enough to win, you'd probably hear me back in the United States. I'm well known for that, but I can't help myself.”

And who could blame her?

Steal Sunshine is a son of Warm Sunshine, a $50,000 purchase at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton October Sale who was a maiden winner from seven starts for Brogden. But anything the mare did on the racetrack was going to be a bonus, as producing daughters of her sire Unbridled's Song had already provided the Brogdens with any number of breeding successes. Among the 118 worldwide graded or group winners out of Unbridled's Song's daughters are the Machmer Hall-bred offspring of Special Me–Stonestastic (Mizzen Mast), Gift Box (Twirling Candy), Special Forces (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) in addition to Steal Sunshine.

“Speed. He produces speed,” Brogden replied when asked exactly what makes Unbridled's Song such an important influence on the bottom side of pedigrees. “For whatever reason, he's well known for not producing the durability on top. But with the broodmare side of things, he has very good record of durability in all of our mares. Special Me, my gosh, she's the epitome of that.

“So, for me, people keep asking me, who is the next Unbridled Song? Obviously there's a tremendous amount of unbelievable broodmare sires now, More Than Ready, Distorted Humor, Tapit, they're all emerging. But to me, there's nothing quite like Unbridled's Song. I haven't felt the next one where you offer speed, beauty, finesse, stretch, throws beautiful physicals, good vetting most of the time. I just think he has all the components of what we're looking for. Obviously, we love Bernardini mares and stuff, but the physicals, we're in a physical-driven market, so I think that Unbridled Song, ultimately, as a broodmare sire produced the athletes, it runs to their looks.”

Warm Sunshine was among that tricky third book of mares bred to WinStar's Constitution, and when Brogden gets behind a stallion, she sticks to her convictions.

“She was bred when Constitution was on his bubble year and WinStar actually gave me a bonus Constitution season as a thank you for booking so many mares to him that year,” she explained. “And this is the resulting foal.

Steal Sunshine smoothly gallops by at Meydan ready for the Godolphin Mile pic.twitter.com/RHrBStVAvJ

— Craig Brogden (@craigbrogden) April 3, 2025

“A.P. Indy with Unbridled Song is a well-known, very successful cross. And we were very good friends, or we still are very good friends with [Twin Creek Farm's] Randy Gullatt [who raced Constitution in partnership win WinStar]. But like I said, it was a complimentary season on a bubble year and sometimes you just get lucky. We”ve seen enough through breeding that we know there are no crystal balls and horses will make liars out of everyone and anyone.”

The Brogdens wouldn't ordinarily keep a colt like Steal Sunshine, and he was ticketed for the breeze-up sales in 2021, but came up with an issue.

“He got a shin as a 2-year-old, which is why I didn't go the 2-year-old sale, and the rest is history,” Brogden explained. “Torie and Jimbo Gladwell of Top Line broke him and started him for us. And she told me that he was very talented and if they breezed him for the sale, they were going to hurt him. So, we pulled the plug and just gave him time, and he hasn't missed a beat since, really.”

Twice a stakes winner at three under the care of Bobby Dibona, Steal Sunshine registered a breakthrough success at the graded level when taking the 2024 GII Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes. A midpack sixth behind White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Pegasus World Cup in January, Steal Sunshine was off very slowly in defense of his title in the Mar. 1 Gulfstream Park Mile, but made an eyecatching move on the turn and was getting to the victorious 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe at the wire to round out a Constitution 1-2.

Brogden suggests that at least some of the 6-year-old's consistency and durability owes to a patient approach that allows Steal Sunshine to just be a horse for a chunk of time.

“Every single year we've given him a 30-day layoff in the field,” she said. “And every year I send him back to my trainer and he's like, 'Oh my God. We're never going to get him back.' And I was like, 'Bobby, imagine a bodybuilder going out and eating pancakes or whatever for a month.' And so I think that that's very important. To me, a layoff or a freshening is not tack- walking in the shedrow and spending 23 hours in the stall. It is being out on the land, enjoying grass, relaxation.

“He actually is out with Vinceremos every single time he comes back and every single time, it's crazy. I put a video on Twitter of it last time because every single year they get turned out. They run to each other. They know each other immediately.”

Steal Sunshine, now campaigned in partnership with Mike and Jules Iavarone, Kevin Pollard, David Menard and Ed Gorry, is drawn three in a scratched-down field of 14 for Saturday's $1-million contest. Top Japanese jockey Christophe Lemaire takes the reins.

“Great draw. Really happy with the draw,” Brogden said. “I'm sorry to see two scratches in the race, but at least the speed horses are still in right now.”

Having taken some time to tour the sprawling Dubai Mall in the comfort of air conditioning on Thursday, the Brogdens are prepared for a scorching day in the desert sun on Saturday before boarding an early-morning flight back to the States on Sunday. They wouldn't trade places with anyone.

“To be there from the day they're born and then to come this far…he's just the epitome of soundness and durability and he's just thriving here. And he always shows up.”

After his Dubai Cup race @RacingDubai Steal Sunshine is scheduled for another 30 day vacay w former Ky derby now babysitter, Vinceremos we truly believe proper turnouts during the race year lead to happiness and longevity. https://t.co/8WqHJn5zff

— Carrie Brogden (@MachmerHall) April 2, 2025

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