Page 74 - December 2021

Remember Me Rose by Tracy Gantz
If Remember Me Rose had sold later in the day at the 2012 Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale, Jo Burns believes that she and her
husband, Dr. Steve Burns DVM, would have missed out on one of the greatest opportuni- ties of their careers.
“She sold relatively early that day, and I think everybody was kind of sitting on their hands,” Jo said. “That’s the only reason we could afford her because we didn’t sit on our hands.”
The mare certainly wasn’t cheap at $145,000, but if more people had been bidding, the Burnses and partner James Markum would have had
to drop out when the price went beyond their budget. Instead, Remember Me Rose ended up with one of the top embryo transfer operations in the country, ensuring that her legacy as a leading producer would be even more profound.
As Remember Me Rose’s progeny began winning major races—current runner Powerful
Photo by William Zuazo
Favorite alone has won seven stakes, includ-
ing four Grade 1 races - her foals have become extremely popular at sales. While many breeding operations wouldn’t be able to maximize the mare’s ability to produce, the Burnses have often brought multiple embryos to term each year.
Their expertise, along with the large band of recipient mares they keep at Burns Ranch in Menifee, California, enabled Remember Me Rose to produce five foals in 2020, even though she didn’t carry any of them herself. All are by Favorite Cartel, the sire of Powerful Favorite and one of the stallions standing at Burns Ranch.
The Burnses sent one each of the 2020 foals to 2021 yearling sales in California,
Record breaking high seller So So Beautiful sold for $520,000
at the 2021
Los Alamitos Equine Sale, the top price of the auction and more than double the second-highest price.
72 SPEEDHORSE December 2021
Jo and Steve Burns with Remember Me Rose.
Tracy Gantz
Jo and Steve Burns’ partner James Markum.
William Zuazo, Speedhorse
Los Alamitos