Coolmore Stud has named its millionaire Big Brown colt Darwin.  Agent Demi O’Byrne paid $1.30 million for him at the Fasig-Tipton Florida 2YO Sale in March.

While shopping at the Keeneland September yearling sale earlier this week, O’Byrne indicated Darwin might be ready to debut in October.  “We initially tried to name him after John Brown the famous abolitionist,” O’Byrne said.  “But the Jockey Club didn’t accept that submission.”

The Irish connection then renamed him after English scientist Charles Darwin who became famous for his theory of evolution by natural selection.

Darwin (2c The Big Brown – Cool Ghoul by Silver Ghost) was bred in Pennsylvania and is a half-brother to 2008 LR Tremont Stakes winner Dagnabit (Freud).  He has been joined at Todd Pletcher’s stable by the Big Brown – Cold Awakening (Dehere) colt that O’Byrne bought for $825,000 on Day 3 of the last week’s Keeneland September yearling sale.

Big Brown won the 2008 Kentucky Derby and shuttles to Vinery Australia.  He missed the southern shuttle this year due to a leg injury.