The Blood-Horse MarketWatch recently published an updated "Prospective Stallions of 2010" list for its subscribers. The 12-page report identifies intact horses whose racing careers merit consideration for service in the breeding shed.
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While reviewing the listings, my eye was drawn to the name of a grade II winner -- or, actually, to his pedigree line. You see, I'm becoming more and more a fan of the German stallion Monsun (GER) and there he was as sire of
Lauro (GER) (pedigree). Lauro has an intriguing inbreeding pattern: his fourth dam is a full sister to the sire of Surumu (GER) (another great German sire, appearing here as Monsun's damsire to complete the inbreeding). What a family this is: Lauro's own dam is half-sister to Deutsches Derby (Ger-I) winners Lando (GER) and Laroche, and his granddam is half to three French group I winners (and big group Is at that: the Prix du Jockey Club, Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe). The inbreeding doesn't end with the full siblings; Lauro is also a 3 x 4 cross to Dschingis Khan (GER), who is both his great-grandsire and third damsire. The larger pedigree shows significant linebreeding to 1917 stallion Herold (GER); the son of Dark Ronald (GB) and tail-male ancestor of Surumu is also represented in Monsun's lineage and appears a dozen times in Lauro's pedigree.
Reportedly slated to stand in France in 2010. he dark bay 6-year-old Lauro has raced 14 times with four wins and earnings of $409,988. He took second in the United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) earlier this year in addition to a 2008 win in the Sky Classic Stakes (gr. IIT) at Woodbine, and has stakes wins or placings in France, Germany, Canada, and the U.S.
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Surumu is broodmare sire of Lauro's sire Monsun -- and also of
Raffie's Majesty (SRO). Well, Raffie's Majesty (
who we've discussed before) is represented by a couple of potential sire sons this year -- not too shabby for a regional stallion with a fairly small annual book of mares.
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Dr. V's Magic (pedigree) is out of a Summer Squall mare and was a nice runner on the New York circuit. He won the New York Stallion Spectacular Bid Stakes and the Empire Classic Handicap as a 3-year-old of 2007, and also placed in the grade III Discovery Handicap that year. Dr. V's Magic was back in black (type) this August at Finger Lakes, and shows four wins and 10 times in the money from 16 lifetime starts for $327,892 in earnings.
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The humorously-named
Stud Muffin (pedigree) is out of a Seattle Dancer mare. The light grey 5-year-old is also a New York franchise runner -- not surprising given Raffie's Majesty's decade-long representation within the Empire State -- and has run an impressive 30 times with six wins and 16 total money efforts for $436,632 winnings. Stud Muffin captured the Noble Nashua Stakes and Empire Classic Handicap last year along with a group III placing in the Stuyvesant Handicap (gr. III).
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If you haven't yet picked up on the common thread of modern German bloodlines, I'll hammer it in again with the next potential sire. Surumu -- yes, Surumu, who we've seen so frequently in the role of damsire -- is grandsire of
Musketier (GER) (pedigree). Musketier is our first earner of more than a half-million dollars (a figure he beats by a scant $6,430), and is yet another turf stakes horse. Specifically, the son of the Surumu stallion Acatenango (GER) annexed the Prix de Conde (Fr-III) in France and the Singspiel Stakes (gr. IIIT) in Canada, in addition to a second-place effort in the Man o'War Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont Park. Out of a mare from a French branch of Lyphard's sire line, Musketier has a 5 x 6 cross to Relance (FR), dam of Surum's damsire Reliance II (FR).
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Surumu is back in the role of damsire for our next entry. Here, he checks in as broodmare sire of Lomitas, the grandsire of
Proudinsky (GER) (pedigree), whose international pedigree has a strong smattering of German lines throughout. From the Lomitas (GB) line of Nijinsky and out of a Shirley Heights (GB)-line stallion, the bay Proudinsky is a 6-year-old with 20 starts and earnings exceeding $1.1 million -- more than half of which was bankrolled in back-to-back Mervin Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap (gr. IIT) wins.
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And finally,
Flashmans Papers (GB) (pedigree) hails from an historic German family -- but is free of Surumu! Flashmans Papers was a listed winner in the States and in England; those wins and a graded placing were on the grass, but he showed some versatility by placing in a dirt stakes in September this year. By the Danehill son Exceed and Excel (AUS) -- a stallion inbred 3 x 3 x 3 to half-siblings Northern Dancer and Spring Adieu -- Flashmans Papers is out of a mare by Lion Cavern. Lion Cavern was a Mr. Prospector son of Secrettame, who's better known as the dam of Gone West and half-sister to Tentam and Known Fact.
