Within a few hours of each other, two similar emails have arrived in my inbox demanding some attention....
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Will 2009's running be the first edition of the Breeders' Cup that doesn't introduce a hot stallion prospect to the American Thoroughbred breeding market?...
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A bit of research on Thoroughbred sire-line descent becomes a trip down memory lane as I consult the 1982 Stallion Register....
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Florida's Milwaukee Brew is making a name for himself -- way up north....
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Beyond Perfection was barren three times, slipped three more, and produced one dead foal (along with five less-than-impressive runners) before being booked to Candy Ride in 2005. The resulting grade II winner indicates the trouble was worth it -- but was it a good breeding decision?...
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Once as a grandsire and once as a damsire, the In Reality son Relaunch was represented by impressive graded winners over the Independence Day weekend....
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A seriously international sire line paired with an all-American female family gives us French classic winner Silver Frost. A lesson in French is included at no charge, and an Ivory Soap commercial falls into the mix somehow....
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Kentucky Derby hopeful Desert Party has a re-emerging female family, the world's most prominent racing stable -- and maybe the most important sire at stud today....
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Derby Day is two months off and the field is starting to emerge. Here are a few of the sophomores that have impressed me....
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Stock in ZENYATTA went soaring today while CURLIN finished out of the money for the first time in his career. Quite a Breeders' Cup -- and now all signs point to Zenyatta as 2008 Horse of the Year....
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Part of the energized atmosphere at Thoroughbred sales is the urgent dispersal of catalog page update notices that are handed out to all potential buyers....
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Anak Nakal's Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) win gives me the opportunity to tie together such disparate topics as inbreeding to Dr. Fager... the re-emergence of a branch of female family #1... Quiet American as a broodmare sire... and Djebel (FR) blood in the modern Thoroughbred....
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Two of the best sophomore fillies in America are from the same female family. You've got to go way, way back to find the common dam, though....
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Archipenko stands out for two reasons, both related to his female family. His dam was old when she produced him, and his granddam is a truly special mare....
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Deutsches Derby (Ger-I) winner Kamsin represents soundness and stamina. Is that what American breeders really want?...
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They're stallions who've underperformed and sent off to a foreign land... or are ferried away by high bidders abroad while they're still young. These exported Thoroughbred stallions are a big loss for American breeders....
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One of Big Brown's opponents has a pedigree you might want to bet on....
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... Okay, so where am I going with all this? BIG BROWN. If you haven't already gotten on this colt's bandwagon for his racing accomplishments, get ready to see lots more of this fellow in the future. As in, during his post-race career. ...
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The powerful UAE Derby (UAE-II) win by Honour Devil (ARG) this weekend inspires some thoughts on the colt's breeding -- and whether a reverse bloodline cross could work well in the U.S....
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