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Yesterday brought the news that champion 3-year-old filly Rags to Riches was to be retired and bred to Giant's Causeway.

The match of the history-making Belmont Stakes (gr. I) heroine with Storm Cat's leading son is one that should create a tough runner, and a horse that will have no problems with classic distances.

Of course, we couldn't resist running it through the TrueNicks program. This came up with the mating as a C based on the Storm Cat / A. P. Indy cross. That cross has produced only three stakes winners, albeit a couple of notable names, headed by the Haskell (gr. I) winner and Kentucky Derby (gr. I) runner-up Bluegrass Cat (TrueNicks, SRO), and graded stakes winner Untouched Talent. Storm Cat himself sired Bluegrass Cat and Untouched Talent from seven starters out of A.P. Indy mares, but so far there are 42 starters by sons of Storm Cat out of A.P. Indy mares, and only one stakes winner.

There are, however, some other factors - beyond the outstanding class of the sire and dam, a very important point - that might help this mating. From a pedigree pattern standpoint, we can note that both Giant's Causeway and Better Than Honour, the dam of Rags to Riches, are Northern Dancer / Blushing Groom crosses. We can also note that Giant's Causeway is sire of the exciting sophomore stakes winner Giant Moon, who is out of a mare by Capote who, like A.P. Indy, is a son of Seattle Slew.

Filed under: Hypothetical Matings, Mares, Just for Fun