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Reader question: I recently ran a cross for my mare Enthrall (by Lyphard out of Swift Gal) with a stallion that entered New York for 2008 named Utopia (Jpn).  He is by Forty Niner. I came up with a TrueNicks pattern of an “A.”  I was pretty excited and forged this decision on paper in the form of a contract. I thought that Alan Porter and Byron Rogers don’t readily give out “A’s”  Is this that phenomenal of a combination? Please reply. Thanks, Linda

Alan's reply: The Utopia - Enthrall mating looks interesting. Not only has the Forty Niner line done well with Lyphard-line mares in general -- with four grade I winners around the world -- but we can note that several of those sons are Forty Niner/Northern Dancer crosses, as is Utopia.

It's also interesting that the cross of Forty Niner's son Jules with mares by Lyphard's son Ghadeer has worked extremely well. Jules gives inbreeding to Northern Dancer's dam, Natalma, and Utopia, rather similarly, gives inbreeding to the dam of Nearctic, the sire of Northern Dancer.

Finally, this particular mating gives linebreeding to the important mare Pocahontas, through Tom Rolfe, and through Wenona, the granddam of Enthrall.

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