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This week's Porter on Pedigrees column at BloodHorse.com discusses the rare classic doubles earned this year by second-crop sires Birdstone and Medaglia d'Oro (both were represented by different winners in classic races).That hasn't happened Stateside since -- as pointed out by Mahubah's Corner columnist Avalyn Hunter -- Count Fleet sired Count Turf and Counterpoint (winners of the 1951 Kentucky Derby and Belmont, respectively) back in 1951.  Man o'War also fits the bill as he sired American Flag and Florence Nightengale (Belmont Stakes and CCA Oaks, respectively) in 1922 -- which was also his first crop.

Coincidentally, the feat has also been achieved this year in Japan, by Neo Universe (JPN) (by Sunday Silence), whose first crop has provided the winners of the classic races Sutsuki Sho and Tokyo Yushun. Add in Tapit (TrueNicks,SRO) and Candy Ride (ARG) (TrueNicks,SRO) (both with grade I winners), Speightstown (TrueNicks,SRO) and Lion Heart (TrueNicks,SRO) (both with multiple graded winners) in the U.S., and Elusive City (with a classic winner and a classic-placed horse) in Europe, and it looks as if the Northern Hemisphere has an extraordinary group of second-crop sires.

Filed under: Recent Winners, Sires, Asian Racing