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We must admit, we did a double-take when we saw the pedigree line for the Malibu Stakes (gr. I) winner, M One Rifle, as the name of his sire, One Man Army, rang absolutely no bells whatsoever. It turns out that we weren’t having a senior moment, as One Man Army has very much been flying under the radar.
 
Although not bred by Fred Hooper, One Man Army has a pedigree very much in the Hooper mold, as he’s by the Roberto horse, Roman Diplomat, out of a mare by Tri Jet (both Hooper runners) and owns the tell-tale inbreeding to Hooper’s mainstay stallion, Olympio (4 x 4 x 5 in this case). Despite his Florida roots, One Man Army was foaled in Kentucky, and he was purchased at the Keeneland September Yearling Sales for $35,000 by California conditioner, Bruce Headley.
 
As a runner, One Man Army proved no more than useful, winning two races, $83,454, and taking third in the Oceanside Stakes in his sole foray into black-type company. Retired to Kingsway Farm, Temecula, California, One Man Army was initially virtually a private stallion for Headley. In fact, he sired only three foals in his first two years at stud, before his getting 17 in his third year, 2004. He’s made the most of his opportunities, however, and has sired 22 winners from 35 starters, including additional black-type winners Soldier’s Kiss (the only foal from his first crop) and Woman Warrior.
 
TrueNicks Rated A, One Man Army is the product of a cross that has enjoyed success over several generations, and through a number of different incarnations, that of Roberto over In Reality line mares. Roberto himself sired three stakes winners from just four starters out of mares by In Reality: Real Shadai, a grade I winner in Europe and Leading Sire in Japan; the Week of Fame Derby winner Pedro the Cool (a 1986 foal, and one of our earliest mating plans) and Major Impact (himself sire of graded stakes winners).

Since then extended version of the cross has gone on to produce numerous stakes winners, including Champions Perfect Sting and Overarching (in South Africa), and other grade I winners Starrer, Collect the Cash and Vacare. M One Rifle is by a grandson of Roberto out of a mare by Bertrando, a great-grandson of In Reality, so the nick is getting fairly extended at this point. But the TrueNicks A rating is achieved on the basis of the Roberto/Skywalker version of the cross.
 
The fillies version of the Malibu Stakes, the La Brea Stakes (gr. I) went to Evita Argentina (TrueNicks A++), who followed Capt. Candyman Can as the second grade I winner from the first crop of Candy Ride (ARG) (TrueNicks,SRO) out of a mare by as son of Storm Cat. Capt. Candyman Can is out of a mare by Storm Creek (by Storm Cat out of a mare by Mr. Prospector), and Evita Argentina is out of a mare Forest Wildcat (out of a mare by Bold Native, a close genetic relative to Mr. Prospector). This would indicate that it may be worth considering Candy Ride with mares by other Storm Cat/Mr. Prospector crosses such as Tale of the Cat (TrueNicks,SRO) and Storm Boot, or mares themselves bred on the Storm Cat/Mr. Prospector cross (shouldn’t be too hard to find). We’d also find him interesting with mares by Stormy Atlantic (TrueNicks,SRO) and Stormin Fever (TrueNicks,SRO), who carry the Storm Cat/Seattle Slew cross.
 

Filed under: Pedigrees and Breeding, Recent Winners, Emerging Nicks, Sires, Pedigree Elements