Home

Alan's Response: Thank you very much for your question. As you say, Even the Score (TrueNicks,SRO) has sired the very talented multiple graded stakes winner, Four Gifts, out of a Deputy Minister line mare (her dam is by Deputy Minister's son Service Stripe). However, we don't give the rating on the basis of a cross producing just one stakes winner, unless other criteria are met (there are many crosses that overall are under-performers, but produce the occasional stakes winner). So in this case - Even the Score with a mare by Deputy Minister - there have been insufficient stakes winners or starters on the cross to give a representative rating. This means that we then consider the cross of Unbridled's Song (TrueNicks,SRO) (sire of Even the Score) and his sons with mares by Deputy Minister and his sons. This cross has produced graded winners Songster, Last Song and Four Gifts, but relative to the number of times it has been tried, and the class of the material involved, it is only performing around in line with opportunity.

The 'C' rating really means that the broad cross is not substantially improving or 'dis-improving' the stakes production rate of Unbridled's Song and his sons, and mares by Deputy Minister and his sons. With this in mind, and knowing that Even the Score has a stakes winner on the cross you might feel that it's worth taking the chance, if all other factors are favorable. As a footnote, I see that Four Gifts was out of a mare by Service Stripe, whose broodmare sire is Blushing Groom (grandsire of the dam of Even the Score). Blushing Groom inbreeding is present in two of the three stakes winners out of Service Stripe mares, so it may be a factor worthy of consideration here. Of course this wouldn't be in a Deputy Minister mare, unless it is on her dam's side.

Filed under: Mares, Readers' Questions, Sires, Pedigree Elements