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Breeding a mare by a stallion whose only group wins came at six furlongs, to a stallion whose two group wins came at five furlongs is not exactly the usual way of getting a 1½ mile classic winner. But when the stallions in question are Danehill and Pivotal, normal principals don’t always apply. Thus we have the 2010 Deutsches Derby (gr. I) hero, Buzzword, who is by Pivotal out of a Danehill mare.

Buzzword (TrueNicks B+) actually showed plenty of pace at two, winning a six furlong maiden race, and the seven furlong Prix La Rochette (gr. III), running second in the Richmond Stakes (gr. II) and Solario Stakes (gr. III), and third in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (gr. I). After his busy eight-race juvenile campaign, Buzzword kicked off this year finishing a well beaten fourteenth in the 2,000 Guineas (gr. I). Stepped back up in distance, he then finished fourth in the French Derby (gr. I), eighth in the Epsom Derby (gr. I), and third in the King Edward VII Stakes (gr. II) at Royal Ascot.

Of course, Pivotal wasn’t bred to be a five furlong specialist, and he’s proved to be a far more versatile sire than he was a runner. Just last year he was represented by Sariska, who won the English Oaks (gr. I) and Irish Oaks (gr. I), and his daughters Golden Apples, Megaherz, Chorist, and Silvester Lady (German Oaks (gr. I), have all won at the top level going ten furlongs or more.

The Danehills were even more wide-ranging in ability, his get including a winner of the Ascot Gold Cup (gr. I) at 2½ miles, not mention several Derby and Oaks winners in both hemispheres. He’s also broodmare sire of a winner of the two-mile Melbourne Cup (gr. I), Italian Derby (gr. I) victor Cima de Triomphe, and other top-class middle distance performers Tuesday Joy, Sunday Joy, Perfectly Ready, and Benicio.

Buzzword’s dam, Bustling, was one of those staying Danehills, winning up to 12 furlongs when taking the listed Derby du Midi, and finishing third in the Prix de Malleret. She is a half sister to three other stakes winners, and to Hilaris, the granddam of Lush Lashes (winner last year of the Coronation Stakes (gr. I), Matron Stakes (gr. I) and Yorkshire Oaks (gr. I). The granddam, Carnival Spirit, is by Kris out of the Yorkshire Oaks (gr. I) third Fiesta Fun, and is a half sister to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (gr. I) victor Saumarez.

The Pivotal/Danehill cross has produced three stakes winners from 25 starters (12% stakes winners to starters), but the quality is more notable than the quantity, as all three are group I winners, Buzzword being joined by Irish 1,000 Guineas (gr. I) captress Saoire, and Siyouni, who has swapped decisions with Buzzword, finishing second to him in the Prix La Rochette (gr. III), but defeating him in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (gr. I).

Buzzword’s sire, Pivotal, had a weekend double with Regal Parade, a six-year-old gelding winning the Shadwell Stakes (gr. III). Rated TrueNicks A++, he is out of a mare by Kingmambo (TrueNicks,SRO), and inbred 3 x 4 to Kingmambo’s broodmare sire, Nureyev. Kingmambo was represented a sire by Campanologist, who took the Deutschland Preis (gr. I) the day before the German Derby (gr. I), beating last year’s Dery winner Wiener Walzer (who is by Dynaformer out of a Kingmambo mare). Campanologist is the sixth grade I winner for Kingmambo out of a Sadler’s Wells mare.

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