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Judging by the style of his victory in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (gr. I), Lookin At Lucky (by Smart Strike (TrueNicks,SRO) out of Private Feeling by Belong to Me (TrueNicks,SRO), and TrueNicks rated A++) will be tough to dethrone by any other three-year-old, with possibly only Super Saver a threat should he find himself back in the winner's circle. However, the Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga did throw up a couple that will stake their claim in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) and will be horses to keep a close eye on in the run to the Breeders' Cup.

The winner, A Little Warm (TrueNicks A++), is by Stormin Fever (TrueNicks,SRO), who has four 2010 stakes winners in his current crop of three-year-olds, and who is now at stud in California. His dam is a graded-winning daughter of Alydar, out of Minstrella, a three-time group I winner at two in England and Ireland. She is by The Minstrel, so A Litte Warm has genetic relatives Storm Bird and The Minstrel 3 x 3. By strange coincidence (or synchronicity), Stormy Atlantic (TrueNicks,SRO) (same Storm Cat/Seattle Slew cross as Stormin Fever, was represented by Get Stormy (TrueNicks A++). Out of a Kiri's Clown (by Foolish Pleasure) mare, Get Stormy has a second dam by Far North (brother to The Minstrel) so has Storm Bird/Far North 3 x 3. He's also 4 x 5 to Stormy Atlantic's third dam, Moccasin.

Mineshaft (TrueNicks,SRO)'s Fly Down didn't really fire in the Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II), although another son, Miner's Reserve, put in a brave effort to claim second. He gained compensation on Monday at Saratoga, however, with Discreetly Mine (TrueNicks A++)  winning the 6½ furlong Amsterdam Stakes (gr. II) in truly brilliant time. By a horse who excelled at 10 furlongs, out of a Private Account mare, with second and third dams by Believe It and Tom Rolfe, you would think that Discreetly Mine would run as far as you'd ask a top-class horse to go in the U.S. But, just to prove that nothing is certain with horses and inheritance, after finishing a dissapointing 13th in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), and much like other Todd Pletcher trainees in More Than Ready (TrueNicks,SRO) and Munnings, he has been reinvented as a sprinter, and following a good second to D' Funnybone in a hot renewal of the Woody Stephens Stakes (gr. II), he reappeared to prep for the Amsterdam by capturing the Jersey Shore Stakes (gr. III).

Mineshaft's stud companion City Zip (TrueNicks,SRO) (advertised for $10,000 last year and wild value at that price) is now up to eighth on the Leading Sire list. He has six graded winners this year, and had a double with Unzip Me in the Royal North Stakes (gr. III) at Woodbine on Monday, and Get Serious in the Oceanport Stakes (gr. III) on Sunday. Unzip Me (TrueNicks A++) is one of three City Zip stakes winners out of mares from the male line of Blushing Groom (broodmare sire of City Zip's own sire, Carson City). Get Serious (TrueNicks B+) is out of a mare by Java Gold (by Key to the Mint, by Graustark). He's also had a stakes winner on Friday, with Canadian Ballet, winning the Jenny Wade Handicap at Penn National. Her dam was a $3,500 acquisition, recommended by Pedigree Consultants specifically for City Zip. 

The Ohio Derby (gr. III) gave some graded stakes compensation to Pleasant Prince (TrueNicks A++) who had been narrowly beaten in the Florida Derby (gr. I). Pleasant Prince is by Indy King (TrueNicks,SRO) , a son of A.P. Indy (TrueNicks,SRO) out of a Mr. Prospector mare -- the same cross as Pulpit, Malibu Moon, and Mineshaft, who all had a good weekend. Pleasant Prince is out of a Pleasant Tap (TrueNicks,SRO) mare, but what's more interesting is that his third dam, Sooni, is a three-parts-sister to Lassie Dear, the granddam of A.P. Indy.

Still with A.P. Indy/Mr. Prospector sires, Malibu Moon (TrueNicks,SRO), had his third grade I winning filly of the year when Malibu Prayer won the Ruffian Invitational Handicap (gr. I). Bred by Edward P. Evans, who also bred A Little Warm, Malibu Prayer is out of a Grand Slam (TrueNicks,SRO) mare, but has an interesting pattern as Malibu Moon's dam is a Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer cross (with the Northern Dancer through Nijinsky II), and Malibu Prayer's dam is also a Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer cross (with the Northern Dancer through The Minstrel, a three-parts-brother to Nijinsky II). Given that both A Little Warm and Malibu Prayer have The Minstrel and a genetic relative, we'd venture to suggest that this pedigree play might not be happening by accident.

Essence of Dubai, one of the less-heralded stallion sons of Pulpit (TrueNicks,SRO), came up with an upset graded winner in Unbridled Essence (TrueNicks A+), who took the Taylor Made Matchmaker Stakes (gr. III). She is out of an Unbridled mare, and so bred on the same cross as Tapit (TrueNicks,SRO) and Sky Diva. The second dam is by Topsider, who is a Northern Dancer/Round Table cross, where Pulpit's third dam, State, is a by a son of Northern Dancer out of a sister to Round Table.

On the West Coast, Hold That Tiger, a three-parts-brother to Hennessy, was responsible for Smiling Tiger (TrueNicks A++) who took the Bing Crosby Handicap (gr. I) from Australia speedster Scenic Blast (by Scenic, a member of Sadler's Wells' first crop, who has done sterling service in Australia). Smiling Tiger is out of a mare by Cahill Road (brother to Unbridled), and he's proved an exception foil for Storm Cat line stallions, as here.  A day earlier at the same venue, but at the other extreme of the distance scale, Temple City (TrueNicks A) led throughout to win the 1½-mile Cougar II Handicap (gr. III) in a new track record. The Spendthrift Farm colorbearer is by Dynaformer (TrueNicks,SRO) out of a Danzig half sister to Malibu Moon, and should have a home at stud somewhere where stamina is valued.

Filed under: Recent Winners