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It was only by a nose, but Wasted Tears took her most recent winning streak to seven in the John C. Mabee Handicap (gr. II). Taking out one unplaced effort on the dirt, she actually has a ten race undefeated run on the sward stretching back to May, 2008. You'd have to credit a significant proportion of that to courage and toughness as well as talent, as her last four wins have come by a nose, a neck, a ½ length, and a ½ length.

Wasted Tears is by the Runaway Groom horse Najran, most remembered as a runner for equaling Dr. Fager’s world record for a mile on dirt. She is one of three graded stakes winners from her sire’s first crop, and he’s also got graded winning 2010 three-year-old filly Buckleupbuttercup in his third crop. Rated A by TrueNicks, Wasted Tears is out of Wishes and Roses, a stakes-winning and multiple stakes-producing daughter of Greinton (by Green Dancer). This is a variant on the very successful Blushing Groom/Nijinsky II cross, Runaway Groom and his sons having sired four stakes winners out of Green Dancer line mares, three graded and one grade I. Najran does also have another distant strain of Nijinsky II through Hostage, sire of his fourth dam. Before leaving Najran, we’ll also note that he has two graded stakes winners with inbreeding to Conquistador Cielo, the sire of his second dam. There have only ever been 36 starters with Conquistador Cielo double within four generations, and the two Najran offspring – Sky Cape and Buckleupbuttercup – are the only stakes winners.

Also on the West Coast and the day before the Mabee, Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Sidney’s Candy turned to the turf and smoked the field in the La Jolla Handicap (gr. II), scoring by 5½ lengths in a new track record. Sidney’s Candy (TrueNicks A++) is out of a daughter of Storm Cat, and is one of four grade I winners from the first two crops of Candy Ride (ARG) (TrueNicks,SRO) – currently fourth to Medaglia d'Oro (TrueNicks,SRO), Speightstown (TrueNicks,SRO), and Tapit (TrueNicks,SRO), in what looks to be a stellar quartet of third season sires.

A.P. Indy (TrueNicks,SRO)'s son Telling (TrueNicks A++) took the Sword Dancer Handicap (gr. I) to record his first victory since an upset score in the same race 12 months ago. Telling actually has a dirt pedigree, as he’s out of the Deputy Minister (great foil for A.P. Indy) mare Well Chosen, successful in the Ashland Stakes (gr. I). The family is a pretty historic one, as it goes back through a sister to Triple Crown hero Assault and the dam of Prove Out (one of few horse to score a win over Secretariat, and later broodmare sire of Miesque), to Masda, a sister to none other than Man o’War.

The day before, Interactif, one of last year’s top turf two-year-olds but winless on a variety of surfaces this year, returned to form to take the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. II). He’s a son of Broken Vow (TrueNicks,SRO), and is out of Broad Pennant, who is by Broad Brush out of Pennant Champion, who is by Mr. Prospector out of undefeated Personal Ensign. Interactif is inbred 4 x 3 to Mr. Prospector at the top and bottom of the pedigree, and (as we can discover in a instant with the Jockey Pedigree Analysis Program) there have already been nine stakes winners from only 105 starters with that exact pattern (six stakes winners, four graded, from only 50 starters by sons of Unbridled).

Tiznow (TrueNicks,SRO) added a new stakes winner to his resume when his four-year-old daughter Direct Line led throughout to upset the Gardenia Stakes (gr. III). She’s his first stakes winner from that difficult fourth crop, and demonstrate how a stallion’s book can impact him, his fifth crop (conceived following the Championship season by his first crop daughter Folklore) who are now only three, has already produced five stakes winners, including the graded scorers Tizahit, American Lion, and Golden Itiz. Rated A++ by TrueNicks, Direct Line is out of the At the Threshold (by Norcliffe, by Buckpasser) mare Irene’s Talkin, dam of two other stakes winners, including Frizette Stakes (gr. I) victress Adieu.

We’ll also give a call to Not Impossible, whose daughter Impossible Time, won the Victoriana Stakes at Woodbine. Not Impossible is a son of Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer/Hail to Reason cross), out of a mare by Pleasant Colony (TrueNicks A++), but the second dam is by Halo (Hail to Reason) out of a Northern Dancer mare, so a reverse of Sadler’s Wells. Rather reminds us of Australian Champion Two-Year-Old Phelan Ready (by More Than Ready (TrueNicks,SRO), whose sire, Southern Halo, is a by Halo out of Northern Dancer mare, and whose dam is by a grandson of Sadler’s Wells).

Not Impossible, who was unraced and who unfortunately died in 2005, sired three stakes winners, including Champion Canadian Three-Year-Old Not Bourbon and graded winner Society’s Chairman, from only 45 foals. It’s an interesting reflection on the vagaries of genetics that his grade I-winning brother Perfect Soul, also has three stakes winners (including this year’s Lake George Stakes (gr. III) winner Perfect Shirl), but from 235 foals of racing age, and out of a generally better group of mares.

Filed under: Recent Winners