Home

Having finally cleared some matings – late Southern Hemisphere and very early Northern Hemisphere – off the desk, and taken our nose out of the middle of the 1300 or so strong catalog two of Keeneland September, we realized that we ought to take a quick look back at the pedigrees of some of the winners of major U.S. stakes events last weekend.

The first thing we noted was that it was a very grassy weekend, headlined by the Arlington International meeting. So looking at winners on the green, where better to start with a horse called Paddy. Although he has grade I performances to his name on all-weather and dirt – a third in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) no less – Paddy O’Prado has stamped himself as the best of his crop on the turf, and in addition to the Palm Beach Stakes (gr. III), whch he won prior to his tilt at the classics, he’s now taken the Colonial Turf Cup (gr. II), Virginia Derby (gr. II) and Secretariat Stakes (gr. I).

Such versatility is becomes less surprising when we look at Paddy O’Prado’s pedigree. His sire, El Prado an Irish-raced son of Sadler’s Wells, who was champion juvenile in that country, sired numerous good runners on both surfaces, including Champion Turf Horse Kitten’s Joy, and Medaglia d’Oro, a top-class performer on the dirt (of course Medaglia d’Oro has made a sensational start as a stallion; Kitten’s Joy a very promising one, and another El Prado son, Artie Schiller (TrueNicks,SRO), had his first winner from his freshman crop at Woodbine on August 25). Paddy O’Prado’s broodmare sire, Prized, defeated Champion Sunday Silence on dirt in the Swaps Stakes (gr. I), and then switched to the sward to capture the Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. I). Paddy O’Prado’s dam, Fun House, was a talented performer in her own right, winning the Buena Vista Handicap (gr. II) and she is a half-sister to the multiple graded-winning and grade I-placed sprinter Early Flyer. The second dam, Bistra, never earned black type, and was by thenow relatively obscure Classic Go Go, but she is half sister to several good winners. These are headed by Olympio, another performer to whom surface was immaterial, and whose string of graded wins included wins in the Hollywood Derby (gr. I) and Malibu Stakes (gr. I); Call Now, winner of the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (gr. II); and stakes winner Your Call. Bistra is also half sister to Carol’s Wonder, the dam of graded winner Wild Wonder, and granddam of the 2009 Forego Stakes (gr. I) winner [Pyro], and graded winner War Echo; to Christmas Star, the dam of Futurity Stakes (gr. I) victor Cuvee, and graded scorer Will He Shine (TrueNicks,SRO); and to the dam of graded-winning millionaire Bien Nicole.

As our very erudite TrueNicks Sales and Marketing Manager Ian Tapp pointed out, last week celebrated the 148th anniversary of the birth of famed composer, Claude Debussy. Remarkably on the same weekend the Arlington Million (gr. I) went to a horse called Debussy, and the Beverly D. Stakes (gr. I) went to Eclair de Lune, named for one of Debussy’s most famous works, Clair de Lune. Debussy (TrueNicks A) was a group II-winner in France last year. He’s from the penultimate crop of the deceased Champion Two-Year-Old Diesis (by Sharpen Up). The dam, Opera Comique (by Singspiel), is a group-place half sister to a top-class horse in Belmez, winner of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (gr. I).

Eclair de Lune who was winning her first black type event, is owned by Richard L. Duchoissois, the 88-year-old president of Arlington Park, and the race she captured, the Beverly D. Stakes (gr. I), is named after his late wife.

Eclair de Lune is by Marchand de Sable, a Theatrical son who scored his only stakes victory in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (gr. I) as a two-year-old. He’s sired just eight stakes winners, but they also include the five-time group I-winning sprinter Marchand d’Or, and Commercante, who took the E.P. Taylor Stakes (gr. I). Eclair de Lune’s dam, Elegante, is by the very successful German sire Acatenango, out of Eirene, winner of the Alexander-Rennen and Preis Der Winterkonigin. Eiriene is a half sister to the major German tap root mare Elektra, dam of the Preis Von Europa (gr. I) captor Ebano, and ancestress of more than 20 other stakes winners, including Champion and group I winner Ellle Danzig (dam of this year’s German Oaks (gr. I) second Elle Shadow).

Also at Arlington Park, the Stars and Stripes Turf Stakes (gr. III) went to Memorial Maniac (TrueNicks A++), a son of Lear Fan, out of the Cozzene mare, Enlightening. The granddam is by Halo, from the family of the noted Halo trio, Devil’s Bag, Saint Ballado, and Glorious Song.

Another Roberto line graded stakes winner on the lawn was It’s Tea Time (TrueNicks B+), who became the fourth graded winner by Dynaformer (TrueNicks,SRO) out of a Storm Cat mare with a score in the Lake Placid Stakes (gr. III). It’s Tea Time’s second dam is by Diesis, who has been very good under Dynaformer, and the fourth dam,Floral Park, is a sister to Flower Bowl (dam of Dynaformer’s broodmare sire, His Majesty).

Up in Canada veteran Marsh Side (TrueNicks A+), one of two grade I winners by Gone West out of mares by Pleasant Colony, ran out a five lengths winner of the Sky Classic Stakes (gr. II) at Woodbine. The Ontario oval has proved a happy hunting ground for the seven-year-old, as he has already won the Northern Dancer Stakes (gr. I) and Canadian International (gr. I) north of the border.

The super-consistent Evening Jewel (TrueNicks A++) has first first or second in 11 straight races, and after winning the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) on the all-weather at Keeneland, she’s shown herself to also be very effective on the grass, and that point was underlined by her weekend victory in the Del Mar Oaks (gr. I). By Northern Afleet (TrueNicks,SRO) , she is out a daughter of Giant's Causeway (TrueNicks,SRO), from a family that has also produced General Challenge (a sister to Evening Jewel’s second dam), Notable Career and Southern Halo. Incidentally, we love her as a future mate for Medaglia d'Oro (TrueNicks,SRO).

Two of Evening Jewel’s second places have been nose defeats to Blind Luck in the Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) and the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). That filly advanced her claims to eventual honors as Champion Three-Year-Old Filly with a win in the Alabama Stakes (gr. I), in which her expected main rival, Devil May Care, simply failed to fire. We’ve look at the pedigree of Blind Luck, who is TrueNicks rated A+, several times before, but to recap briefly, is from the first crop of Pollard’s Vision (by Carson City) out the Best of Luck (by Broad Brush) mare, Lucky One. What makes pedigree particularly interesting, however, is that Best of Luck’s broodmare sire is Chief’s Crown. He’s by a son of Northern Dancer out of a daughter of Chris Evert, and Pollard’s Vision’s third dam, Nijinsky Star is by a son of Northern Dancer out of Chris Evert, so closely related to Chief’s Crown.

Currently Florida’s leading sire, Graeme Hall (TrueNicks,SRO), is out of a mare inbred to the sisters My Dear Girl (dam of In Reality) and Treasure Chest, and to In Reality’s sire, Intent. Out of In Reality line mares, he has sired three stakes winners, including grade I-placed Belle of the Hall, and Duke of Mischief (TrueNicks A++), who added to his resume at the weekend with a win in the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (gr. III).

Third crop sire, Canadian Frontier (TrueNicks,SRO) (by Gone West) had stakes winners on consecutive weekends with No Such Word (TrueNicks A+) taking the Monmouth Oaks (gr. III) and Hilda’s Passion the Bennington Stakes at Saratoga. She is out of Muskoka Ice, by It’s Freezing (by T.V. Commercial) out of Muskoka Weekend by Nostrum (Dr. Fager half brother to Northern Dancer). Hilda’s Passion (TrueNicks A++) is out of a mare by El Prado. This is rather interesting as Canadian Frontier’s second dam is by Nureyev, the three-parts-brother to El Prado’s sire, Sadler’s Wells.

Staying with the Gone West sire line, we couldn’t pass on Kimmyv, a daughter of El Corredor (TrueNicks,SRO). By Mr. Greeley (TrueNicks,SRO) out of a Silver Deputy mare, El Corredor has Mr. Prospector 3 x 4. He has three stakes winners out of Mr. Prospector line mares, including Wanna Runner, a graded winner of over $600,000. Wanna Runner’s dam, was by the Mr. Prospector stallion, Mt. Magazine, with a second dam by Vice Regent. This is significant, since it’s a reverse cross to Silver Deputy, who is by a son of Vice Regent out of a Mr. Prospector mare. El Corredor has had just three starters with dams by sons of Mr. Prospector out of Vice Regent mares, and the score for that pattern now stands at two stakes winners from three starters, after Kimmyv (dam by Forty Niner out of a Vice Regent mare) won the listed Emerald Downs Distaff Handicap.

Filed under: Recent Winners