Home

Buffalo Creek Horse Ranch stallions Ballado Chieftan and Azul Da Guanabara have joined the TrueNicks roster.

Ballado Chieftan (TrueNicks,SRO), by Saint Ballado, is a half brother to globetrotting Dubai Golden Shaheen (gr. I) champ Kinsale King, who also placed in the prestigious Golden Jubilee (gr. I) at Royal Ascot. The half brothers are among six winners from seven to race from the Woodman mare Flaming Mirage, herself a half sister to graded stakes performers Light of Morn and Dancing Mirage. This is the family of multiple grade I winner A Wild Ride and champion 2-year-old colt Roving Boy.

Trained by Nick Zito, Ballado Chieftan broke his maiden by six lengths going one mile at Belmont Park. The chestnut colt then met stakes company in the seven-furlong Perryville Stakes at Keeneland, finishing a close second to speedy Clock Stopper while defeating graded winner Champali.

At stud, Ballado Chieftan has sired stakes winner Infinite Chief and six-time winner and earner of over $85,000, Lady of Mischief.

New for 2011 is multiple group I-placed Azul Da Guanabara (BRZ) (TrueNicks,SRO), a son of gr. I winner Aracai (by Gem Master, by Green Dancer). Azul Da Guanabara placed twice at the highest level in his native Brazil, in the Brazilian 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) and Grande Premio Jockey Club de São Paulo (gr. I), a 2,000-meter race won by his sire, Aracai.

Guanabara is a Brazilian region comprising the city of Rio de Janeiro. As is customary in Brazil, a similar naming convention is adopted for progeny of a particular stallion. In this case, Aracai's offspring frequently use "Da Guanabara" in their names.

In Dubai, Azul Da Guanabara turned back to sprinting to be second, beaten a length by millionaire Tropical Star, in the six-furlong Mahab Al Shimaal (gr. III), the local prep for the Golden Shaheen (gr. I).

Azul Da Guanabara represents a sire line rarely available today in the U.S., being an extension of the Nijinsky-Green Dancer branch of Northern Dancer. From a family rich in Brazilian group performers, his pedigree presents breeders the opportunity to infuse new blood into the domestic population. While the stallion is free of inbreeding within five generations, he carries one strain each of Mr. Prospector and Nijinsky, giving inbreeding and line breeding options that should help him find affinities with local broodmares. One similar recent success is Candy Ride, who comes from a primarily Argentine family, but carries Mr. Prospector and Northern Dancer within five generations.

Azul Da Guanabara's sire line is relatively narrow, meaning that there are not many stallion sons within the first few generations. For this reason, TrueNicks often delivers "No Rating" for his hypothetical mating reports. While there may be no letter grade rating, the top foals on the cross are included in each report. Click here for more info on No Ratings.

Ballado Chieftan and Azul Da Guanabara will each stand for a $1,500 fee at Buffalo Creek Horse Ranch in Vinita, Oklahoma.

Filed under: Announcements, Sires