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This morning I spoke briefly with Brereton Jones of Airdrie Stud, who alerted me to a homebred filly of his with a very clever name. She is by Airdrie stallion Proud Citizen ( TrueNicks , SRO ) out of the winning Langfuhr ( TrueNicks , SRO ) mare Saramar—the exact same cross as Mr. Jones' Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner and champion 3-year-old filly Proud Spell...
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On a week when much will be written about the great Frankel (Galileo– Kind , by Danehill) as he retires to Juddmonte Farms to serve his first season at stud in 2013, this writer had pause to reflect on the outstanding performance of his broodmare sire, Danehill, who has thus far proved himself a phenomenon as a sire and broodmare sire in two hemispheres—a true...
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Danzig/Secretariat The great Danzig, who would eventually sire 202 stakes winners (18.8% from foals), didn't take long to prove himself when his first runners hit the track in 1984. His daughter Contredance won the Adirondack (gr. II) and Arlington-Washington Lassie (gr. I), and son Stephan's Odyssey took the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I). But the big horse was...
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Alan Porter's recent post on the Galileo/Danehill nick inspired some lively discussion in the comments section. One of our most outspoken and analytical community members, known by the handle sceptre , posed a very good set of questions that we thought we'd address here in a new blog. 1. Consider two stallions, one has but 90+ named foals of which 16% are SWs...
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With the game triumph of Roderic O’Connor in Saturday's Irish 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) following hot-on-the-heels of the smooth victory of Golden Lilac in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-French 1,000 Guineas (gr. I) one week ago, and Frankel’s runaway English 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) win three weeks ago, the cross of Galileo and mares by Danehill has become the classic...
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We are often asked why we assign a No Rating designation to some crosses. Well, it's quite simply that sometimes the most honest answer to a question is “We don't know – there isn’t enough evidence to give a verdict." Click for Conveyance's pedigree, an example of a No Rating . In assessing a cross, the TrueNicks algorithm tries to calculate a rating on the basis...
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The sterling efforts of Pivotal, and of Sadler’s Wells sons Galileo and Montjeu – who come to the fore as the distance increase – not withstanding, European racing often appears to be dominated by the Danzig line, particularly via Danehill and Green Desert. Those two branches were particuarly in evidence in the last week, through Dansili – who is vying with Danehill...
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While Ghostzapper ( TrueNicks , SRO ) was represented by his first grade I winner when Stately Victor upset the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), his older half-brother City Zip ( TrueNicks , SRO ) , continued his progress when his daughter Unzip Me captured the Las Cienegas Handicap (gr. III). City Zip – who’s advertised stud fee for 2010 is just $10,000 – currently...
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Although he was relatively sparingly-raced – 11 starts in four seasons – and carefully-managed, both form book and speed-figures suggest that Ghostzapper ( TrueNicks , SRO ) is worthy of a place alongside the all-time greats. Indeed, a record that includes wins in the 6½ furlong Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I); the seven furlong Tom Fool Handicap (gr. II, in 1:20.42...
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Sidney’s Candy took the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and is by young sire sensation, Candy Ride (ARG) ( TrueNicks , SRO ). He follows Evita Argentina and Capt. Candyman Can as the third grade I winner by the sire from only ten starters out of mares by Storm Cat and his sons. Can we say “emerging nick” anyone? He’s from the second crop of Candy Ride (a grandson of...
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The beautifully-bred Battle Plan has taken a while to show that he has talent to match his pedigree. The five-year-old only ran twice before this year, having been sidelined after breaking his maiden in the January of his three-year-old season. Returning from that extended break, he kicked off the year with a pair of allowance wins at Gulfstream Park, and at...
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One nick that has a 100% strike-rate is that of Yankee Victor with mares by Woodman, which has produced stakes winner Timely Reflection, and Kinsale King (TrueNicks A++) , who took the Golden Shaheen (gr. I) in Dubai. The granddam, Flaming Leaves is a stakes winner and graded placed, and is a three-part-sister to Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Roving Boy (both by...
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Last year’s Frizette Stakes (gr. I) captress, Devil May Care re-established herself near the top of the division with a 2¾ lengths win in the Bonnie Miss Stakes (gr. III). She’s a Pedigree Consultants recommended mating (for Diamond A Racing Corp) and is by the A.P. Indy ( TrueNicks , SRO ) son [Malibu Moon] out of the Red Ransom mare, Kelli’s Ransom (rated A...
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Pulpit ( TrueNicks , SRO ) was one of the sensations of the early part of 1997, going undefeated through his first three starts at Gulfstream Park. In succession he took a seven furlong maiden by 7½ lengths, an allowance race by 6¼ lengths, and the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II). The triumphant progress was interrupted when, taken further off the pace than...
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Last Thursday was “Super Thursday” in Dubai, the preview to World Cup Day. Here's a look a some of the more interesting pedigrees. Presvis, who took the Jebel Hatta (gr. II), is by the Riverman, grandson, Sakhee, winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (gr. I), and Juddmonte International (gr. I). What’s more unusual, however, is that Presvis, is out of a mare...
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In the UAE Oaks Guineas, Raihana avenged her UAE 1,000 Guineas defeat by Siyaadah, who took third here. A daughter of Elusive Quality ( TrueNicks , SRO ) , Raihana is out of the Sunday Silence mare, Esubooh. The mating is rated B+ by TrueNicks on the basis of the broad Mr. Prospector/Sunday Silence cross, a nick that has also produced Japanese grade one winners...
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Rule, was expected to get his classic campaign off to a bright start in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) and he accomplished this with aplomb. Rule certainly has a classic pedigree. He is from the first crop of Roman Ruler ( TrueNicks , SRO ) (by Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner, Fusaichi Pegasus ( TrueNicks , SRO )), who had a good weekend with his daughter Roman...
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Bim Bam is a son of Deputy Wild Cat (by Deputy Minister, out of Champion Hollywood Wildcat, and a brother to stake winner Minister’s Wildcat, and half-brother to War Chant ( TrueNicks , SRO ) ), who stands at Fairberry Farm in Illinois. Deputy Wildcat has sired just 64 foals in his first three crops, and two of these are stakes winners, Bim Bam, and Ashley River...
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Last Saturday, Quality Road erased the Gulfstream Park nine furlong track record that he himself had established in the 2009 Florida Derby (gr. I), earning a Ghostzapper ( TrueNicks , SRO ) -like 121 Beyer in the process. Quality Road’s sire, Elusive Quality ( TrueNicks , SRO ) can now claim to be responsible for three truly outstanding horses; Smarty Jones ...
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In our most recent post we commented on some interesting duplications found in last weekend's stakes winners. There a few more that are also worth highlighting: Repent ( TrueNicks , SRO ) had a good winner last weekend in Sweet Repent, winner of the Sunshine Millions Distaff Stake. TrueNicks rated A++ , Sweet Repent has an intriguing pedigree. She is out of a...
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Last weekend was relatively light on graded stakes action in the U.S., with just three races at that level. Two of the three, however, went to horses with interesting genetic relative inbreeding. Medaglia d'Oro ( TrueNicks , SRO )’s “other” grade I winning filly, Gabby’s Golden Gal, took her second race at that level, the Santa Monica Handicap (gr. I). She is...
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El Corredor ( TrueNicks , SRO ) is off to a very good start in 2010, and when El Caballo took the Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes (gr. III), he followed the Santa Ysabel Stakes (gr. III) victress Crisp, as the second graded winner of January for the sire. El Caballo, a six-year-old gelding who was beaten a nose in the Mervin Muniz Jr. Handicap (gr. II) in his previous...
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We have to wonder if there has been a more prolific family in the last couple of years than that of the Verbatim mare, Right Word, the dam of three stakes winners: the graded scorer Ascutney and Words of War (both by Lord At War) and Word o’ Ransom (by Red Ransom). Ascutney is dam of two graded winners, headed by Raven’s Pass, winner of the 2008 Breeders’ Cup...
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Winslow Homer has been a “talking horse” ever since his three lengths maiden win at Saratoga in August and he came through loud and clear in the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) on Saturday. Winslow Homer is the first foal of his dam, Summer Raven, winner of the Tempted Stakes (gr. III) at two. A daughter of Summer Squall, Summer Raven is out of Rahy Rose, a Rahy half...
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Wildcat Heir ( TrueNicks , SRO ) ended 2009 with the frankly-staggering total of 39 individual juvenile winners. Despite this, he’d reached November before a stakes winner appeared. But surely enough, time has begun to reveal quality among Wildcat Heir’s great quantity of winners. On November 13, Karmageddon took the Jersey Juvenile Stakes, and the very next...
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