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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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Actually this post is as much about Prince John as it is about Halo, but “Prince John effect” doesn’t have quite the same ring. What turned our mind to the connection between the two, and more particularly it’s current effects, was the victory of Custom For Carlos in the Mr. Prospector Handicap (gr. III). Custom For Carlos – who strikes us as having the potential...
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We must admit, we did a double-take when we saw the pedigree line for the Malibu Stakes (gr. I) winner, M One Rifle, as the name of his sire, One Man Army, rang absolutely no bells whatsoever. It turns out that we weren’t having a senior moment, as One Man Army has very much been flying under the radar. Although not bred by Fred Hooper, One Man Army has a pedigree...
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There was a 'lucky' ending to the last major two-year-old contests of the year with Looking At Lucky taking the Cashcall Futurity (gr. I) and Blind Luck the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I). Lookin At Lucky is a son of Smart Strike ( TrueNicks , SRO ) , who won’t repeat his Leading Sire titles of 2007 and 2009, but who has had enjoyed another excellent season...
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We were interested to note the victory of Apapane in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (gr. I), the most important contest for two-year-old females in Japan. The race has been won in recent years by such stars as Buena Vista and Vodka, and Apapane was scoring for the third straight time in four starts. Apapane (TrueNicks rated A++ ) is by Kingmambo ( TrueNicks , SRO...
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Out of the Silver Deputy mare, Silvery Swan, El Corredor ( TrueNicks , SRO ) (by Mr. Greeley ( TrueNicks , SRO )) was the second grade I winner inbred to Mr. Prospector when he took the 2000 edition of the Cigar Mile (gr. I). He was also the first notable runner with such inbreeding to retire to stud and he quickly dispelled fears that his pedigree pattern would...
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Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey have done a tremendous job with their stallion, Catienus, a Storm Cat son whom they claimed, then sent out to win a minor stakes, run second in the Suburban Handicap (gr. II), two renewals of the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) and place third in the Whitney Handicap (gr. I). Catienus has never been a fashionable stallion, but...
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It might seem hard to believe, but only a handful of years ago, Sadler's Wells' legacy as far as the extension of his male-line appeared to be in severe doubt. That is no longer the case, and we were treated to a number of reminders of over the weekend. Sadler's Wells' son, High Chaparral has been rather in the shadow of his stud companions Galileo and Montjeu...
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The juvenile filly grade I races over the weekend (including Friday) both went to stallions who made their names in a regional market before moving to Kentucky. The Frizette Stakes (gr. I) went to Devil May Care, who was making only her second start. She is by Malibu Moon ( TrueNicks , SRO ), who initially started very cheaply in Maryland, and out of Kelli's...
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The surprising Pollard's Vision ( TrueNicks , SRO ) had leapt to the head of the Freshman class following the victory of Blind Luck in the Oak Leaf Stakes (gr. I) last weekend. That lead was short-lived, however, and Hill 'n' Dale's Roman Ruler ( TrueNicks , SRO ) now has the top spot after his son Homeboykris (TrueNicks A++) captured the Champagne Stakes (gr...
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Sea the Stars has rightfully dominated the headlines from Europe but the other story of the weekend was the remarkable performance of horses bred and owned by the Aga Khan. We'll start with the 2½ mile Prix du Cadran (gr. I), which went to Alandi (TrueNicks A ), who is by Galileo out of the stakes winning Darshaan mare, Aliya, and is one of no less than five...
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Jukebox Jury, a group winner at two and three, notched his first win at the highest level when capturing the Preis Von Europe (gr. I). Out of Mare Aux Fees, he is one of two stakes winners from only four foals by Montjeu out of mares by Kenmare (and rated A++ by TrueNicks), a pattern that gives inbreeding to Zeddaan, the grandsire of Kenmare, and of the third...
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There were several stakes for juveniles last weekend and two freshman sires, Kitten’s Joy (who also had the Summer S. (gr. III) runner-up Becky’s Kitten) and Roman Ruler ( TrueNicks , SRO ) put stakes winners on the board. Kitten’s Joy, who now has 11 first crop winners, was represented by Sunday Silence Stakes winner William’s Kitten who is out of a mare by...
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We've looked at the pedigree of Rachel Alexandra in considerable detail in previous posts, but as far as her sire, Medaglia d'Oro ( TrueNicks , SRO ) is concerned, the big news was the weekend victory of Al Khail, who became the first stakes winning colt for his sire with a win in the Saranac Stakes (gr. III). That win took Medaglia d'Oro's total of stakes winners...
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Last week we wrote that Careless Jewel had put up a Rachel Alexandra-like effort in crushing the Alabama Stakes (gr. I) field. Fast forward a week, and we find four-year-old Icon Project, delivering her Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I) rivals a 13½ lengths drubbing. Icon Project (TrueNicks A++ ) is the second grade I winner and one of eight total stakes winners...
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With runners like Curlin ( TrueNicks , SRO ), English Channel ( TrueNicks , SRO ) , and Labatt Woodbine Oaks winners Eye of the Sphinx and Gold Strike, Smart Strike ( TrueNicks , SRO ) is generally considered a horse whose runners do their best work when given some time, and often over middle-distance. That consensus, however, overlooks another side to his character...
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Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 We have mentioned previously in this column how strong the current second-crop sires look as a group. Indeed we probably haven't seen as strong a group of second-crop sires since 2001 when Maria's Mon beat out Unbridled's Song ( TrueNicks , SRO ) , Hennessy, Forest Wildcat, Smart Strike...
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Sunday was a huge day for Dynaformer ( TrueNicks , SRO ) , who scored an international "classic" group/grade I double.Wiener Walzer (GER) scored Sunday in the IDEE Deutsches Derby (Ger-I) and Gozzip Girl captured the American Oaks Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) the same day. What's particularly interesting is that both Wiener Walzer and Gozzip Girl are out of mares...
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It might have taken a while for Sadler's Wells to hit his stride as a sire of sires, but he's been making up for lost time at a tremendous rate -- as evidenced this weekend when his line dominated group and grade I racing. The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-I) resulted in a one-two for the offspring of his sons as Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-I) runner-up Fame...
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It was a relatively quiet weekend in international racing, but there was one classic in North America, Canada's classic Queen's Plate. The race went to favorite, Eye of the Leopard, who narrowly held of from Mr. Foricos Two U, with Canadian Oaks winner Milwaukee Appeal third. Eye of the Leopard certainly has the pedigree for the job as he is by A.P. Indy ( TrueNicks...
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A quick observation: A recent Porter on Pedigrees column discussed the unusually strong success of this year's second-crop sires. In it, I mentioned Cure the Blues in Gabby's Golden Gal's pedigree. It's interesting to note that Cure the Blues is also sire of the second dam of Rachel Alexandra -- that’s right, he’s in the dam side of both grade I winners by Medaglia...
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