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Quality in Abundance

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 11:55 AM

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 ... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Feb 10, 2010 | 0 Comments

It's All Relative

Friday, February 05, 2010 11:22 AM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Feb 05, 2010 | 2 Comments

Corredor of Power

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 2:40 PM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Jan 27, 2010 | 0 Comments

A Crowded Family Portrait

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 2:46 PM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Jan 26, 2010 | 1 Comment

Winslow Homer-Variation on a Theme

Monday, January 25, 2010 2:26 PM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Jan 25, 2010 | 2 Comments

Amen!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 12:44 PM

Among the weekend’s fillies, the biggest win was that scored by Amen Hallelujah in the Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II). The daughter of Montbrook was overdue a good win, having finished third in the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I) and Alcibiades Stakes (gr. I). She is out of Sara’s Success, a stakes winning daughter of Concorde’s Tune (by Concorde Bound, a son of... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Jan 20, 2010 | 3 Comments

On the Road

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 3:24 PM

It’s only the third week in January, but the classic generation are already beginning to crank up. As far as the Derby is concerned the most significant race was the San Rafael Stakes (gr. III). This was won by unbeaten Conveyance, a son of Indian Charlie ( TrueNicks , SRO ). The dam, Emptythetill, is by Holy Bull ( TrueNicks , SRO ) , out of a Mr. Prospector... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Jan 19, 2010 | 2 Comments

And Now For The Stakes Winners...

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 7:18 PM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Jan 13, 2010 | 0 Comments

What's the Difference?

Sunday, January 10, 2010 12:30 PM

Russell asks : Why are the ratings found in the Stallion Affinity Report not the same as the ratings obtained by running an individual mating? As an example, Storm Cat over Yonaguska gets a TrueNicks rating of A+ according to the sample affinity report shown for Storm Cat. I ran my Yonaguska mare, Bella Cherokee, with Frost Giant using the TrueNicks link on the... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Jan 10, 2010 | 2 Comments

Keep On Rolling

Thursday, January 07, 2010 9:30 AM

Giant's Causeway ( TrueNicks , SRO ) celebrated his first Leading Sire crown in appropriate fashion, notching up his twenty-third stakes winner of the year when Tiger’s Rock captured the Gallant Fox Handicap at Aqueduct on December 31. This was the first stakes win for the three-year-old, who is out of the Afleet mare, Call Me Fleet (TrueNicks rated A ). What... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Jan 07, 2010 | 0 Comments

A Lucky Pair With Three of a Kind

Tuesday, December 22, 2009 6:26 PM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Dec 22, 2009 | 3 Comments

Not Your Father's Cross

Thursday, December 17, 2009 5:10 PM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Dec 17, 2009 | 3 Comments

Still Lucky, In Kentucky

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 4:43 PM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Oct 14, 2009 | 0 Comments

Good Vision

Thursday, October 08, 2009 8:53 AM

We've tracked the progress of freshman Pollard's Vision ( TrueNicks , SRO ) in several previous posts, but we must admit we didn't expect him to vault to the top of the Freshman Sire table. However, that's what happened when his daughter, Blind Luck, emerged from the Oak Leaf Stakes (gr. I) with a 2½ lengths victory. She is the fourth stakes winner from the first... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Oct 08, 2009 | 7 Comments

The Aga Khan Stars Also Shine

Wednesday, October 07, 2009 2:31 PM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Oct 07, 2009 | 3 Comments

Q&A - What are the Differences Between TrueNicks & Other Nicking Systems? What's More Important, a 'Good' Dosage Profile or a Good Nick Rating?

Monday, October 05, 2009 4:26 PM

Dawn asks : I am somewhat new to this and really need some help. have a mare named Buy You A Bear (Bayou Hebert x Sheckyrilla - Shecky Greene) that I am contemplating breeding to Borrego or Leroidesanimaux. These are my questions: 1) Based on TrueNicks, she nicks better with 'Leroi' than Borrego, but her Dosage is better with Borrego and she has more stakes winners... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Oct 05, 2009 | 8 Comments

A Juvenile Weekend

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 1:47 PM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Sep 23, 2009 | 4 Comments

Oh Canada

Monday, September 21, 2009 9:21 PM

A lot of the key North American action was focused in Canada this weekend. The most valuable race of the weekend was the $1,000,000 (Canadian funds) Woodbine Mile (gr. I), which was taken in storming fashion by the five-year-old mare Ventura (TrueNicks A++ ). She is a reminder of just how severe a loss the premature death of her sire, Chester House was. He sired... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Sep 21, 2009 | 0 Comments

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