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With Danedream flashing her credentials for a shot at back-to-back victories in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) with a score in the Grosser Preis von Baden (Ger-I) at the weekend, we thought it was worth a look back at her pedigree from this article we wrote for the International Thoroughbred after her win in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in...
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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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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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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...
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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...
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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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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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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...
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