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Considering we’re some way up the road to the Triple Crown, a surprising proportion of this weekend’s graded stakes activity was for older mares. Among that group, none were more impressive than Hilda’s Passion, who led throughout the Inside Information Stakes (gr. II, video below) at Gulfstream Park, to score by 5¼ lengths, while setting a new track record of...
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The weekend of March 12-13 was a good one for some emerging sires in Australia and New Zealand. Magic Albert comes from a branch of the Nearco sire line that has been a purely Australian one for several generations. He is a son of Champion 3-Year-Old and successful sire Zeditave, who is turn is by The Judge, by Showdown (Champion English 2-Year-Old, and twice...
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Owner Mike Repole has doubtless been dreaming of the Kentucky Derby ever since Uncle Mo crossed the finishing line to capture the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I). Happily, after the weekend the dream is still alive. The opposition for the one mile Timely Writer Stakes (video below) was hardly the sternest, but the Champion could not have been more convincing,...
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Last weekend Danzig line first season sires War Front ( TrueNicks , SRO ) and Pomeroy ( TrueNicks , SRO ) were writing the headlines. This weeked it was three-year-olds from the first crop of sons of A.P. Indy ( TrueNicks , SRO ) who made their mark. Turbulent Descent – a grade I-winning daughter of last year’s upset Leading Freshman Sire Congrats ( TrueNicks...
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The weekend’s classic trials saw Danzig line stallions War Front ( TrueNicks , SRO ) and Pomeroy ( TrueNicks , SRO ) consolidate their positions at the top of the Second Season Sire tables. The Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) was taken by Soldat (TrueNicks A++ ), who continued his successful turf-to-dirt transition, leading throughout for a two length score...
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On the international scene, the performance of last week was that put up by Black Caviar in the Lightning Stakes (gr. I, video below). The Australian filly was officially rated the best sprinter in the world for 2010, and confirmed that she will be hard to dislodge from her perch, while maintaining her unbeaten record and defying a ten week layoff to tally by...
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We know that The Factor is fast. In his maiden win he set a Santa Anita six furlong track-record of 1:06.98 – admittedly over a strip that was then playing like a paved highway – and he returned last weekend to win the seven furlong San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) in 1:20.34, after setting fractions of :22.20; :43.41; and 1:07.31. What we don’t know is how fast the...
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We were always great fans of Holy Bull ( TrueNicks , SRO ). For a start, we're suckers for greys, and secondly, he represents that last hope for the continuation of the “other” branch of the Himyar line. The most familiar branch of this line – the oldest native American line, tracing back to a horse called Eclipse, not the great founding father foaled in 1764...
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While we are awaiting the return to action of Indian Charlie ( TrueNicks , SRO )’s Two-Year-Old Champion Uncle Mo, the son of In Excess gave notice that he could be doubly represented in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) following the game victory of Anthony’s Cross in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II). Out of the Unbridled mare Screening, Anthony’s Cross is half...
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Another sire who had a good week on the international scene was Street Cry (IRE) ( TrueNicks , SRO ). His U.S.-bred three-year-old colt Splash Point captured the U.A.E. 2000 Guineas (gr. III, video below), his only previous win having come over seven furlongs in England last year. Splash Point is out of the Danehill mare Dianehill, a stakes-winning and multiple...
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Young New Zealand sire Thorn Park is a stallon who is quietly moving up the ranks, and he enjoyed a good weekend with Centennial Park winning the Cleanvent Expressway Stakes (gr. II) at Rosehill, Australia, and Jimmy Choux taking the H.S. Dyke Waikato Guineas (gr. III). A son of the brilliant miler Spinning World (by Nureyev), and from the great family that descends...
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Leading Sire of 2009 and 2010, Giant's Causeway ( TrueNicks , SRO ) doesn’t look like he is going away anytime soon. He’s running second on the list right now, and his trio of 2011 stakes winners include Giant Oak (TrueNicks A++ ), who added the Donn Handicap (gr. I) to his win in the Clark Handicap (gr. I) on his previous outing. Out of a Crafty Prospector mare...
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For all his merits as a sire – and he crossed successfully over as wide a range of broodmare sires as you could ask for – Wild Again was generally a disappointment as a sire of sires (although Wild Rush did start to shine once he had left these shores for Japan). Despite that, two of this weekend’s major contests fell to horses sired by different sons of Wild...
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Z fans didn't have to wait long for another Z-named, Jerry-and-Ann-Moss-owned filly to win a grade I race in California. Zazu, a striking gray filly by Tapit ( TrueNicks , SRO ), came from last to out-finish favored Turbulent Descent in the one-mile Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) on Saturday. Zazu is out of the Mr. Greeley mare Rhumb Line, who won her first three...
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Mineshaft ( TrueNicks , SRO )’s first two years with runners didn’t go exactly the way supporters of the Horse of the Year might have hoped. However, the following year, 2009, he began a revival that gained further pace in 2010, and juding by the victory of Dialed In in the Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) at the weekend, is set to maintain momentum in the coming year...
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The victory of It Tiz (TrueNicks A++ ) in the Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita means that Tiznow ( TrueNicks , SRO ) now has two stakes winners from five starters out of mares by Woodman. Someone knows something, however, as Tiznow has six more foals of racing age on the cross. Woodman is a Mr. Prospector/Buckpasser cross, as is Seeking the Gold, and Tiznow also...
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On the three-year-old filly front, Bouquet Booth, a daughter of second crop sire [Flower Alley], took her third straight win, following up her Delta Downs Princess Stakes (gr. III) tally, with a game victory in the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds, a step towards the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II). Bouquet Booth is out of Toll Order, who is by Loup Sauvage...
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The first new potential contestant to take a recognized trial race this year is Wilkinson, who narrowly won the LeComte Stakes (gr. III) over Pants On Fire (by Jump Start). Wilkinson had scored only once in his previous four starts, although he did also have two seconds and a third on his record. He is a home-bred son of Lemon Drop Kid ( TrueNicks , SRO ), winner...
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The holiday season was a very good one for several young stallions. Florida’s Wildcat Heir ( TrueNicks , SRO ) – who ran down the very promising Afleet Alex ( TrueNicks , SRO ) late to take the Leading Second Season Sire title by just over $20,000 – got the New Year off to a good start with his daughter Breathoffreshheir (TrueNicks A++ ) winning the January 2...
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It’s pretty clear that Indian Charlie ( TrueNicks , SRO )’s son Uncle Mo is going to head the Experimental Free Handicap and carry off the Eclipse Awad for Champion Two-Year-Old. However, it may well be that the second top-rated juvenile of the year will be another Indian Charlie line horse in the shape of Comma to the Top, a son of Bwana Charlie ( TrueNicks...
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Congrats, photo by Louise Reinagel With the impressive victory of his daughter Turbulent Descent in the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I), Congrats ( TrueNicks , SRO ) may well have sewn up the 2010 freshman sire’s race. The winner’s purse of $245,550 propelled him into what may well be an uncatchable lead over Bluegrass Cat ( TrueNicks , SRO ) (out of a mare...
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Speightstown, photo by Lee Thomas It has long been apparent that the crop of stallions that began their stud career in 2005 is a very good one. It’s members include Medaglia d'Oro ( TrueNicks , SRO ), Tapit ( TrueNicks , SRO ), Speightstown ( TrueNicks , SRO ), Candy Ride (ARG) ( TrueNicks , SRO ), and Lion Heart ( TrueNicks ) (exported to Turkey, but actually...
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The $1,000,000 Delta Jackpot (gr. III) often throws up a later-developing youngster who has been flying under the radar. This time it was a more exposed type who got the job done. Calder shipper Gourmet Dinner was making his fifth career start, and had already won two stakes—the Dr. Fager Stakes and Affirmed Stakes—before suffering his first defeat in the October...
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Only a few weeks ago we were reflecting in MarketWatch how the U.S. dirt horse–the core of the North American commercial thoroughbred– had evolved into a horse that was very different from the European turf runner. It that light, it's somewhat ironic that the two horses that fought out the heart-stopping run to the line in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) have...
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Goldikova following training, Freddie Head's yard, June 2009. Photo by Ian Tapp. Today, Alain Wertheimer, one of Goldikova's owner-breeders, announced that the champion mare would remain in training for 2011 and attempt a fourth consecutive win in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. I). Click here to read more . Alan Porter, advising the Wertheimers, recommended the...
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