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Discreet Cat ( TrueNicks , SRO )'s stud career may not yet have matched the scintillating racetrack performances that saw him rated as a world champion at 3, but he's having a very strong year in 2013, standing second only to stud-mate Hard Spun ( TrueNicks , SRO ) among U.S.-based third season sires. Photo: Darley Discreet Cat (Forestry—Pretty Discreet, by Private...
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While he is now considered an "elder statesman" of the Coolmore Australia stallion roster, there can be no doubt that Encosta de Lago (AUS) ( TrueNicks , SRO ) is one of the premier stallions standing in Australia this year. The son of Fairy King has amassed a sensational record at stud with 6.3% stakes winners to foals and 7.6% stakes winners to runners (up...
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It's no secret that the late German stallion Monsun, who died last September at the age 22, was an outstanding sire. However, even by his standards, he had exceptional day May 26, with 5-year-old Maxios taking the Prix d'Ispahan (Fr-I) and 3-year-old filly Silasol capturing the Prix Saint-Alary (Fr-I), both at Longchamp; and in Milan on the same afternoon, Charity...
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The wins of Orb in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Princess of Sylmar in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) further solidified the pensioned Lane's End stallion A.P. Indy as the premier sire line source of classic speed in the North American Thoroughbred. Indeed, with Normandy Invasion (by Tapit ( TrueNicks , SRO )), Dreaming of Julia, and Revolutionary (out of an A.P...
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Sunland Park's big day turned into a benefit for Bob Baffert and Mike Pegram, who took the Sunland Park Derby (gr. III, VIDEO ) with Govenor Charlie (also bred by Pegram) and the Sunland Park Oaks ( VIDEO ) with Midnight Lucky (owned by Pegram in partnership). The duo—who both scored in track record time—are both from the first crop of the Baffert-trained/Pegram...
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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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With all the attention currently (and deservedly) lavished on Frankel , it's probably worth giving a perspective on Brigadier Gerard, the horse that he's supplanted as miler of a lifetime. "The Brigadier" had more humble beginnings than Frankel. Bred by John Hislop (an outstanding amateur jockey and noted breeding and racing writer), was by Queen's Hussar (a...
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Ron the Greek looked like a horse who could develop into a genuine classic prospect when closing late to take the 2010 renewal of the LeComte Stakes (gr. III) by 1½ lengths. At that point, the Florida-bred was a winner of three of his four starts, but rather surprisingly, it would take another 22 months and ten races before he revisted the winner's circle. That...
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Union Rags, who remained winter favorite for the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) despite a narrow loss to Hansen ( TrueNicks ) in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), made his keenly-awaited seasonal debut in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II, video ) at Gulfstream Park. The wait proved worthwhile, as Union Rags could hardly have been more impressive, settling behind...
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Saint Ballado, 1989-2002 There was a moment when the Hail to Reason line through Halo threatened to establish itself as the “third force” in U.S. breeding (behind the inevitable Mr. Prospector and Northern Dancer). Of course we still have the ultra-consistent Southern Halo son More Than Ready ( TrueNicks , SRO ) (whose own son Ready's Image ( TrueNicks , SRO...
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The thrilling finish of the Breeder's Cup Classic (gr. I) saw Blame spoil the undefeated record of Zenyatta, and the supermare's storyline instantly became reminiscent of another champion—Seattle Slew. Like Zenyatta, Seattle Slew started his career undefeated. He won his first nine races, which included six grade I's and the Triple Crown. Also like Zenyatta,...
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In an era when Mr. Prospector, Northern Dancer, and A.P. Indy ( TrueNicks , SRO ) are the dominant forces in U.S. racing, it comes as a pleasant surprise that currently the leading two-year-old colts on either coast are male-line descendents of Man o’ War through In Reality . On Monday, the much-vaunted Boys At Tosconova (TrueNicks A++ ), impressed while winning...
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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 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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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 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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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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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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Sadler's Wells, whose sons and grandsons have a virtual shut-out in the upcoming Epsom Derby (Eng-I), ran wild last week, particularly in concert with his old ally Mill Reef. In Australia, his number one son Galileo (IRE) was represented by Saint Minerva (AUS), winner of The Prop House Grand Prix Stakes (Aus-III). Rated A++ , Saint Minerva follows grade I winner...
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The Runaway Groom branch of Blushing Groom (FR) had a very useful weekend. Runaway Groom's son Najran was represented by the third graded winner from his first crop when Wasted Tears took the Ouija Board Distaff Handicap (gr. IIIT). Proving herself a true daughter of her sire -- who equaled Dr. Fager's world record for a mile on dirt -- Wasted Tears smoked the...
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If Sir Thomas More was the man for all seasons then Giant's Causeway ( TrueNicks , SRO ) is the sire for all-weather. Although he's also had plenty of top-class runners on dirt or turf, there is no mistaking that his offspring are just killers on synthetic surfaces, be it California's more turf-like version, or the deeper Turfway Park going that Hold Me Back...
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It was quite a weekend for the Danzig. First of all, Danzig himself was represented by 200th stakes winner when Olympic captured the Mataji Stakes at Calder. And a review of stakes activity around the world shows that an awful lot of Danzig-line horses were keen to get in on the act, with no less than 15 other Danzig-line horses winning black type events. Five...
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It's no secret that Seattle Slew and Mr. Prospector have been combining well in pedigrees for a considerable amount of time (and probably no coincidence that both go tail-female to the Myrtlewood branch of the family of the great tap-root mare Frizette, who is incidentally doubled in Seattle Slew's granddam). One of the most successful versions of the combination...
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As a grandson of Mr. Prospector, Distorted Humor ( TrueNicks , SRO ) has been given plenty of opportunity with Northern Dancer-line mares, even though he himself is out of a mare by Northern Dancer son Danzig. Some versions have proved better than others, but overall, the broad Distorted Humor/Northern Dancer cross gets a TrueNicks rating of C+ and it has produced...
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