Home

ticker
ticker

Browse by Tags

Runaways Run Away From the Field

Thursday, May 28, 2009 9:59 AM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | May 28, 2009 | 9 Comments

Storm Cat-Line Stallions Dominate Weekend Action

Monday, March 23, 2009 11:13 PM

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... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Mar 23, 2009 | 3 Comments

Cherokee Run and Rahy -- A Blushing Groom Nick

Monday, January 05, 2009 3:12 PM

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para... Read More...

Written by Alan Porter 1 | Jan 05, 2009 | 9 Comments

It's a Danzig Affair

Thursday, July 31, 2008 12:16 PM

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... Read More...

Written by sgillies | Jul 31, 2008 | 0 Comments

Quick Step

Friday, June 20, 2008 6:06 AM

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... Read More...

Written by admin | Jun 20, 2008 | 0 Comments

Distorted Facts

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:06 PM

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... Read More...

Written by admin | Jun 18, 2008 | 0 Comments

Three Cool Cats

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 10:06 AM

There is no doubt about who is the early sensation amongst European freshman sires. One Cool Cat has already sired 10 individual winners, but more importantly, has three individual black type winners. His daughter Knavesmire captured the Hilary Needler Trophy at Redcar. Then the colt Icesolator captured the National Stakes at Sandown Park. Finally, at the weekend... Read More...

Written by admin | Jun 17, 2008 | 0 Comments

Success Rate

Monday, June 16, 2008 11:06 AM

One stallion that has been on the move, both physically and in terms of his stud fee, is Exchange Rate ( TrueNicks , SRO ). The son of Danzig - Sterling Pound (by Seeking the Gold) retired to Padua Stables in Ocala, Fla., where he stood for as little as $7,500. However, after a flying start, the gray has earned a move to Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Ky., where... Read More...

Written by admin | Jun 16, 2008 | 0 Comments

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:06 PM

Vision d'Etat retained his unbeaten record with a head victory in the Prix du Jockey-Club - French Derby (gr. I). Vision d'Etat has a pedigree that is obscure by almost any standard. Chichicastenango - the sire of Vision d'Etat - was one of only two stakes winners for his sire, Smadoun. A son of Kaldoun (by Caro), Smadoun started 63 times over five years, and... Read More...

Written by admin | Jun 11, 2008 | 0 Comments

A Generation Removed

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 3:06 PM

We are often asked the question on nick ratings - "do they work across multiple generations?" The answer ironically depends on the genuine strength of the affinity between the sire lines in question. Examples of nicks that seem to span generations and withstand the scrutiny of time include Fappiano over In Reality-line mares and Seattle Slew over Mr. Prospector... Read More...

Written by admin | Jun 11, 2008 | 0 Comments

Filed under: ,

The Other Brother

Monday, May 19, 2008 12:05 PM

With the ink barely dry on the announcement of their sire's retirement from active stud duty, the race to assume the mantle of rightful heir to the great Sadler's Wells in European breeding and racing is well and truly underway. With the classic winner Cima de Triomphe (IRE) ( A++ TrueNicks rated) and the classic contenders New Approach (IRE)( A++ ), Leo's Starlet... Read More...

Written by admin | May 19, 2008 | 0 Comments

Zenyatta Tough to Beat

Monday, April 07, 2008 6:04 PM

Zenyatta (Street Cry (IRE) - Vertigineux, by Kris S.) further enhanced the burgeoning reputation of her sire on Saturday with a victory in the Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I). The undefeated 4-year-old follows Street Sense ( TrueNicks , SRO ), Tomcito (a Peruvian Derby winner, who was third in last week's Florida Derby (gr. I) on his U.S. debut), Majestic Roi... Read More...

Written by admin | Apr 07, 2008 | 0 Comments

Momente Passed?

Monday, April 07, 2008 2:04 AM

Previously in this blog we had commented about the strange fact that despite standing at the same farm in Australia, Giant's Causeway never received as many Danehill mares as one would have thought reasonable. By our count, Giant's Causeway has only 16 named foals out of Danehill mares, a stunning number when you consider that Giant's Causeway stood at a high... Read More...

Written by admin | Apr 07, 2008 | 0 Comments

Reader Q&A: Inbreeding to Alydar

Monday, March 31, 2008 2:03 PM

Jeri from New York asked: I'm pleased to see Empire Stud signed up! Could you ask Alan Porter if there is any value to tying to inbreed to Alydar. I do not see his name come up in pedigrees anymore and I have mare by Western Expression whose bottom has Alydar mate of third dam. I may be going back to far, but I could not help but think of the great horse himself... Read More...

Written by admin | Mar 31, 2008 | 1 Comment

Grand Slam Lives Up to Name

Sunday, March 30, 2008 8:03 PM

Ashford Stud sire Grand Slam lived up to his name over the Easter weekend with three stakes winners in three days. On March 21, French-raced and Kentucky-bred 3-year-old War Officer earned a first stakes win by capturing the Prix Montenica at Deauville. An A++ TrueNicks rated horse, War Officer is out of the Storm Cat mare Wonder Woman. The next day, and an ocean... Read More...

Written by admin | Mar 30, 2008 | 0 Comments

Cometh the Hour

Thursday, March 20, 2008 4:03 AM

Cometh the hour, cometh the man... or so the saying goes and in Australia it seems that the hour is arriving for a stallion or sire line to stand up and be counted when it comes to the next leading sire. With a broodmare population that, at least from a commercial aspect, is becoming laden with Danzig and his prolific son Danehill, it is fast becoming a case... Read More...

Written by admin | Mar 20, 2008 | 0 Comments

A+ Glory

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:03 PM

In a previous post , Alan discussed the success of Honour Devil, a son of shuttle sire Honour and Glory out of a Fitzcarraldo (ARG) mare, and noted that it was part of a broader cross that involved another son of Relaunch in Slew Gin Fizz. On Saturday, the Relaunch/Fitzcarraldo cross, already a TrueNicks A+ rating, came up with its first grade I winner in the... Read More...

Written by admin | Mar 19, 2008 | 0 Comments

Quality Plays Its Part

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 7:03 PM

Users of TrueNicks, and for that matter any pedigree program, will have already seen a number of examples where the quality of the immediate ancestors in a pedigree can have an impact on the genetic affinity, or lack thereof, that seems to be present. A good example of this is the royally-bred 2-year-old filly Merlene de Lago (AUS), who made a sparkling debut... Read More...

Written by admin | Mar 12, 2008 | 0 Comments

Coming On 'Song'

Sunday, March 09, 2008 8:03 PM

Songandaprayer's ( TrueNicks , SRO ) first crop, sired relatively inexpensively in Florida, made a considerable impact, producing six stakes winners headed by the graded scorers Songster, What A Song, He's Got Grit, and Praying For Cash. That first crop was impressive enough as yearlings that it triggered a move from Florida to Walmac in Kentucky, where he's... Read More...

Written by admin | Mar 09, 2008 | 0 Comments

Refining a Nick

Tuesday, March 04, 2008 8:03 AM

When Langfuhr retired to stud, he looked a very logical horse to try with Mr. Prospector-line mares. Not only was he a son of Danzig, a line that has done well with Mr. Prospector, but he also carried Fleet Nasrullah, a close relative to the dam of Mr. Prospector. Not surprisingly, Langfuhr has been tried extensively with Mr. Prospector-line mares, and the cross... Read More...

Written by admin | Mar 04, 2008 | 1 Comment

Filed under: ,

Making Lemonade

Monday, March 03, 2008 11:03 AM

After a slightly hesitant start to his stud career, champion older horse Lemon Drop Kid has rebounded to establish himself as a very solid racehorse sire. With his first crop having just turned 6, he has 23 stakes winners, eight of them graded and three grade I. He enjoyed a good weekend, with millionaire Cosmonaut winning the Tampa Bay Stakes and Candy Ball... Read More...

Written by admin | Mar 03, 2008 | 0 Comments

Hitting a Rich Seam

Sunday, March 02, 2008 8:03 AM

Mineshaft and his family were major winners over the Feb. 24-25 weekend. On Saturday, Little Belle took the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct. A daughter of A.P. Indy, she is out of Dubai Belle, a Mr. Prospector mare who is three-parts sister to Prospectors Delite, the dam of Mineshaft (Dubai Belle is by Mr. Prospector out of Flagbird, a grade I winning half sister to... Read More...

Written by admin | Mar 02, 2008 | 0 Comments

Bucking a Trend

Saturday, March 01, 2008 11:03 PM

We don't hear too much from the Buckpasser sire line these days, the great son of Tom Fool having been a much better broodmare sire than sire of sires. The last 10 days, however, gave us three stakes winners, all from the Buckaroo branch. The Gulfstream Park Turf Stakes (gr. I) went to Einstein (BRZ), a son of Spend a Buck, who sired other U.S. grade I winners... Read More...

Written by admin | Mar 01, 2008 | 0 Comments

'Ready' in Two Hemispheres

Sunday, February 24, 2008 9:02 AM

One stallion who has been enjoying a great February is More Than Ready ( TrueNicks , SRO ). In the U.S., last week brought stakes wins for Ruff and Ready (who routed the opposition in the Shotintheheart Stakes at Gulfstream on Valentine's Day) and Ready for Fortune (winner of the Dearly Precious Stakes at Aqueduct three days later). Ruff and Ready, out of a mare... Read More...

Written by admin | Feb 24, 2008 | 0 Comments

Harlan's Evolving

Thursday, February 21, 2008 8:02 PM

The very promising start made by the first crop of Harlan's Holiday gained further momentum on Monday, when the undefeated Denis of Cork took the Southwest Stakes (gr. III). Denis of Cork is the sixth stakes winner for Harlan's Holiday, and he follows Hollywood Park's Cashcall Futurity (gr. I) victor Into Mischief, and Sorrento Stakes (gr. III) winner Tasha's... Read More...

Written by admin | Feb 21, 2008 | 0 Comments

More Posts « Previous page - Next page »