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With the game triumph of Roderic O’Connor in Saturday's Irish 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) following hot-on-the-heels of the smooth victory of Golden Lilac in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-French 1,000 Guineas (gr. I) one week ago, and Frankel’s runaway English 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) win three weeks ago, the cross of Galileo and mares by Danehill has become the classic...
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In the week following the runaway 2,000 Guineas (gr. I) victory of Frankel – which simultaneously confirmed his brilliance and the extreme improbability of him staying the Derby trip of 1½ miles – there were a number of significant Derby and Oaks trials in Europe. Not surprisingly, the Sadler’s Wells line was a dominant force in these, and the most recent week...
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Recent weekends have been good ones for U.S. second season sires, as it saw two of that group represented by their first grade I winner, and another by his first U.S. graded winner. In 2005, the Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I) was captured in astonishing fashion by Bellamy Road ( TrueNicks , SRO ), who scored by 17½ lengths in track record-equaling time, running...
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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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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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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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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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While the strength of the current European stallion community means that Galileo is unlikely to emulate his sire’s string of championships, there is no doubt that he is going a long way to replacing Sadler’s Wells. In one respect – his ability to get top two-year-olds – he may even have an edge over his legendary sire. If we credit Frankel with the crown that...
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Lookin At Lucky apart, it’s been a strange season for three-year-olds with very few being able to separate themselves from the pack. The most recent weekend, with a purse totaling $1,500,000 for the two event, the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) and Super Derby (gr. II) might have seen some pretenders consolidate their position. Instead it revealed a pair of potential...
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The third of a triumvirate of young classic-winning sons of Sadler’s Wells – following Montjeu and Galileo – High Chaparral was a little slow to get underway in his stud career, but has made considerable progress in the last two seasons. This was underlined by a stellar international weekend that saw him represented by three graded stakes winners, two of them...
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Dada, dada, dadaa, da, da, daa….Who's the horse with hot three-year-old crop? Shaft! Mine Shaft!. With due apologies to the late Isaac Hayes, we think there are plenty of reasons to be "talkin' 'bout" Mineshaft ( TrueNicks , SRO ), who missed an historic double at Saratoga on Saturday by about an inch. The only Horse of the Year by A.P. Indy ( TrueNicks , SRO...
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We mentioned in an earlier post that the crack two-year-old and sprinter Oasis Dream has several talented middle-distance runners, including top four-year-old filly Midday. However, he can still get the kind of two-year-old that his race record and pedigree would lead one to expect, and he had a pair of juvenile stakes winners last week in Approve (TrueNicks...
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Following on from Alan Porter's post on the continued success of Dansili , here is a look at his offspring's stakes results over the last two months. Winning distances range from six to 16 furlongs and include grade/group I winners Proviso and Harbinger . In his current crop of 148 two-year-olds, Dansili has seven winners, highlighted by group III winner Zoffany...
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The last three months have been incredible for offspring of the late Maria's Mon . Sire of two Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winners in Monarchos ( TrueNicks , SRO ) (2001) and Super Saver (2010), and 2006 Champion Three-Year-Old filly Wait a While , Maria's Mon died in 2007 at the young age of 14. His final crop includes 100 two-year-olds of 2010. Date Runner Broodmare...
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Afleet Alex ( TrueNicks , SRO ): Conformation, left, and nearly falling before winning the 2005 Preakness Stakes (gr. I, Video ). With a view to the future, it’s possible that the most significant race of the weekend in the U.S. was the Pegasus Stakes (gr. III) at Monmouth. With plenty to play for as far as leadership of the 3-year-old male division is concerned...
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While the death of Red Ransom was a serious loss to the breeding industry, we take a degree of comfort in his undoubted legacy as a sire of sires and as a broodmare sire. His influence in that first role was underlined over the last two weekends when Snow Fairy, by Red Ransom’s son Intikhab, took the Epsom Oaks, and the rapidly improving Pressday, from the first...
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The sterling efforts of Pivotal, and of Sadler’s Wells sons Galileo and Montjeu – who come to the fore as the distance increase – not withstanding, European racing often appears to be dominated by the Danzig line, particularly via Danehill and Green Desert. Those two branches were particuarly in evidence in the last week, through Dansili – who is vying with Danehill...
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The richest race of the weekend was actually not one of the graded events, but was the $1,000,000 Charles Town Classic. Last year local hero, Researcher, had defeated the formidable Commentator to take the prize, and he once again turned back the shippers to score by 1¾ lengths. Researcher (TrueNicks A ) is by the Two Punch stallion, Two Smart, out of a mare...
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It’s hard to believe, but we’ve already had the first U.S. juvenile stakes of the new season. Winner of the colt’s division of the Copper Top was Verny. His sire, Gold Case (by Forty Niner), was 3-for-3, all at two, including the Old Hickory Stakes and Sugar Bowl Handicap. He’s now in New Mexico, but has been a very useful stallion wherever he has stood, getting...
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While Ghostzapper ( TrueNicks , SRO ) was represented by his first grade I winner when Stately Victor upset the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), his older half-brother City Zip ( TrueNicks , SRO ) , continued his progress when his daughter Unzip Me captured the Las Cienegas Handicap (gr. III). City Zip – who’s advertised stud fee for 2010 is just $10,000 – currently...
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The rush to judgement that we mentioned last time with regard to Ghostzapper ( TrueNicks , SRO ), along with the current economic climate has led to opportunities for some countries to purchase stallions that would have been well-beyond reach a year or two ago. One such example is Lion Heart, who was exported to Turkey for the 2010 breeding season. The son of...
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Although he was relatively sparingly-raced – 11 starts in four seasons – and carefully-managed, both form book and speed-figures suggest that Ghostzapper ( TrueNicks , SRO ) is worthy of a place alongside the all-time greats. Indeed, a record that includes wins in the 6½ furlong Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I); the seven furlong Tom Fool Handicap (gr. II, in 1:20.42...
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While his brother Giant's Causeway ( TrueNicks , SRO ) has been ruling the roost – he was Leading Sire of 2009, and currently leads the table again this year – Freud ( TrueNicks , SRO ) has quietly been making his way towards the head of the stallion ranks in New York. He’s so far sired 17 stakes winners and 35 stakes horses (for a number approaching 20% stakes...
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