Just last week we commented on the "deadly duo" of Kingmambo and Sadler's Wells mares and the success that this nick has had, despite the fact that these two stallions stood in separate countries. On the weekend there was another example of a potential "mega-nick," this one certain to be tried an awful lot more given that it is one for the home team of Coolmore Ireland. The group I Derby Italiano,...
More...
Looking through some recent results, we noticed that another nicking program had rated Elite Squadron - who took the May 3 Churchill Downs Stakes (gr. II) - as an A++ nick. A cross check with TrueNicks revealed that Elite Squadron is rated D . Naturally, we wondered what could have caused such a discrepancy. A little research revealed that Elite Squadron is the only starter for the cross on which ...
More...
In two recent blogs we discussed inbreeding to the mare Special, and specifically her influence through Kingmambo (dam by Special's son, Nureyev). We also discussed Galileo (IRE), whose sire Sadler's Wells is both three-parts-brother to Nureyev, and a grandson of Special. Oddly enough then, the Stanjamesuk.com Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I), saw sons of Kingmambo and Galileo separated by a nose, as Henrythenavigator...
More...
A horse who peaked at 5 and 6 - when he won back-to-back renewals of the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), Milwaukee Brew ( TrueNicks , SRO ) was never going to sire early runners. However, with his first crop now 3, the brew is beginning to ferment for this Adena Springs South stallion. Progress started quietly with One Quick Brew (rated A ) taking the non-black type Oregon Derby in March. On April 26...
More...
The last weekend in April saw two major international races in Hong Kong captured by U.S.-breds with extremely interesting - and well-connected - pedigrees. The Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup (HK-I) went to Archipenko, a son of Kingmambo and the Nijinsky II mare Bound (who was 20 years old when she foaled Archipenko). Bound is a sister to the graded winner and notable producer Number, and is...
More...
Former Kentucky governor Brereton Jones and his team at Airdrie Stud had a red-letter day at the Kentucky Oaks May 2. The day started particularly well when the improving Mr. Nightlinger, bred by Brereton Jones and by his thoroughly-proven sire Indian Charlie, proved too swift for the rest in the Aegon Turf Sprint S. (gr. III). A TrueNicks A rated horse, Mr. Nightlinger is bred on the same In Excess...
More...
Sebring (AUS), a 2-year-old that this blog recognized very early on as potentially a top-class horse, went within inches of becoming the second horse in recent history to win the Australian juvenile Triple Crown when he was beaten just a head by the fast-finishing Samantha Miss (AUS) in the Champagne Stakes (Aus-I) on the weekend. While taking nothing away from Sebring, an A+ rated colt whose efforts...
More...
Galileo (IRE) is launching a strong bid to establish himself as the natural heir to his sire, the magnificent Sadler's Wells, and he has a very promising-looking filly in the shape of Leo's Starlet (IRE), who is now headed for the Prix de Diane-French Oaks (Fr-I) after an impressive win in the Prix Cleopatre (Fr-III) to start the month. A member of Galileo's third crop, Leo's Starlet is out of the...
More...
Big Brown's dominating Kentucky Derby (gr. I) win over the tragic heroine Eight Belles was so dominant, he almost literally took the other colts out of the picture, with third placed Denis of Cork, the next-nearest victim of the "Brown Out," 8 1/4 lengths adrift. As stated in many publications, Big Brown's was an historic one, as he is the first horse to win the Derby with as few as three previous...
More...
With the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands mere days away, we thought it was worth giving TrueNicks a tryout on the leading contenders. TrueNicks came through its Derby Trial with flying colors. Of the top 24 contenders at time of writing, nine (37.5%) were A++ ; 17 (71%) were A or above; 21 (87.5%) were B+ or higher. Of the remaining three, two are D ; one, a non-stakes winner, does not achieve...
More...
You asked, Alan answers! (Part (V) The Blood-Horse recently hosted an online seminar called "What Is TrueNicks," in which Alan and Byron presented an overview of the TrueNicks system and answered users' questions. The response from the Webinar audience was overwhelming, and the TrueNicks co-founders wanted to make sure every question was answered. Here is the first round of questions, with responses...
More...
You asked, Alan answers! (Part (IV) The Blood-Horse recently hosted an online seminar called "What Is TrueNicks," in which Alan and Byron presented an overview of the TrueNicks system and answered users' questions. The response from the Webinar audience was overwhelming, and the TrueNicks co-founders wanted to make sure every question was answered. Here is the first round of questions, with responses...
More...
You asked, Byron answers! (Part (III) The Blood-Horse recently hosted an online seminar called "What Is TrueNicks," in which Alan and Byron presented an overview of the TrueNicks system and answered users' questions. The response from the Webinar audience was overwhelming, and the TrueNicks co-founders wanted to make sure every question was answered. Here is the first round of questions, with responses...
More...
You asked, Alan answers! (Part (II) The Blood-Horse recently hosted an online seminar called "What Is TrueNicks," in which Alan and Byron presented an overview of the TrueNicks system and answered users' questions. The response from the Webinar audience was overwhelming, and the TrueNicks co-founders wanted to make sure every question was answered. Here is the first round of questions, with responses...
More...
You asked, Alan answers! (Part I) The Blood-Horse recently hosted an online seminar called "What Is TrueNicks," in which Alan and Byron presented an overview of the TrueNicks system and answered users' questions. The response from the Webinar audience was overwhelming, and the TrueNicks co-founders wanted to make sure every question was answered. Here is the first round of questions, with responses...
More...
A 35-minute online seminar will introduce you to the TrueNicks system. Tune in today, April 23 at 2:00 p.m. EDT , for the FREE session. After Alan Porter completes an overview of TrueNicks, he and Byron Rogers will answer readers' questions. If you have not pre-registered for the Webinar, please do so here: http://www.bloodhorse.com/webinars/truenicks1/register.asp Those who have already registered...
More...
This is a blog, and indeed TrueNicks is not supposed to be a handicapping service - but we are seriously going to have to reconsider this after the win of Sebring in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Aus-I) on the weekend! It was back on the 20th of January, some 13 weeks ago, that we first mentioned the then-non stakes-winning Sebring as a likely Golden Slipper candidate. Under a masterful ride by Glen Boss...
More...
That remarkable California sire, Unusual Heat, was represented by another graded stakes winner when his daughter, Lightmyfirebaby, won the Las Cienegas Handicap (gr. III) last week, her first victory in a race at that level. Lightmyfirebaby is the fifth graded winner by Unusual Heat, following 2008 grade I winner Golden Doc A, Tucked Away, Unusual Suspect, and Lethal Heat. Given that Lightmyfirebaby...
More...
That Pivotal (GB) is one of Europe's best stallions is not exactly news. However, Cheveley Park Stud's Nureyev grandson recently enjoyed a day that was special, even by his standards. At Kempton on Saturday, April 12, there were three black type events and offspring of Pivotal won all three, with a one-two in one race. First up was the Oddschecker.com Snowdrop Fillies Stakes, which resulted in a first...
More...
In an increasingly commercial world it is becoming more and more evident that particular sire lines - and more specifically, one stallion and his sons - can, at least from a commercial sense, quickly dominate the broodmare population of a given country. It then becomes a race for the next sire line - one that fits the dominant sire and his sons from a physical and genetic viewpoint - to emerge, as...
More...
Readers of this blog are encouraged to register for the free online introduction to TrueNicks to be conducted Wednesday, April 23 at 2 p.m. During the Webinar, Alan Porter and Byron Rogers will explain nicking theory, the proprietary TrueNicks calculation, and benefits for breeders and owners. Please pre-register for the session by providing your name and e-mail address here: http://www.bloodhorse...
More...
We were recently forwarded an e-mail containing an advertisement from another pedigree consultancy that mentioned "... other pedigree information services that attempt to dazzle you with vast database resources without discriminating the information that matters from the information that doesn't ...." It also asserts that it chooses not to include the results of restricted stakes - even though that...
More...
One of the stallion success stories of 2008 is that of New York's Hook and Ladder (Dixieland Band - Taianna, by Cox's Ridge). Although a very fast horse - he ran a 110 Beyer speed figure as a 2-year-old and subsequently won the Mr. Prospector Handicap (gr. III) and the seven furlong Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Sprint Handicap (gr. II), after running an opening half in :43.89 - Hook and Ladder didn...
More...
Former European champion 2-year-old and Darley -owned sire Xaar (GB) was a stallion that looked to have it all - a rudely talented racehorse that boasted a superb pedigree being by the brilliant Zafonic from the Best in Show family. Despite outstanding credentials and opportunity to match, Xaar failed to reproduce a horse close to his own ability in both Europe and Australia and has stood at different...
More...
While the classic trial round has nearly been completed in the U.S., in Europe it is only just under way. Sunday saw the first of the English and Irish classic trials, the Leopardstown Two Thousand Guineas and One Thousand Guineas trials (both Ire-III). Both events fell to horses sired by sons of Danehill, whose influence in Europe threatens to become almost as dominant as in Australia. The colt's...
More...
More Posts
« Previous page -
Next page »