Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

sceptre — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:47:17 GMT

Hal Dane-

She's not hard to find-not that I looked. Search for her in your "vaster" records...Explanation shouldn't be necessary re-my point about *La Troienne.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

EQUINEBOSS — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:45:10 GMT

I got on Flower Alley at Winding Oaks many a morning in his progression to being a racehorse. He was all business with a sharp mind to go with his well-balanced body. A pleasure to work with. He was a great purchase driven by his damn's name that caught the eye of the future owner, whose own daughter is named Olivia.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

jyq — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:41:05 GMT

IHA's third dam Last Cause is by extension, a Northern Dancer-Native Dancer cross, which segues into the multiple parallels and reverse parallels tnat have been mentioned above.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

Orchard Hill — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:52:51 GMT

The Derby win was a tad bittersweet for us. Our yound Arch mare, Feminine Flair, was booked to Flower Alley. Major foaling complications in March have forced us to push that breeding back to next year. Hopefully. Does the doubling of Sadler's Well have merit?

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

Hal Dane. — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:18:22 GMT

Sceptre... One final word with you, I noticed that you failed to name this Coaching Club Oaks winner that you say was foaled from a mare in I'll Have Another's direct female line, back to Broom Flower.

P.S. what does La Troienne have to do with this subject.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

Tiz Herself — Sat, 12 May 2012 19:59:44 GMT

Love the connection or the perspective between IHA/Bode and Funny Cide/Empire Maker. Had said the same thing on Steve Haskin's blog following the Derby... love how things are connected like that.

Both Funny and IHA also have Sea Bird on the mare's line which connects them more too. Can't wait to see how IHA does in the Preakness!

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

sceptre — Sat, 12 May 2012 19:58:58 GMT

How fortunate it is that the "laws of inheritance" mandate that those ancestors nearest exert more influence than those farther removed. Otherwise we'd be at a far greater loss when attempting to fashion a successful mating. Some of these posts bring this home in spades. And Alan, what do you mean by "re-ignite"? No re-igniting was necessary-the flame burned/burns rather strongly.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

sceptre — Sat, 12 May 2012 18:12:20 GMT

Hal Dane-

I see, if a female family hasn't produced the winner of the Derby, Preakness or Belmont it is deemed to be "dormant". Get real and forget the cop out. I suppose, for ex.,a CCA Oaks win isn't good enough (by your criteria) to avoid the notion of dormancy? So if the *La Troienne-line hadn't produced a winner of a triple crown race then it too would be considered to be dormant? Real truth is, you had no appreciation/insufficient knowledge of the merits of this family. Own up.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

Hal Dane — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:06:20 GMT

Sceptre... my records are vaster (all horse breeds) than anything you will find on the internet.

So come on wise guy.. tell me any classic winning produce that were foaled by the following line of broodmares.

Broom Flower (1912) Last Straw (1918) Thorn Apple (1937) Golden Apple (1945) Mahari (1954) Pontivy (1959) Patelin (1968)

This line has been dormant in producing classic winners for one hundred years.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

Obmar — Sat, 12 May 2012 03:46:54 GMT

Tesio "He believed that a horse’s racing ability is the direct result of inherited nervous energy, and that the energy pattern follows a cycle over several generations, rising to a peak, then falling, and then remaining dormant for a period before beginning to rise again.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

Alan Porter — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:09:48 GMT

Arthur/Hal

Interesting about the nine crosses of Native Dancer, as he is out of a mare by Discovery, who from the same branch of Gallopade as I'll Have Another. Discovery also had Hamburg, who is out of a half-sister to Domino.

Of course Domino's second dam was heavily inbred to Gallopade, having her daughter Reel, 2 x 3, and then having Judith, a three-parts-sister to Reel as her third dam.

I'll Have Another goes back to Broom Flower through her daughter, Last Straw, who was by Ultimus (2 x 2 to Domino).

This family has such a foundational role in American pedigrees, it' probably not surprising that something might happen to re-ignite it.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

sceptre — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:00:08 GMT

Hal Dane-

"...remain almost dormant for a hundred years..."

What pedigree and produce log are you reading? This is the female line that contains the high quality Widener branch of Pontivy-Patelin !, among others-one of the best in racing. I'll Have Another's up closer, from Last Cause forward, not so classy, but Patelin-Pontivy and back a bit, pure class-elite.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

Carole Hemingway — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Great Article! I was privileged to meet face to face, FLOWER ALLEY on May 3rd at Three Chimneys...he is sleek, handsome and all muscles and a big boy! I have a great close-up shot of him in the Sun that I will treasure for a long, long time. I first met him in 2008 when I went to visit Smarty and Big Brown...

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

Hal Dane — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:48:02 GMT

It is strange how a female line can remain almost dormant for a hundred years, like this BROOM FLOWER branch of the good taproot Gallopade, then suddenly produce two Kentucky Derby winners in four years like, Mine That Bird and I'll Have Another...

Their breeding did suggest that they would be long-shots in the Derbies, yet they managed to succeed.

But I wouldn't think that Roanoke and Jester, who are members of this family raised its profile in any way.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

Arthur Reade — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:04:18 GMT

Has anyone noticed that Native Dancer appears no fewer than NINE times in I'll Have Another's pedigree? That must be close to a record, and ultimate revenge for the 1953 Derby.

re: Another Derby Shot for Flower Alley

mz — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:56:37 GMT

I saw Flower Alley last year when I made my first Derby Pilgrimage. He was being hosed down to look pretty for the tourists. He didn't need it; he already looked pretty.

Nice to see he can sire fillies and colts.