BloodHorse.com

The $1,000,000 Delta Jackpot (gr. III) often throws up a later-developing youngster who has been flying under the radar. This time it was a more exposed type who got the job done. Calder shipper Gourmet Dinner was making his fifth career start, and had already won two stakes—the Dr. Fager Stakes and Affirmed Stakes—before suffering his first ...

Only a few weeks ago we were reflecting in MarketWatch how the U.S. dirt horse–the core of the North American commercial thoroughbred– had evolved into a horse that was very different from the European turf runner. It that light, it's somewhat ironic that the two horses that fought out the heart-stopping run to the line in the Breeders’ Cup ...

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 ...

Despite the very soft ground that prevailed over ‘Arc’ weekend, there was plenty to engage from a pedigree perspective. In the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (gr. I) itself, the Epsom Derby (gr. I) winner Workforce redeemed his reputation following a disappointing outing in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (gr. I). This was a triumph more ...

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 ...

The remarkable year being enjoyed by Dubawi (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO) took on even more luster at the weekend when he was represented by three group winners, and a runner-up. What’s more, the were from just over five furlongs to twice that distance. He now has ten stakes winners, eight group, from his first Northern Hemisphere crop, and has already ...

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, ...

We must admit, we thought that bringing North Light (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO) to the U.S. to stand would probably be the death knell to his stud career. The son of Danehill won the Epsom Derby (gr. I) at 1½ miles, and was out of a mare who stayed 2½ miles. Not a horse to appeal to U.S. commercial breeders, or even many owner/breeders, and not quite ...

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 ...

Above: TrueNicks ratings of the Sadler's Wells sire line with Seeking the Gold line mares. I’m sure Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr never expected his famous epigram plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, which loosely translated amounts to “the more things change, the more they stay the same” to be applied to the development of Thoroughbred ...