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This weekend it was the Roberto line's turn to dominate the Derby trials. The $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby (gr. I) went to Archarcharch who held off the on-rushing Nehro by a neck. Archarcharch is by Arch (TrueNicks,SRO) (by Kris S.) out of the Woodman mare Woodman’s Dancer. His second dam, Pattern Step, a daughter of Nureyev, won the Hollywood Oaks ...

Australia is home to a branch of the Nearco line not found elsewhere in the world, that of Showdown. By Nearco’s son Infatuation—a top-class racehorse (he won the Dewhurst Stakes and Royal Lodge Stakes at 2, and the Greenham Stakes and Sandown Classic Trial at 3) but disappointing sire—Showdown was a brilliant juvenile taking the Middle Park ...

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 ...

One of the hottest stallion rosters in New Zealand is that of Waikato Stud, and now courtesy of Waikato, breeders will be able to obtain complimentary TrueNicks reports for their mares with all eight Waikato Stud stallions. That octet includes two of New Zealand’s best, in O’Reilly and Pins. By Champion Last Tycoon out of Golden Slipper (gr. ...

Some late Northern Hemisphere matings and early Southern Hemisphere matings have us a little behind with our blogging duties this week, but there was enough of interest last weekend to make some notes better late that never. Last year the owner/trainer combination of Robert LaPenta and Nick Zito took the Florida Derby (gr. I, video below) with a ...

Chinese Dragon (Stravinsky–Fabulous Fairy, by Alydar) Holding court at Goodwood Stud in Palmerston North, New Zealand, is the exciting young sire Chinese Dragon (TrueNicks). Foaled in the U.S., Chinese Dragon was purchased by Coolmore, and as a 2-year-old broke his maiden over six furlongs in the colours of Mrs. John Magnier. Transferred ...

In the near 20 years since its inception, Westbury Stud has risen to a place of prominence among New Zealand’s Thoroughbred nurseries. At its Karaka property, it stands seven stallions, drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds. Postponed (TrueNicks) is a U.S. graded stakes winner by Summer Squall – classic siring son of Storm Bird – and from the ...

While Japan had a one-two in the World Cup, there was a different kind of double in the Sheema Classic (gr. I, video below), as Rewilding emulated his half sister Dar Re Mi, who won the previous renewal of this race. Rewilding is a son of Tiger Hill, one of the better middle-distance stayers sired by Danehill. Winner of his first six starts, ...

Japan may still be reeling from the consequences of the epic natural disaster that hit that country, but the result of the Dubai World Cup (gr. I, video below), the world’s richest race, gave considerable cause for national pride. Not only did the Japanese-bred 4-year-old colt Victoire Pisa score a famous victory, but that triumph was achieved at ...

Considering we’re some way up the road to the Triple Crown, a surprising proportion of this weekend’s graded stakes activity was for older mares. Among that group, none were more impressive than Hilda’s Passion, who led throughout the Inside Information Stakes (gr. II, video below) at Gulfstream Park, to score by 5¼ lengths, while setting a new ...