As Andrew Bensley tweeted, Australian champion More Joyous has been retired. The More Than Ready ( TrueNicks , SRO ) mare earned $4.5 million while racking up eight group I wins, capped off by her impressive run in the 2012 Queen Elizabeth Stakes shown below. Owner John Singleton will send More Joyous...

This morning I spoke briefly with Brereton Jones of Airdrie Stud, who alerted me to a homebred filly of his with a very clever name. She is by Airdrie stallion Proud Citizen ( TrueNicks , SRO ) out of the winning Langfuhr ( TrueNicks , SRO ) mare Saramar—the exact same cross as Mr. Jones' Kentucky Oaks...

On a week when much will be written about the great Frankel (Galileo– Kind , by Danehill) as he retires to Juddmonte Farms to serve his first season at stud in 2013, this writer had pause to reflect on the outstanding performance of his broodmare sire, Danehill, who has thus far proved himself a phenomenon...

Danzig/Secretariat The great Danzig, who would eventually sire 202 stakes winners (18.8% from foals), didn't take long to prove himself when his first runners hit the track in 1984. His daughter Contredance won the Adirondack (gr. II) and Arlington-Washington Lassie (gr. I), and son Stephan's Odyssey...

Alan Porter's recent post on the Galileo/Danehill nick inspired some lively discussion in the comments section. One of our most outspoken and analytical community members, known by the handle sceptre , posed a very good set of questions that we thought we'd address here in a new blog. 1. Consider two...

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...

We are often asked why we assign a No Rating designation to some crosses. Well, it's quite simply that sometimes the most honest answer to a question is “We don't know – there isn’t enough evidence to give a verdict." Click for Conveyance's pedigree, an example of a No Rating . In assessing a cross,...

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...

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...

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....