tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53976434223798394592024-03-14T11:24:56.816-04:00ThoroughbreedThoroughbred pedigree punditry by Maureen Harmonay, a lifelong lover of the equine athletes who put their lives on the line, and an ever-curious observer of the relationship between pedigree and performance, including emerging patterns of class, cardiovascular prowess, and soundness in thoroughbred racing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-68433343117792478782013-08-03T21:24:00.001-04:002013-08-03T21:24:21.777-04:00Cross Traffic Shines at Saratoga<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXeT25ixVmlMR-hGGs1IYvnJhsHBWUnJdQe5HjGqy6MoqwoYEE08W5A_bLKs-gUTajZnUwBrlYrxxFMGEEdW5LJ6xC9S2G0Iejv6KpVbSwhyphenhyphenXeiyWZT4PUc2xBgvFakK3C8gDO3LULj8/s1600/cross+traffic+credit+courtney+heeney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXeT25ixVmlMR-hGGs1IYvnJhsHBWUnJdQe5HjGqy6MoqwoYEE08W5A_bLKs-gUTajZnUwBrlYrxxFMGEEdW5LJ6xC9S2G0Iejv6KpVbSwhyphenhyphenXeiyWZT4PUc2xBgvFakK3C8gDO3LULj8/s320/cross+traffic+credit+courtney+heeney.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cross Traffic earns his Grade I credentials in the Whitney</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">C<i>redit: Courtney Heeney, Courtesy NYRA/Coglianese</i></span><br />
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</tbody></table>
A week after the untimely death of super sire <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/stallions/119120/unbridleds-song#current">Unbridled's Song</a></b>, his son, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/cross+traffic">Cross Traffic</a></b>, emerged as a shining star today, capturing the prestigious <a href="http://youtu.be/UO2bQZsfDFg">Whitney Handicap-G1</a> at Saratoga over a stellar field of older handicap horses. It was the first stakes victory for the four-year-old steely gray colt, and in addition to his trophy and purse monies, Cross Traffic earned an automatic berth in November's <a href="http://www.breederscup.com/races/classic">Breeders' Cup Classic</a> at Santa Anita.<br />
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Cross Traffic grabbed the lead from multimillionaire <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/mucho+macho+man">Mucho Macho Man</a></b> soon after the start, and seemed to just cruise along in first position until the far turn of the mile-and-an-eighth contest, when he was challenged in earnest by both Mucho Macho Man and last year's Whitney and Breeders' Cup Classic winner, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/fort+larned">Fort Larned</a></b>. Though Fort Larned couldn't sustain his bid, both <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/successful+dan">Successful Dan</a></b> and Mucho Macho Man appeared to be getting to Cross Traffic in the stretch. Jockey Johnny Velasquez roused him, and he quickened, then swerved slightly, but it didn't matter. There was no catching Cross Traffic today.<br />
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It wasn't that way in the colt's last two races, when he was narrowly bested after setting the pace in the one mile Westchester-G3 and Metropolitan-G1 at Belmont, grudgingly settling for second both times. In spite of stretching out today, Cross Traffic didn't appear to be spent at the wire, galloping out with strength and confidence and the admiration of race fans hungry for a new hero. <br />
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Unraced at two and three, Cross Traffic broke his maiden in his initial outing at Gulfstream last January, then captured an allowance race at the same track before graduating to stakes company in New York. Cross Traffic has now won or placed in all of his five starts, while amassing earnings of $681,300.<br />
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He was born to be great. Cross Traffic is at least the 101st stakes winner and 16th grade I stakes winner by sire standout <a href="http://i.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/unbridledssong.pdf">Unbridled's Song</a>, a son of <a href="http://www.chef-de-race.com/dosage/chefs-de-race/chefs_by_group.htm">Brilliant-Intermediate Chef-de-Race</a> <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/unbridled">Unbridled</a></b>. His dam, the consistent and classy Cure the Blues mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/stop+traffic">Stop Traffic</a></b>, notched Grade I stakes on both coasts, including Saratoga's seven-furlong <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SAR&dt=08/23/1998&ctry=USA&race=8">Ballerina</a>, which she captured by seven widening lengths over Alabama victress <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/runup+the+colors">Runup the Colors</a></b> (by A. P. Indy), dam of this year's Louisiana Derby winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/revolutionary6">Revolutionary</a></b> (by War Pass).<br />
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The sixth foal out of Stop Traffic, Cross Traffic was purchased for $300,000 by his current connections, GoldMark Farm, at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. He is a full brother to the stakes-placed filly, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/bianco+tartufo">Bianco Tartufo</a></b>, and a half-brother to three other winners, including stakes-placed <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/into+my+soul">Into My Soul</a></b> (by Pleasantly Perfect). Cross Traffic's <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/SAR080313USA10.pdf">victory in the Whitney</a> is sure to fuel interest in his yearling half-brother by <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/stallions/132019/medaglia-doro">Medaglia D'Oro</a></b>, who is slated to be sold as <a href="http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2013/0805/134.pdf">Hip #134</a> on Tuesday night at Fasig-Tipton's Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion, across the street from the storied racetrack.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-29362054418527771372013-05-05T21:45:00.001-04:002013-05-05T21:59:32.698-04:00Orb's Class Shines Through<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UsQwh63Ll05PkoS1xwPdOJdTBkI65vsl63Q_1PiNSztP_zbnIVhfYutUNu1EUWINovKSGBZue0BvMNNi428e39axafzSdx5-oEofoVlcF1XPBg1nPHefTtPIMrsY5wUwh52o9L_ZS_4/s1600/orb5FLDerbycloseupCoglianese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UsQwh63Ll05PkoS1xwPdOJdTBkI65vsl63Q_1PiNSztP_zbnIVhfYutUNu1EUWINovKSGBZue0BvMNNi428e39axafzSdx5-oEofoVlcF1XPBg1nPHefTtPIMrsY5wUwh52o9L_ZS_4/s320/orb5FLDerbycloseupCoglianese.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Orb after the Florida Derby<br />Photo courtesy of Coglianese/Gulfstream</span></td></tr>
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The best horse doesn't always win the Kentucky Derby. But yesterday, he did.</div>
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If you want to know what a superior equine athlete looks
like, look no further than <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/orb7">Orb</a></b>, who relentlessly surged
from the back of a muddy pack to capture the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/CD050413USA11.pdf">139th
Kentucky Derby</a> with absolute authority.
It takes a really good horse to do that.</div>
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When the equine biomechanical experts at <b><a href="http://www.eqb.com/">EQB</a></b>
evaluated Orb's cardiovascular system for owner-breeders Janney and Phipps,
they deemed his heart scan results to be "elite." That's no surprise, given his illustrious
pedigree. A grandson of <st1:place w:st="on">Belmont</st1:place> winner and classic
sire, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ap+indy">A. P. Indy</a>, out of a
mare by Kentucky Derby winner <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/unbridled">Unbridled</a>,
Orb hails from a female family that has been flush with class for generations. It's produced standouts <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ruffian">Ruffian</a>, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/icecapade">Icecapade</a>, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/buckfinder">Buckfinder</a>, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/private+terms">Private Terms</a>, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/coronados+quest">Coronado's Quest</a>, and
now, <b><a href="http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/restricted/pdf/pedigrees/Orb0504.pdf">Orb</a></b>.</div>
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Through his sire, <a href="http://i.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/malibumoon.pdf">Malibu Moon</a>, and his maternal grandsire, Unbridled, Orb is inbred, 3 x 4, to the influential Mr. Prospector, bred on a similar cross to <b><a href="http://i.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/tapit.pdf">Tapit</a></b> (by Pulpit, out of Tap Your Heels, by
Unbridled). Orb's second dam, the Cox's
Ridge mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/mesabi+maiden">Mesabi Maiden</a></b>, won
the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=PIM&dt=05/17/1996&ctry=USA&race=10">Black-Eyed
Susan-G2</a> at Pimlico for Janney and Phipps in 1996, narrowly defeating
favored <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/cara+rafaela">Cara Rafaela</a></b>, who
would later achieve Broodmare of the Year status as the dam of Champion <b><a href="http://i.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/bernardini.pdf">Bernardini</a></b>. </div>
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Orb's dam, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/lady+liberty3">Lady Liberty</a>, though
never finishing on the board in stakes company, was no slouch, either, amassing
$202,045 in earnings. She broke her
maiden at <st1:city w:st="on">Saratoga</st1:city>
at three, at a mile and an eighth on the grass, and subsequently captured
allowance tests at Gulfstream, Belmont, and Keeneland during three seasons of
competition. Throughout her career, in
which she won from six and a half furlongs on the dirt to 12 furlongs on the
turf, she demonstrated the same late kick that Orb has shown in each of his
five victories. </div>
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Orb's <st1:city w:st="on">Derby</st1:city>
conquest was no fluke. He ran farther
than most of his 18 competitors, and in the final quarter mile, when it
counted, he ran fastest. According to <b><a href="http://trakus.com/technology.asp">Trakus</a></b>,
whose technology digitally measures each horse's performance during a race, Orb
was the only runner to have accomplished his final quarter mile in less than 26
seconds; Orb did it in 25.88. Orb also
covered 80 feet more ground--the equivalent of nine and half lengths--than runner-up
<a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/golden+soul">Golden Soul</a>, whose
official losing margin was two and a half lengths. Thanks to Trakus's
saddle-mounted GPS system, we know that Orb's performance was even more
impressive than it seemed.</div>
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If all goes well, we'll see Orb in two weeks, at the
Preakness. His unflappable quality dares
us to dream that he could be the first Triple Crown winner of the 21st century:
the second since his great grandsire, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/seattle+slew">Seattle Slew</a></b>
accomplished the feat in 1977. Orb
seems to be that good.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-69345149234840601392013-04-05T22:19:00.001-04:002013-04-05T22:19:52.300-04:00A Day of Firsts at Keeneland<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtJ85bFn5V9uycJYdk2TRBb6SQs8NWj8rI_4JbkzP5XI53EgQ8FyqhXaPpkPYrF2MuP15ipcq_VAAH9AXo9qksjolr2FSihi7E4u4RTsJlg7FvGMsDvsAK-xIuXOVSVsmZa9ucAq3pq0/s1600/JACK+MILTON+The+Transylvania+Gr+III+-+25th+Running+04-04-13+KEE+-+Inside+Finish+(1)reduced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtJ85bFn5V9uycJYdk2TRBb6SQs8NWj8rI_4JbkzP5XI53EgQ8FyqhXaPpkPYrF2MuP15ipcq_VAAH9AXo9qksjolr2FSihi7E4u4RTsJlg7FvGMsDvsAK-xIuXOVSVsmZa9ucAq3pq0/s320/JACK+MILTON+The+Transylvania+Gr+III+-+25th+Running+04-04-13+KEE+-+Inside+Finish+(1)reduced.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Jack Milton (white bridle) edges Up With the Birds<br /> in the Transylvania-G3 on Keeneland's Opening Day</b><br />Photo: Coady Photography</span></td></tr>
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It was a day of firsts on Opening day at <b><a href="http://www.keeneland.com/">Keeneland</a></b>. </div>
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In the inaugural two-year-old race of the season, juvenile filly
<b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/sweet+emma+rose">Sweet Emma Rose</a></b> was never headed, flying through the four-and-a-half furlong
<a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/KEE040513USA4.pdf">maiden special weight contest</a> in :51.94 while trouncing second-place finisher <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ginger+stone">GingerStone</a> by nine widening lengths. After
her impressive showing in her initial outing today, the highly touted daughter
of <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/stallions/126390/city-zip">City Zip</a></b> may have earned a trip to Royal Ascot in June, according to trainer
Wesley Ward. </div>
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Two races later, first-time starter <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ill+call">I'll Call</a></b>, a
three-year-old son of <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/stallions/118620/smart-strike">Smart Strike</a></b>, rallied smartly to win a maiden special
weight test at a mile over firm turf, giving trainer Graham Motion a
much-needed boost on the day Team Valor announced it planned to remove its
horses from his care, notwithstanding the trainer's superb record on the
partnership's behalf. </div>
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An Augustin Stable homebred, I'll Call demonstrated
composure and class while debuting without lasix, marking himself as one to
watch. Out of the graded stakes-winning <st1:place w:st="on">Danzig</st1:place> mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/recording2">Recording</a></b>, I'll Call has the credentials to
suggest that he'll get better yet. His
full brother, the durable and consistent millionaire <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/stallions/166050/smart-bid">Smart Bid</a></b>, was a multiple graded
stakes winner on the turf. He entered
stud this year and stands for $4500 at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>. </div>
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In the featured <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/KEE040513USA9.pdf">Transylvania-G3</a>, lightly raced <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/jack+milton">Jack Milton</a></b>
notched his first graded stakes win in only his third lifetime start, gliding over
the mile and a sixteenth grassy distance in a respectable 1:41.80. Piloted by John Velasquez for trainer Todd
Pletcher and owner Gary Barber, who had purchased the colt 24 hours before he
won at first asking at Gulfstream in January, Jack Milton
further burnished the shining reputation of hot Danzig sire <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/stallions/136975/war-front">War Front</a></b>, becoming the stallion's 11th graded stakes winner from just three crops to race.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-70517301021613326912012-07-05T10:41:00.001-04:002012-07-05T11:14:23.344-04:00Clear Attempt burnishes the legacy of A. P. Indy and the Wygods<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8QApRboUvm3PcqyzyjSfJnK_Hvf5eFjvQUa8FAiu_L22RWxShbp-I-a1fj7lsHSoerWYHf0iorG4HFGl24ZSXu_qn7fIqfcOnWZ3oFUpNyTwRpogl54L0Tkur-EJTo5fCj8VRG8TuLw/s1600/ClearAttemptwinsPokerBelJul42012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8QApRboUvm3PcqyzyjSfJnK_Hvf5eFjvQUa8FAiu_L22RWxShbp-I-a1fj7lsHSoerWYHf0iorG4HFGl24ZSXu_qn7fIqfcOnWZ3oFUpNyTwRpogl54L0Tkur-EJTo5fCj8VRG8TuLw/s320/ClearAttemptwinsPokerBelJul42012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Clear Attempt wins the Poker-G3 at Belmont on July 4, 2012</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Adam Coglianese, Courtesy of NYRA</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/clear+attempt">Clear Attempt</a></b>, a lightly raced son of <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ap+indy">A. P. Indy</a></b> out of Santa Anita Oaks-G1 winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/silent+sighs">Silent Sighs</a></b> (by <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/benchmark">Benchmark</a>) was a facile winner of the eight-furlong grassy <b><a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/BEL070412USA9.pdf">Poker Stakes-G3</a></b> at Belmont yesterday, defeating seven other rivals to notch his first stakes victory and his third trip to the winner's circle in 11 starts.<br />
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The four-year-old dark bay or brown colt, racing in the colors of his breeders, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_J._Wygod">Martin and Pam Wygod</a></b>, became at least the 80th graded stakes winner for his venerable sire, whose last foals are two-year-olds of 2012.<br />
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Patiently handled by trainer <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_I._Mott">Bill Mott</a></b>, Clear Attempt was unraced at two. His initial two starts, in maiden special weight company over conventional dirt at Gulfstream early last year, were undistinguished, but when the colt was switched to the grass, he became a different kind of runner, narrowly losing turf contests at Gulfstream, and over yielding ground at Keeneland, before <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=06/15/2011&ctry=USA&race=4">eking out his maiden victory</a> at a mile and a quarter over good turf at Belmont last June. He went on to place at Saratoga before <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CD&dt=11/02/2011&ctry=USA&race=9">capturing his second race</a>, over allowance foes, at nine furlongs on firm turf at Churchill Downs last November.<br />
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In two prior outings this year, Clear Attempt placed in grassy allowance/optional claiming events at Gulfstream and at Belmont, where he was<a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=05/18/2012&ctry=USA&race=8"> nosed out in a head bob</a> on May 18th, a race that perfectly primed him for his winning effort in the Poker. Clear Attempt has now won or placed in eight of 11 starts, amassing earnings of $197,902, a bankroll that seems certain to grow.<br />
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Clear Attempt is a product of the Wygods' breeding program, through and through. They raced and bred Clear Attempt's first three dams, who trace back to the Chilean mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/viga">Viga</a></b> (by Schleswig), a winner of the 1000 Guineas in her native country before being imported to the U.S.<br />
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Clear Attempt is the third winner and first stakes winner from his dam, Silent Sighs, one of the classiest performers sired by <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1311589&origin=singlesearch">Benchmark</a></b>, a grade II stakes winner by <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/alydar">Alydar</a> who the Wygods campaigned in the name of their River Edge Farm. His best-known runner is <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6813612&origin=singlesearch">Brother Derek</a></b>, winner of the Hollywood Futurity-G1 and Santa Anita Derby-G1, who now stands at <a href="http://www.airdriestud.com/brother_derek.asp?header=stallions">Airdrie</a>. His first foals race this year.<br />
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Clear Attempt is one of several graded stakes winners produced by crossing A. P. Indy or his sons with mares by Alydar or one of his sons. The others include the full siblings (by A. P. Indy out of Private Status, by Alydar) <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/secret+status">Secret Status</a></b>, winner of the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose, and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/alumni+hall">Alumni Hall</a></b>, who captured the grade III Ben Ali and Fayette Stakes; <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/a+p+valentine">A P Valentine</a></b> (by A. P. Indy out of Twenty Eight Carat, by Alydar), who won the Champagne-G1 and placed in both the Preakness and the Belmont; <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6871135&origin=singlesearch">Corinthian</a></b> (by Pulpit out of Multiply, by Easy Goer), a top dirt miler who won both the Metropolitan-G1 and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile; and CCA Oaks-G1 winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/funny+moon4">Funny Moon</a></b> (by Malibu Moon out of Fun Crowd, by Easy Goer). Interestingly, none of these runners showed a prowess for the grass, and of the graded-stakes caliber horses produced by the A. P. Indy/Alydar cross, Clear Attempt is preceded only by <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/fisher+pond">Fisher Pond</a></b> (by A. P. Indy out of Chipeta Springs, by Alydar), a grade III-winning half-brother to two-time turf champion <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/gio+ponti">Gio Ponti</a></b>, in his ability to score on the turf at an elite level.<br />
<br />
Though Clear Attempt's female family seems also to be lacking in grassy credentials, the family of his maternal grandsire, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/benchmark.pdf">Benchmark</a></b>, has them aplenty. Benchmark is a half-brother to the Wygods' top turf mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/tranquility+lake">Tranquility Lake</a></b> (by Rahy), dam of the full brothers <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6754969&origin=singlesearch">After Market</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=7744863&origin=singlesearch">Courageous Cat</a></b> (by Storm Cat), both of whom were grade I winners on the sod. Clear Attempt's victory in the Poker gives the Wygods their second consecutive trophy for that race; Courageous Cat captured it in their colors in 2011.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-82044792460758653432012-05-05T19:47:00.000-04:002012-05-05T19:51:28.434-04:00Bobina's short life ends tragically<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2q3unuuUdZQeSB7NlyX_007uJtb4mpybuilob61HbDG40hA5m9qd1w-Dv3rqYBCx6UFu2fZCarYjE7BqiIGQmmrWZ83wYC0oqwSzh8_zhrzbM25Aed7-DdlPudaFoZ40ZEVR0JtbgjU8/s1600/BobinaextendedatfinishofSenoritaoutside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2q3unuuUdZQeSB7NlyX_007uJtb4mpybuilob61HbDG40hA5m9qd1w-Dv3rqYBCx6UFu2fZCarYjE7BqiIGQmmrWZ83wYC0oqwSzh8_zhrzbM25Aed7-DdlPudaFoZ40ZEVR0JtbgjU8/s320/BobinaextendedatfinishofSenoritaoutside.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bobina (outside) broke down right after the finish line of the Senorita</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Benoit, Betfair Hollywood Park</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It was not an outcome that anyone could have foreseen. <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/bobina6">Bobina</a></b>, a three-year-old <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=4300692&origin=singlesearch&StallionName=malibu%20moon&SRYear=2012">Malibu
Moon</a> filly, <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/BHP050512USA5.pdf">won the Grade
III grassy Senorita</a> at Betfair Hollywood Park today, narrowly prevailing
after a brave stretch duel with <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/my+gi+gi">My Gi Gi</a></b> , but then, just
a second after she crossed the wire, her right front ankle shattered and she
fell heavily to the ground.<br />
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Her rider, Victor Espinoza, got up in short order, but
Bobina never did. In a display of
misplaced zeal, Kevin Krigger, the rider of My Gi Gi, claimed foul against
Bobina as she awaited the veterinarian’s needle. The stewards disallowed the claim, but no one
could save Bobina.</div>
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When track vets determined that her injuries were catastrophic,
they euthanized Bobina as she lay, even as the tote board flashed her number on
top and bettors cashed their winning tickets.
The trophy that was meant to honor Bobina’s crowning achievement as a
graded stakes winner became her memorial, instead. It’s small consolation to the people who
bred and owned her, Haras Santa Maria de Araras, or to her trainer, A. C.
Avila. They had painstakingly brought
Bobina this far, only to lose her, just like that. Horse racing can be cruel.</div>
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Bobina didn’t know how to do anything but win. Unraced at two, she didn’t make her first
start until the last day of March, when she outclassed a field of <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SA&dt=03/31/2012&ctry=USA&race=7">maiden
special weight fillies</a> at Santa Anita, rallying to finish more than two
lengths the good of her nearest rival at a mile on the grass, the same
conditions she faced in the Senorita today.</div>
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She came right back two weeks later and did it again, this
time over a sloppy mile in an allowance test that had been taken off the
turf. It was that victory that inspired
her connections to <a href="http://www.drf.com/news/santa-anita-bobina-point-senorita-stakes">take a
shot in the Senorita</a>, which seemed to be the perfect spot for this
up-and-coming filly who had such a bright future. </div>
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Bobina didn’t disappoint them. Her courage carried her over the finish line
today, even as her ankle failed her.
It’s not known when Bobina sustained the injury that felled her; there
was nothing to suggest she’d gone wrong until she suddenly went down. </div>
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Bobina was the fourth foal out of the durable <a href="http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/stallion-directory/stallion.aspx?stallion_no=1049059">Dynaformer</a>
mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/maliziosa">Maliziosa</a></b>, a multiple
stakes winner who won or placed in 12 of her 22 starts, while earning $327,581.
In an eerie coincidence, Bobina’s stakes-placed half-brother, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/tutti+buona+gente">Tutti Buona Gente</a></b>
(by Aldebaran), <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CD&dt=05/01/2012&ctry=USA&race=6">broke
down</a> and was vanned off just three days ago in a $10,000 claiming race at
Churchill Downs. It’s not known whether,
unlike Bobina, he has survived.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-22089731473919227802012-05-03T23:28:00.000-04:002012-05-03T23:28:46.853-04:00Don't dismiss Kentucky Oaks contender Jemima's Pearl<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYetHf7MUCmVk9MYmh5Rj02UtqhQ0OwY6sjcPhmAmZfQw_R1wNcozhxn6oyeDHbpSkOCH5J80i9SqCDDw8H8wUCNm_6wUHr-svytCpgTgxpmXUUtq7YD9VVik6Nk9dQhXyCaaLQQ1Zqrw/s1600/JemimasPearlandBodemeisterApr295fwork2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYetHf7MUCmVk9MYmh5Rj02UtqhQ0OwY6sjcPhmAmZfQw_R1wNcozhxn6oyeDHbpSkOCH5J80i9SqCDDw8H8wUCNm_6wUHr-svytCpgTgxpmXUUtq7YD9VVik6Nk9dQhXyCaaLQQ1Zqrw/s1600/JemimasPearlandBodemeisterApr295fwork2.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jemima's Pearl (front) works with Bodemeister at Churchill 4/29/2012</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo: Reed Palmer Phography, Churchill Downs</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Unlike most of her rivals in the Kentucky Oaks, longshot <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/jemimas+pearl">Jemima’s Pearl</a></b> has
never won a stakes race, but based on her running style, and the fact that
she’s held her own against her workmate, <st1:place w:st="on">Derby</st1:place>
favorite <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/bodemeister">Bodemeister</a></b>, the
daughter of <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1396750&origin=singlesearch">Distorted
Humor</a></b> shouldn’t be dismissed. </div>
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A <a href="http://apps.keeneland.com/sales/sep10/pdfs/867.pdf">$100,000 Keeneland
September yearling</a>, Jemima’s Pearl began her two-year-old career in
Ireland, where she broke her maiden at seven furlongs in her fourth career
start at Dundalk, defeating <b><a href="http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/newmarket-guineas-leopardstown-homecoming-queen-causes-upset/1016177/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews">Homecoming
Queen</a></b>, who went on to win a listed stakes last year and was the recent
upset winner of the Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial-G3 for trainer Aidan
O’Brien.</div>
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Repatriated to the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
this year, Jemima’s <st1:place w:st="on">Pearl</st1:place>
captured a mile and a sixteenth allowance test at Santa Anita in March, in her
first effort on American soil, under the tutelage of conditioner <b>Simon Callaghan</b>. Switched to the barn of trainer <b>Bob Baffert</b>, the filly ran a creditable
third to <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/mamma+kimbo">Mamma Kimbo</a></b> and Oaks
contender <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/amies+dini">Amie’s Dini</a></b> in the Grade
II Fantasy at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Oaklawn</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>. </div>
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But it wasn’t until she shipped to Churchill Downs to
prepare for the Oaks that people began to take notice. She breezed side-by-side with the powerful
Bodemeister on two occasions, and barely batted an eye. Jemima’s <st1:city w:st="on">Pearl</st1:city> may have been overlooked by the
pundits, but she was making quite an impression among railbirds.</div>
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She’ll get her chance to prove herself among members of her
own sex in the prestigious Grade I Oaks, where, in a field of fillies brimming
with speed, the race may set up for Jemima’s Pearl to unleash her trademark
late surge. Her style is reminiscent of
her dam, the British-bred <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/jemima2">Jemima</a></b>, a closer who
excelled on the turf, notching the Peugeot Lowther Stakes-G2 in <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region> and placing in stakes company in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> </div>
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As a daughter of classic sire <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/distortedhumor.pdf">Distorted
Humor</a>, Jemima’s <st1:place w:st="on">Pearl</st1:place>’s
ability to get Oaks’ nine furlongs shouldn’t be in question. In spite of the fact that he never won beyond
a mile, Distorted Humor has been a consistent progenitor of high-class stamina,
siring classic winners <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/funny+cide">Funny Cide</a></b> (Kentucky
Derby) and <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=8035812&origin=singlesearch">Drosselmeyer</a></b>
(Belmont) as well as mile-and-a-quarter winners <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6597055&origin=singlesearch">Flower
Alley</a></b> (Travers), and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/regal+ransom2">Regal Ransom</a></b> (U.A.E.
Derby).</div>
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Interestingly, Jemima’s Pearl has what <a href="http://pedigreeconsultants.com/">Pedigree Consultants’</a> <b>Alan Porter</b> and <b>Byron Rogers</b> term a “Reverse Parallel Pattern” pedigree, in that
Distorted Humor is by a Mr. Prospector-line sire (Forty Niner) out of a Danzig
mare (Danzigs Beauty), while Jemima is by a Danzig-line sire (Green Desert’s
son, Owington) out of a mare by Mr. Prospector’s son, Damister. </div>
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Whatever happens in the Oaks, Jemima’s <st1:city w:st="on">Pearl</st1:city> seems amply credentialed for success.</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-50216857218188615152012-04-21T22:28:00.001-04:002012-04-21T22:28:06.348-04:00Bellamy Road's All Squared Away comes into his own<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CeYqPZHylWhxhRpArNfm5600S51o1VB2OrSRGq-6tTeDEdiyNeKW5AnTz4BMffT2kqCXZLlRvp_qwmxW3F_m5OMv7QtkmQRO0EOVPKDUY7CoceIWa6_madywMGgh2jGyDuYAFJkIflg/s1600/All+Squared+Away_Coolmore+Lexington+Gr+III_04-21-12_Fin+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CeYqPZHylWhxhRpArNfm5600S51o1VB2OrSRGq-6tTeDEdiyNeKW5AnTz4BMffT2kqCXZLlRvp_qwmxW3F_m5OMv7QtkmQRO0EOVPKDUY7CoceIWa6_madywMGgh2jGyDuYAFJkIflg/s320/All+Squared+Away_Coolmore+Lexington+Gr+III_04-21-12_Fin+(3).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>All Squared Away was all alone at the wire of the Lexington</b><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>Photo: Coady Photography/Keeneland</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If ever there was a bargain basement horse gone right, it’s <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/all+squared+away">All Squared Away</a></b>. The three-year-old <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6506673&origin=singlesearch">Bellamy
Road</a></b> gelding, who cost a mere $1000 as a yearling, came from behind to
blow away a cast of 10 other high-priced contenders to win today’s <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/KEE042112USA9.pdf">Coolmore
Lexington Stakes-G3</a> at Keeneland at odds of 70-1. Beaten in his wake were the highly regarded
Southwest Stakes winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/castaway14">Castaway</a></b> (9<sup>th</sup>)
as well as the previously undefeated <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/summer+front">Summer Front</a></b>, who
finished second.</div>
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All Squared Away’s victory in the prestigious
mile-and-a-sixteenth contest was only his second in nine starts, but it was his
first effort under the tutelage of red-hot Keeneland trainer <b><a href="http://www.breederscup.com/bio.aspx?id=2422">Wesley Ward</a></b>, who
took over the reins from West Coast conditioner Peter Miller, part-owner of the
gelding in partnership with Altamira Racing Stable and Wire to Wire Racing. With his winner’s take from the <st1:city w:st="on">Lexington</st1:city>, All Squared
Away more than tripled his previous earnings, and has now amassed a bank
account of $164,180.</div>
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All Squared Away raced in <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state>
until mid-March, when he was shipped east to compete in the Spiral Stakes at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Turfway</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>, in which he finished sixth to <b><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/derby-contender-went-the-day-well-works-at-keeneland">Went
The Day Well</a></b>. As a two-year-old,
he had failed to break his maiden in $30,000 to $40,000 claiming company, at
distances from four-and-a-half to six furlongs, but stepped up to win in wire-to-wire
fashion in his first start at three, a mile-and-a-sixteenth maiden special
weight contest over the synthetic track at Golden Gate Field. </div>
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Based on both his race and sales record, it would appear
that All Squared Away is a bit of a late bloomer. The first foal from his unraced dam, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/squared2">Squared</a>, by <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=5331310&origin=singlesearch">Posse</a>,
he was a $3000 weanling at Keeneland November, but brought but a third of that
when he was pinhooked at the following year’s <a href="http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2010/1025/993.pdf">Fasig-Tipton
October venue</a>. Squared herself was sold for $2000 at the 2009
Keeneland November sale, in foal to <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6091055&origin=singlesearch">Eurosilver</a>,
and subsequently exported to <st1:place w:st="on">South
Korea</st1:place>.
</div>
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All Squared Away becomes the first graded stakes winner in
the first three generations of his female family, and the fifth graded stakes
winner for <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/bellamyroad.pdf">Bellamy
Road</a>, a son of the Kinsman Stud bred and raced <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/concerto3">Concerto</a></b>, a
multiple graded stakes winner by Intermediate/Solid Chef-de-Race <b><a href="http://www.chef-de-race.com/dosage/chefs-de-race/chief's_crown.htm">Chief’s
Crown</a></b>. </div>
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<st1:street w:st="on">Bellamy Road</st1:street>
had a short but sparkling career on the track, and is perhaps best known for
his dominating 17-length victory in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=AQU&dt=04/09/2005&ctry=USA&race=9">Wood
Memorial</a>, in which he equaled the Aqueduct track record for a mile and an
eighth (1:47.16). Favored in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CD&dt=05/07/2005&ctry=USA&race=10">Kentucky
Derby</a>, he finished a tiring seventh, some 18 lengths behind <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6484356&origin=singlesearch">Giacomo</a></b>,
and was subsequently found to have sustained a splint injury. In what would be his final race, <st1:street w:st="on">Bellamy Road</st1:street> was a
courageous second to <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6597055&origin=singlesearch">Flower
Alley</a></b> in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SAR&dt=08/27/2005&ctry=USA&race=11">Travers</a>,
but that effort aggravated his prior injuries, and after an unsuccessful
comeback attempt at four, he was retired to stud. All Squared Away is a member of his second
crop.</div>
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Bellamy Road sired seven stakes winners from his first crop,
including his top earner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/tobys+corner">Toby’s Corner</a></b> (out of
Brandons Ride, by Mr. Frisky), who emulated his sire by winning the Wood
Memorial; he has also placed in two stakes so far this year. His other graded stakes winners are both
fillies who excelled at <st1:city w:st="on">Saratoga</st1:city>: <st1:place w:st="on">Adirondack</st1:place>
winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/position+limit">Position Limit</a></b> and
last year’s Schuylerville heroine, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/georgies+angel">Georgie’s Angel</a></b>. </div>
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There seems to be a common thread in the pedigrees of All
Squared Away, Toby’s Corner, and Position Limit in that all three have at least
one cross of Intermediate/Classic Chef-de-Race <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/damascus">Damascus</a></b> in
their first four generations. All
Squared Away’s second dam, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/second+degree">Second
Degree</a>, is by Time for A Change (by <st1:city w:st="on">Damascus</st1:city>),
while Toby’s Corner’s dam, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/brandons+ride">Brandons
Ride</a>, is a granddaughter of Marsayas (by <st1:place w:st="on">Damascus</st1:place>).
Interestingly, Position Limit is inbred to <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/arabian+dancer">Arabian Dancer</a></b>
(by <st1:city w:st="on">Damascus</st1:city>),
the dam of her maternal grandsire, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/out+of+place">Out of Place</a>, and also the
fourth dam of <st1:street w:st="on">Bellamy Road</st1:street>
himself.</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-86910634009117181162012-04-07T17:03:00.000-04:002012-04-07T17:03:48.892-04:00Silver Max runs to his pedigree<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguire3STq2R2OiQus-u-QwwpNGBlfmSD7oV_tMgIU6cOc5slCEtbuVE189pvt5VPjUjATD02hCJQMIZ01JdmXx21Kaccf6k8CWJBr-mSsOwTXaXVccYJn0C5gc7vuapkZ5ocjhY-9BoG0/s1600/SilverMaxTransylvaniaKeenCoadyApr62012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguire3STq2R2OiQus-u-QwwpNGBlfmSD7oV_tMgIU6cOc5slCEtbuVE189pvt5VPjUjATD02hCJQMIZ01JdmXx21Kaccf6k8CWJBr-mSsOwTXaXVccYJn0C5gc7vuapkZ5ocjhY-9BoG0/s320/SilverMaxTransylvaniaKeenCoadyApr62012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Silver Max winning the Transylvania-G3 at Keeneland</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Coady Photography, Courtesy of Keeneland</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/silver+max">Silver Max</a></b> burst out of the gate in the Grade III grassy <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/KEE040612USA9.pdf">Transylvania</a> yesterday, and never looked back until he cleared the finish line. His six rivals seemed content to let the three-year-old <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=5331590&origin=singlesearch">Badge of Silver</a></b> colt gallop loose on the lead in the early part of the mile-and-a-sixteenth contest, apparently believing either that they would catch him on the turn or that he’d falter in the stretch. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By the time they figured out that Silver Max wouldn’t easily relinquish his advantage, there wasn’t enough time to reach him. He won by five and a half lengths in 1:41.80 and earned $60,000 for the effort, capturing his first stakes race and the first added-money event of the Keeneland spring meet on a beautiful opening day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Silver Max could have been claimed for $50,000 in his career debut: a five-and-a-half furlong maiden race on <st1:city w:st="on">Saratoga</st1:city>’s main track last July, when he was piloted by Robby Albarado, the jockey who rode him to victory yesterday. He finished second that day, as he did in his next four attempts in maiden special weight company at varying distances on the grass, finally breaking his maiden in a one-mile maiden special weight race over firm turf at Gulfstream Park in January. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Two weeks later, Silver Max ambitiously encountered some of the best colts of his crop in the <a href="http://youtu.be/lV52dM5E5n0">Grade III Holy Bull</a>, where he finished a tiring fifth over a sloppy mile to Bernardini’s <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/algorithms">Algorithms</a></b>, who decisively defeated last year’s Two-Year-Old Champion, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/hansen2">Hansen</a></b>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Trainer <b>Dale Romans</b> wisely regrouped and ran Silver Max back to his strength six weeks later in a grassy allowance/optional claimer at the Transylvania distance, and he ran as he did yesterday, winning in wire-to-wire style by three widening lengths at Gulfstream. The bay colt has now won or placed in eight of his nine starts, and bankrolled $169,475.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That’s a nice return on the $20,000 that Dale Romans paid for him at the <a href="http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2010/0713/260.pdf">2010 Fasig-Tipton July sale</a>. Silver Max is the fifth foal and third winner from the winning <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/kissin+kris">Kissin Kris</a></b> mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/kissin+rene">Kissin Rene</a></b>, a half-sister to graded stakes-winning <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/prince+of+the+mt">Prince of the Mt.</a></b> and to the dams of Canadian Champion <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/kiss+a+native">Kiss a Native</a></b> and Grade I stakes winner and sire <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=4037092&origin=singlesearch">Yes It’s True</a></b>. Kissin Rene has also produced the stakes-winning filly, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/true+kiss">True Kiss</a></b>, by Yes It’s True’s sire, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/is+it+true">Is It True</a></b>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Silver Max’s female family had been a relatively quiet one until his third dam, the Colorado-bred <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/party+date">Party Date</a></b> (by the obscure Speedy Frank) was bred to <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/prince+of+ascot">Prince of Ascot</a></b>, and then it exploded. The resulting foal was Silver Max’s second dam, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/monique+rene">Monique Rene</a></b>, a tough Louisiana-bred stakes-winning sprint specialist who notched 29 races in 45 starts while earning $456,250. Her descendants appear to have inherited her speed, and perhaps, her distance limitations.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With his victory in the Transylvania, Silver Max became the second North American graded stakes winner for his sire, the fourth-crop <b><a href="http://fmitchell07.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/spotlight-on-silver-deputy/">Silver Deputy</a></b> stallion <b><a href="http://www.airdriestud.com/badge_of_silver.asp?header=stallions">Badge of Silver</a></b>, a fast, versatile performer who was effective in elite company on both dirt and turf at middle distances up to nine furlongs, capturing the Grade II New Orleans (dirt) and San Gabriel (turf) Handicaps in the colors of Ken and Sarah Ramsey. At four, and again at six, he placed in the Cigar Mile-G1, and in his penultimate start, he was third to Turf Champion <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/miesques+approval">Miesque’s Approval</a></b> in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CD&dt=11/04/2006&ctry=USA&race=7">Grade I Breeders’ Cup Mile</a>. He stands at Airdrie for a published fee of $6,000.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Like Badge of Silver’s son, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/fly+lexis+fly">Fly Lexis Fly</a></b>, a two-time Grade I winner in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Peru</st1:country-region> who is currently being pointed to the <st1:place w:st="on">Belmont</st1:place>, Silver Max is inbred to <a href="http://www.chef-de-race.com/dosage/chefs-de-race/chefs.htm">Classic Chef-de-Race</a> <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_(horse)">Roberto</a></b>, 4 x 4. Badge of Silver’s dam, Silveroo, is a daughter of Roberto’s son, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/silver+hawk">Silver Hawk</a></b>, while Silver Max’s broodmare sire, Kissin Kris, is also by Roberto. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://www.truenicks.com/free-reports/hypothetical-mating/display?stallionReferenceNumber=5331590&mareReferenceNumber=4330199&mareName=Kissin%20Rene">True Nicks</a></b> rates the match that produced Silver Max as an A++, and indeed, there is precedent for the cross. Among the other stakes winners that have been bred on a similar pattern are the stakes-winning fillies <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/beso+grande">Beso Grande</a></b> (by Mass Media) and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/devonspaintedlady">Devonspaintedlady</a></b> (by Devon Deputy), both out of Kissin Kris mares. When bred to daughters or granddaughters of Roberto, Deputy Minister’s son, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/touchgold.pdf">Touch Gold</a></b>, has sired stakes winners <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/sharp+susan">Sharp Susan</a></b> (out of Winter’s Gone, by Dynaformer), <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/flaming+heart4">Flaming Heart</a></b> (out of Hot Lear, by Lear Fan), and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/adobe+gold">Adobe Gold</a></b> (out of Urus, by Kris S.).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-39238605845668074532012-04-01T23:29:00.003-04:002012-04-01T23:38:57.285-04:00The Life and Legacy of Grand Slam<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLMIGlEMnOG5MLG76hMdUrpxkPdxCeJPnxra4R05pJxbO65Dub47L-fkAV2f89astG2g0VI1cRgxNZCUTaFwYYknrFUs6M8_MfI4AbElcEnk1jL1-NHiQLls-fDaDJd-2NEcwKD7YMN8/s1600/MillionreasonswhywinsMatronBelmontJuly32011AdamC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLMIGlEMnOG5MLG76hMdUrpxkPdxCeJPnxra4R05pJxbO65Dub47L-fkAV2f89astG2g0VI1cRgxNZCUTaFwYYknrFUs6M8_MfI4AbElcEnk1jL1-NHiQLls-fDaDJd-2NEcwKD7YMN8/s320/MillionreasonswhywinsMatronBelmontJuly32011AdamC.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Grand Slam's daughter Millionreasonswhy winning The Matron-G2</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Adam Coglianese, Courtesy of NYRA</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://www.coolmore.com/stallions-view.php?list=america&id=26">Grand Slam</a></b>, a regally bred son of champion sire <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/gone+west">Gone West</a></b> who demonstrated brilliance and tenacity on the track, and as a sire, passed those attributes on to his progeny, died suddenly yesterday, felled by heart failure. The 17-year-old stallion, who has thus far sired 73 stakes winners from 11 crops of racing age, was standing at Coolmore’s <a href="http://www.coolmore.com/farm.php?country=america"><b>Ashford Stud</b></a> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Versailles</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:state></st1:place> at the time of his death, for a published fee of $12,000. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Grand Slam’s unexpected passing came just two days after the untimely demise of Coolmore’s world-class sire, <b><a href="http://www.coolmore.com/stallions-view.php?list=ireland&id=11">Montjeu</a></b>, a 16-year-old champion son of Chef-de-Race <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/sadlers+wells">Sadler’s Wells</a></b> who stood at the group’s main farm in <st1:place w:st="on">Ireland</st1:place>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bred by Overbrook Farm, Grand Slam was a $300,000 Keeneland yearling, purchased by the partnership of Robert and Christina Baker, William Mack, and David Cornstein, who raced him under the tutelage of Wayne Lukas. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Grand Slam signaled from the outset that he was something special, <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=07/18/1997&ctry=USA&race=6">breaking his maiden</a> by 11 lengths in his first start while equaling the <st1:city w:st="on">Belmont</st1:city> track record (1:03.06) for five and a half furlongs. He went on to triumph in the Grade I <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=09/21/1997&ctry=USA&race=9">Futurity</a> and <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=10/18/1997&ctry=USA&race=7">Champagne</a>, and seemed invincible until the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=HOL&dt=11/08/1997&ctry=USA&race=6">Breeders’ Cup Juvenile</a>, when he suffered a gash to his hind leg that not only took him out of the race, but almost ended his career. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was never quite the same again, though his sheer courage and ability shone through again at three, when he captured the nine-furlong <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=05/24/1998&ctry=USA&race=8">Peter Pan</a> at Belmont and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/25/sports/horse-racing-grand-slam-wins-and-could-be-a-belmont-threat.html">ignited hopes</a> that he was good as new. Alas, that wasn’t true. But Grand Slam acquitted himself with honor for the rest of that season, gutting out second-place finishes in the six-furlong <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CD&dt=11/07/1998&ctry=USA&race=6">Breeders’ Cup Sprint-G1</a>, the one-mile <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=09/19/1998&ctry=USA&race=7">Jerome-G2</a>, and the nine-furlong <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=HOL&dt=07/19/1998&ctry=USA&race=8">Swaps-G2</a>, as well as a third-place effort in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=MTH&dt=08/09/1998&ctry=USA&race=11">Haskel</a>l. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqIRs6rKJXOG45_fIyhs4G0TZLVwYsyshyk5-4mM2dsSWvGNH3HjVBtHxzo5J0Hqa_HwlBaFFEGeg5sBkb6VT2PGJ84jmQWTP8EoExM4v364_uXcmWLvYji6GIbCpY1TXLdCFJ5v7doo/s1600/VisionairewinsKingsBishopG1Saratoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqIRs6rKJXOG45_fIyhs4G0TZLVwYsyshyk5-4mM2dsSWvGNH3HjVBtHxzo5J0Hqa_HwlBaFFEGeg5sBkb6VT2PGJ84jmQWTP8EoExM4v364_uXcmWLvYji6GIbCpY1TXLdCFJ5v7doo/s400/VisionairewinsKingsBishopG1Saratoga.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Visionaire winning the King's Bishop-G1 at Saratoga<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Adam Coglianese, Courtesy of NYRA</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">At stud, <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/grandslam.pdf">Grand Slam</a> has sired 26 graded stakes winners, many of whom were produced from mares who, like his own dam, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/bright+candles">Bright Candles</a></b> (by El Gran Senor), descend from Northern Dancer. They include Jim Dandy-G2 winner <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/stronghope.pdf">Strong Hope</a></b> (out of Shining Through, by Deputy Minister), King’s Bishop-G1 victor <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/visionaire2">Visionaire</a></b> (out of Scarlet Tango, by French Deputy), Brooklyn Handicap-G2 winner <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/limehouse.pdf">Limehouse</a></b> (out of Dixieland Blues, by Dixieland Band), Mr. Prospector-G3 winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/apriority">Apriority</a></b> (out of Midway Squall, by Storm Bird), Daytona-G3 turf specialist <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/dilemma3">Dilemma</a></b> (out of Heavenly Cat, by Tabasco Cat), and Kentucky Cup Classic-G2 hero and recent <a href="http://www.oldfriendsequine.org/">Old Friends</a> retiree, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ball+four2">Ball Four</a></b> (out of Making Faces, by Lyphard).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdsyueuEPfoLV6aI3iTdiPePR3m_EFblKFzUQAg9nbu7QWH8z5r_OmJ9e6T_4x8NgjoeQzqki_wtMpIvZAsF0LllKbfBETn2X_Qz2GjCiM5CEKWck1kmyce4B41N-hOI2MEH_6Xz83CY/s1600/MalibuPrayerwinsRuffianSaratogaAug12010AdamCoglianese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdsyueuEPfoLV6aI3iTdiPePR3m_EFblKFzUQAg9nbu7QWH8z5r_OmJ9e6T_4x8NgjoeQzqki_wtMpIvZAsF0LllKbfBETn2X_Qz2GjCiM5CEKWck1kmyce4B41N-hOI2MEH_6Xz83CY/s320/MalibuPrayerwinsRuffianSaratogaAug12010AdamCoglianese.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Malibu Prayer winning the Ruffian-G1 at Saratoga</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Adam Coglianese, Courtesy of NYRA</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Grand Slam has also shown an affinity with A. P. Indy, having sired the current <a href="http://www.drf.com/news/laurel-millionreasonswhy-begins-quest-kentucky-oaks-taking-wide-country">Kentucky Oaks hopeful</a> <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/millionreasonswhy">Millionreasonswhy</a></b> (out of In Secure, by A. P. Indy), winner of the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=07/03/2011&ctry=USA&race=8">Matron-G2</a> at two and of the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/LRL030312USA7.pdf">Wide Country Stakes</a> at Laurel last month. Grand Slam’s stakes-winning daughter, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/grand+prayer">Grand Prayer</a></b>, who brought $1 million at last November’s Edward P. Evans dispersal at Keeneland (in foal to Medaglia D’Oro), produced the highly regarded Grade I winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/malibu+prayer">Malibu Prayer</a></b> (by A. P. Indy), who sold for $2 million (in foal to Smart Strike) at the same dispersal. Both mares were purchased by Besilu Stables.<br />
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In the sales ring, Grand Slam’s individuals seem to get better as they mature. His 137 weanlings sold at auction have averaged $88,613, his 719 yearlings, $110,281, and his 191 two-year-olds, $127,412. Grand Slam’s colts have typically brought significantly more than his fillies, and for the most part, they have outshone his fillies on the racetrack, too. He will have one of each sex in next week’s <a href="http://apps.keeneland.com/livesales/Catalog.asp?saleid=74">Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds-in-Training Sale</a>. A dark bay or brown colt out of the Awesome Again mare, Tyne, will be offered as <a href="http://apps.keeneland.com/sales/Apr12/pdfs/81.pdf">Hip #81</a>, and a chestnut filly named, “Work for a Living,” out of the Tiznow mare, Tiz Maya, is catalogued as <a href="http://apps.keeneland.com/sales/Apr12/pdfs/77.pdf">Hip #77</a>; she was a $4500 Keeneland September yearling. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Through March 25th, Grand Slam had sired 798 winners, with average earnings per starter of over $60,000. At the time of the stallion’s death, Coolmore’s website sported a banner broadcasting his achievement in siring four three-year-old stakes winners in just the last three weeks: <b><a href="http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=8721763">Tribune (Fr</a>)</b> (out of Tanguista, by War Chant); <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/slamit">Slamit</a></b> (out of Excedius, by Seattle Dancer), <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/millionreasonswhy">Millionreasonswhy</a></b>, and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/the+lumber+guy">The Lumber Guy</a></b> (out of Boltono, by Unbridled’s Song). He will be missed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-28098738043080102832012-03-31T21:44:00.001-04:002012-03-31T21:48:30.915-04:00To the Derby, via Dubai<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6D0sYkGxSJ2PzogJAYsAWqNplAsO_AOKBTgi0ev_NaFe5Fdun1m58bKAeMYmLmlEXNSfbwp-Lt_CEYfHmuth_edXMBI_VRIAURzkj2hGIu8wsO58lt18ZvT7gegfubU05gu2TXb2ogs/s1600/DaddyLongLegswinsUAEDerbyAndrewWatkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6D0sYkGxSJ2PzogJAYsAWqNplAsO_AOKBTgi0ev_NaFe5Fdun1m58bKAeMYmLmlEXNSfbwp-Lt_CEYfHmuth_edXMBI_VRIAURzkj2hGIu8wsO58lt18ZvT7gegfubU05gu2TXb2ogs/s320/DaddyLongLegswinsUAEDerbyAndrewWatkins.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Daddy Long Legs wins the UAE Derby-G2</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Andrew Watkins, Dubai World Cup</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/daddy+long+legs3">Daddy Long Legs</a></b>, a Kentucky-bred son of red hot sire <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=7192241&origin=singlesearch">Scat Daddy</a></b>, bested a stellar international field of 13 other three-year-olds to win the mile and three-sixteenths <b>UAE Derby-G2</b> on the undercard of the Dubai World Cup at Meydan today. He was the only U.S.-bred runner to capture one of the prestigious contests on <a href="http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/">World Cup</a> day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With his victory over Meydan’s synthetic Tapeta surface, in his first start of the year, the long-striding chestnut avenged his 12<sup>th</sup> place finish in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which was captured by eventual Two-Year-Old Champion <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/hansen2">Hansen</a></b>. He also defeated the reigning Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/wrote">Wrote</a></b>, who finished third. All three colts are likely to meet again in the Kentucky Derby, to be run at Churchill Downs on May 5<sup>th</sup>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The lightly raced Daddy Long Legs, who runs in the Coolmore colors of John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor, has now won three of his five starts, and amassed earnings of $1,308,909, including the $1.2 million winner’s share of the UAE Derby. That will be more than enough to ensure that he’ll get a place in the <st1:city w:st="on">Derby</st1:city> starting gate, if his connections want one. And based on the comments of his trainer, Aidan O’Brien, immediately after the race, it sounds like that’s where Daddy Long Legs is headed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Daddy Long Legs’ stylish performance in the UAE Derby makes him the current leading earner among members of the precocious initial crop of <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/scatdaddy.pdf">Scat Daddy</a>, a multiple Grade I stakes-winning son of <st1:city w:st="on">Johannesburg</st1:city> who stands for $17,500 at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Versailles</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:state></st1:place>. With 23 winners and three two-year-old stakes winners last year, Scat Daddy was 2011’s leading first crop sire. And it looks like his progeny’s early success was no fluke. Commenting after Daddy Long Legs’ victory today, Aidan O’Brien said, “the Scat Daddys are doing very well this year and it’s interesting that they’re improving from two to three.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Indeed, Scat Daddy now has two sons on the Derby Trail. Another colt, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/daddy+nose+best">Daddy Nose Best</a></b> (out of Follow Your Bliss, by Thunder Gulch), notched last week’s $800,000 Sunland Derby-G3 in rallying style and has earned enough to guarantee his place in the <st1:place w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:place> classic. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Out of the stakes-winning <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/meadowlake">Meadowlake</a></b> mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/dreamy+maiden">Dreamy Maiden</a></b>, Daddy Long Legs is bred on the same pattern as crack sprinter <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6848321&origin=singlesearch">Henny Hughes</a></b> (by Scat Daddy’s grandsire, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/hennessy2">Hennessy</a></b>, out of Meadow Flyer, by Meadow Lake), who is now standing at Darley’s Lexington division. And, like all but one of Scat Daddy’s current stakes winners, Daddy Long Legs is inbred to Northern Dancer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">He descends from the French mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/affection">Affection</a></b>, the ancestor of influential Broodmares of the Year <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/delta">Delta</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/levee">Levee</a></b> (dam of multiple Champion <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/shuvee">Shuvee</a></b>). This is also the family of <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/slew+o+gold">Slew o’Gold</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/coastal">Coastal</a></b>, and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/aptitude">Aptitude</a></b>. Daddy Long Legs is the seventh foal and sixth winner from his dam, who previously produced the multiple stakes-winning Chester House filly, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/tres+dream">Tres Dream</a></b>. Dreamy Maiden brought $170,000, in foal to <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=7198670&origin=singlesearch">Street Sense</a></b>, at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton November sale, while her weanling <st1:place w:st="on">Giant’s Causeway</st1:place> colt RNA’d for the same price at Keeneland November. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Daddy Long Legs was plucked out of the 2010 Fasig-Tipton July Select sale by Ashford Stud for $100,000, a price that now looks like a very smart bargain.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-41034123483091496412012-02-18T21:19:00.000-05:002012-02-18T21:19:40.192-05:00Animal Kingdom punches his ticket to Dubai<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgns0ThjOQAsY3L0mUo8cup1DMskgEDL69esrK9B_Xck95aJBEsF3d7RtwecOkdsvD0cM_CC3WYVNOnjuvMYcmB-BC42N7W0nZ-6GDqJEdZn7pw_5KasnP8XHn1tY3IVCIwmKc81jyMmaE/s1600/AnimalKingdomAllowGulfFeb182012closeupwin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgns0ThjOQAsY3L0mUo8cup1DMskgEDL69esrK9B_Xck95aJBEsF3d7RtwecOkdsvD0cM_CC3WYVNOnjuvMYcmB-BC42N7W0nZ-6GDqJEdZn7pw_5KasnP8XHn1tY3IVCIwmKc81jyMmaE/s320/AnimalKingdomAllowGulfFeb182012closeupwin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Animal Kingdom easily won his comeback race at Gulfstream</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Adam Coglianese, Gulfstream</span></i></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">In an effort that left both his connections and his legions of fans sighing with relief and admiration, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/animal+kingdom">Animal Kingdom</a></b> <a href="http://youtu.be/mzzGdmAA56s">impressively won</a> his four-year-old debut over the Gulfstream turf today, <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GP021812USA5.pdf">easily defeating seasoned allowance rivals</a> in his comeback effort after an eight-month layoff. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The reigning <a href="http://youtu.be/KVi6-83TAtA">Derby winner</a> and Three-Year-Old Champion son of <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6277345&origin=singlesearch">Leroidesanimaux</a></b> rallied with the greatest of ease in the stretch of the mile-and-a-sixteenth contest, and once jockey Johnny Valasquez said, “go,” he was never seriously threatened, besting second-place finisher <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/monument+hill3">Monument Hill</a></b> by two lengths and stopping the timer in 1:41.72. Animal Kingdom has now or placed in seven of his eight lifetime starts, and has banked earnings of $1,967,500.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Responding to a chorus of congratulations after the race, trainer <a href="http://www.herringswellstables.com/">Graham Motion</a> tweeted, “Thanks everyone, humbled by an awesome animal. Exhale.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Indeed, Motion had been holding his breath since last June. After his brilliant victory in the <st1:city w:st="on">Derby</st1:city>, and courageous runner-up effort in the <a href="http://youtu.be/6UK2DeeXPPQ">Preakness</a>, Animal Kingdom’s three-year-old season was abruptly curtailed when he was bumped and knocked off stride soon after the start of the <a href="http://youtu.be/AarU-we0FZQ">Belmont</a>, finishing a disappointing sixth to <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ruler+on+ice">Ruler On Ice</a></b>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The strapping chestnut was subsequently found to have sustained a potentially career-ending slab fracture of his left hock, probably caused by that incident. Barbaro’s celebrated vet, <a href="http://www.vet.upenn.edu/FacultyandDepartments/Faculty/tabid/362/Default.aspx?faculty_id=6517818">Dr. Dean Richardson</a>, performed remedial surgery at the New Bolton Center in early July, and when that procedure was deemed successful, Motion mapped out a plan to get the <a href="http://www.teamvalor.com/">Team Valor</a> colorbearer to Barry Irwin’s ultimate goal: a berth in the starting gate of the $10 million <a href="http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/">Dubai World Cup</a> at the end of March. Irwin believes his colt is among the best in the world, and wants a chance to prove it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today, Animal Kingdom punched his ticket to that elite international test, and while the competition he trounced at Gulfstream pales in comparison to what he’ll face in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Dubai</st1:place></st1:city>, he showed that he’s made a full recovery and still has the stuff of which great horses are made. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">According to <b><a href="http://www.trakus.com/index.asp">Trakus</a></b>, Animal Kingdom covered a distance of 5690 feet in his comeback effort, which was 28 feet (and 3.2 lengths) more than his closest rival. He motored at an average cruising speed of 38.2 miles per hour, suggesting that wherever Animal Kingdom goes, the others will have to catch him. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-44712033529011437472012-01-28T21:58:00.001-05:002012-01-28T22:03:18.626-05:00Awesome Feather impresses in Sunshine Distaff<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgShm8cU9yP0pGyYJtB2n9dwgbAs7vAoTNW66YqpkR_P8sZxkpabZPqEepjsokF26QV7AkdGb0n4h_bPe7xqOkipQ1pAaLTEkwzGbsveh9ezXn6cVLO5dGROKGptY95We5unRjw3BBac/s1600/AwesomeFeatherSunshineMillionsFMDistaffb2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGgShm8cU9yP0pGyYJtB2n9dwgbAs7vAoTNW66YqpkR_P8sZxkpabZPqEepjsokF26QV7AkdGb0n4h_bPe7xqOkipQ1pAaLTEkwzGbsveh9ezXn6cVLO5dGROKGptY95We5unRjw3BBac/s320/AwesomeFeatherSunshineMillionsFMDistaffb2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Awesome Feather runs away in the Sunshine Millions Distaff</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Adam Coglianese, Gulfstream Park</span></i></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Making the first start of her four-year-old campaign, 2010 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/awesome+feather">Awesome Feather</a></b> easily outclassed five Florida-bred fillies and mares to capture the nine-furlong <a href="http://youtu.be/6iXCkubOEpQ">Sunshine Millions Distaff</a> at Gulfstream today. With her victory in the $300,000 contest, Awesome Feather remained perfect in nine career starts, and increased her bankroll to $1,861,746.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/restricted/pdf/pedigrees/AwesomeFeather111126.pdf">Awesome Feather</a></b> made headlines as a two-year-old, capping an undefeated six-race season with a sparkling win in the <a href="http://youtu.be/BKBrmG2533k">Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies</a> at Churchill Downs in November, 2010. Led through the auction ring at the Fasig-Tipton November sale two days later, she was purchased by racing magnate and 2011 Eclipse Award-winning Breeder Frank Stronach of Adena Springs for $2.3 million, an amazing price for a homebred by the unheralded <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1439425&origin=singlesearch">Awesome Again</a></b> stallion, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=5357284&origin=singlesearch">Awesome of Course</a></b>, who was then standing for a mere $1,750 in Oklahoma.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Within a matter of weeks, though, Stronach got some bad news: Awesome Feather was found to have a tendon injury that put her future racing career in doubt. Undaunted, Stronach told trainer Chad Brown to give the filly as much time as she needed, hoping for the best but knowing that Awesome Feather might end up being retired to the <a href="http://adenastallions.com/">Adena Springs</a> broodmare band without ever racing in his colors. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Exactly 11 months after her Breeders’ Cup victory, on October 5<sup>th</sup>, 2011, Awesome Feather made her comeback, in the seven-furlong <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=10/05/2011&ctry=USA&race=3">Le Slew Stakes</a> at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Belmont</st1:city></st1:place>, where, as the prohibitive favorite, she didn’t disappoint, prevailing by two lengths against minor stakes fillies. The effort set her up perfectly for the mile-and-an-eighth <a href="http://youtu.be/5hPstrKJQ4U">Gazelle-G1</a> at Aqueduct on Thanksgiving weekend, where she vanquished a field of eight, including today’s <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/AQU012812USA8.pdf">Affectionately</a> winner, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/love+and+pride">Love And Pride</a></b>. The long months of patience had paid big dividends. Awesome Feather was back, with a vengeance.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And today, after a two-month layoff, Awesome Feather did it again, signaling that we may not have seen the best of her yet. After his filly’s triumph, Chad Brown was noncommittal about her future plans, but wherever she goes next, she’s sure to elicit excitement. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As a result of Awesome Feather’s exploits, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/awesomeofcourse.pdf">Awesome of Course</a></b> is now attracting a decidedly better book of mares at <a href="http://www.journeymanbloodstock.com/stallions.html">Journeyman Stud</a> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Ocala</st1:city></st1:place>, where his stud fee is listed as $5000. He’s sired four other stakes winners, mostly in Florida-bred company, and all bred, like Awesome Feather, by <a href="http://www.breederscup.com/bio.aspx?id=30380">Jacks or Better Farm</a>. Awesome of Course has only sired 40 named foals of racing age, but has gotten a phenomenal 13% stakes winners from those few opportunities, greatly improving the mares with whom he’s been matched. That compares favorably with his sire, Breeders’ Cup Classic winner <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/awesomeagain.pdf">Awesome Again</a></b>, who sired 11% stakes winners in his first crop, including Champion <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=5342927&origin=singlesearch">Ghostzapper</a></b> and Grade I winner <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=5547718&origin=singlesearch">Toccet</a></b>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Out of the stakes-winning <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/gone+west">Gone West</a> mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/precious+feather">Precious Feather</a></b>, Awesome Feather is a half-sister to four winners, including stakes-placed <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/brooks+n+down">Brooks ‘N Down</a></b> (by Montbrook), who is now at stud in Oklahoma. Her third dam is the Champion Two-Year-Old Filly and great racemare <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/quill">Quill</a></b>, dam of the three-quarter brothers <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/caucasus">Caucasus</a></b> (Nijinsky) and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/one+for+all">One For All</a></b> (Northern Dancer), and ancestress of Champion and <a href="http://www.chef-de-race.com/dosage/chefs-de-race/chefs.htm">Chef-de-Race</a> <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/run+the+gantlet">Run The Gantlet</a></b>. This is also the family of Champion <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6537841&origin=singlesearch">Afleet Alex</a></b>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-73239931166563460472012-01-22T22:24:00.002-05:002012-01-22T22:26:10.902-05:00Proud Citizen's Daughters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeJPJjkh9fkqi4OLMWjbQhnkFlUqNjwxx4zavU0t7eYhyphenhyphenfRvMC5qjy_GSw359XmYrMajQVeK35vjKsTqu71Lb5rurXoZ1IovFqRCKQQxnwRao-HRuHq5t4QCWVWDp4Dglpp_46k3irlU/s1600/believeyoucansilverbulletdaylouhodgesjrhodgesphotograhy+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeJPJjkh9fkqi4OLMWjbQhnkFlUqNjwxx4zavU0t7eYhyphenhyphenfRvMC5qjy_GSw359XmYrMajQVeK35vjKsTqu71Lb5rurXoZ1IovFqRCKQQxnwRao-HRuHq5t4QCWVWDp4Dglpp_46k3irlU/s320/believeyoucansilverbulletdaylouhodgesjrhodgesphotograhy+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Believe You Can (left) wins the Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Lou Hodges, Jr., Hodges Photography</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>With stakes victories at two different tracks, two different distances, and on two different surfaces, two of Proud Citizen's daughters, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/believe+you+can">Believe You Can</a></b> and Chilean-bred <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/vamo+a+galupiar"><b>Vamo A Galupiar</b></a>, demonstrated their sires versatility yesterday.</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Brereton Jones’ homebred filly, <b>Believe You Can</b>, winner of last fall’s six-furlong <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=10/02/2011&ctry=USA&race=3">Tempted-G3</a> at Belmont in her fourth start, captured the listed <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/FG012112USA6.pdf">Silverbulletday Stakes</a> at a mile and seventy yards at Fair Grounds on Saturday, in her initial race as a sophomore, and her first around two turns. The Larry Jones trainee had hinted at her mettle in the Tempted, when she “fought tenaciously” while besting <a href="http://youtu.be/IpR1kLynQVg">Schulyerville-G3</a> heroine <b><a href="http://www.examiner.com/thoroughbred-pedigree-in-national/saratoga-pedigrees-georgie-s-angel-wins-the-schuylerville">Georgie’s Angel</a></b> and three other rivals. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Believe You Can showed the same grit in the Silverbulletday, this time seeming to get stronger as the stretch lengthened. She never looked seriously threatened at any stage of the race, winning in wire-to-wire fashion while fending off determined tries from <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=7187963&origin=singlesearch">Hard Spun’s</a></b> graded stakes-placed daughter, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/inny+minnie">Inny Minnie</a></b> and the even-money favorite <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/summer+applause2">Summer Applause</a></b>. The highly touted <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/applauding2">Applauding</a></b>, who set a new track record for six furlongs (1:07.76) in her debut at Keeneland last fall, was a late scratch after developing colic-like symptoms earlier in the day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In a post-race interview, Larry Jones confided that “we were very confident that she would go long,” adding that he’s penciled in a campaign that would send Believe You Can to the Kentucky Oaks. Based both on her performance yesterday, that doesn’t seem far-fetched. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Brereton Jones probably never imagined he’d find himself in Believe You Can’s winners circle photos, having consigned the dark bay filly to the <a href="http://apps.keeneland.com/sales/sep10/pdfs/642.pdf">2010 Keeneland September sale</a>. He brought her back home to <b><a href="http://www.airdriestud.com/">Airdrie</a></b> when she didn’t meet her reserve, after attracting a final bid of $70,000. Believe You Can is the fourth foal from her unraced dam, El Fasto, a half-sister to the graded stakes winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/classic+elegance2">Classic Elegance </a> </b>(by <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/carson+city">Carson City</a></b></st1:city></st1:place>). At the time, El Fasto had produced but one modest winner, Oh Charlie Boy (by <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/canadian+frontier">Canadian Frontier</a></b>). But the astute Jones must have seen something special in the filly, even then. He let another, seemingly better pedigreed Proud Citizen filly, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/businesslike6">Businesslike</a></b>, go for $40,000 at the same sale. Businesslike is out of a half-sister to two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile-G1 hero, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/da+hoss">Da Hoss</a></b>, and she herself is a full sister to the ill-fated Group 3 winner, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/river+proud">River Proud</a></b>. To-date, though, Businesslike is unraced, and there is no record of her on the work tabs. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Their sire, Proud Citizen, is a handsome, robust, well-balanced colt who, if he ran to his looks, would have won all his races. I saw <b><a href="http://www.airdriestud.com/proud_citizen.asp?header=stallions">Proud Citizen</a></b> run twice, at Saratoga: in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SAR&dt=09/01/2001&ctry=USA&race=8">2001 Hopeful-G1</a>, in which he finished a lackluster sixth to another son of <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/gone+west">Gone West</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/came+home">Came Home</a></b>, and in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SAR&dt=08/31/2003&ctry=USA&race=10">2003 Forego-G1</a>, where he was a tiring sixth to eventual Sprint Champion <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/aldebaran">Aldebaran</a></b>. Proud Citizen always entered the paddock like he owned the place, and indeed, he came close to being a classic winner, placing in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CD&dt=05/04/2002&ctry=USA&race=9">Derby</a> and finishing third in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=PIM&dt=05/18/2002&ctry=USA&race=12">Preakness</a>, before suffering a condylar fracture in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=06/08/2002&ctry=USA&race=10">Belmont</a>. Though rested for a year by D. Wayne Lukas, Proud Citizen never regained the form he’d shown at two and three, and was ultimately retired at the end of his four-year-old campaign.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">From the start, Proud Citizen redeemed himself at stud, like so many sons of the great <b><a href="http://www.dalacinefarm.co.nz/information/sire-sires-i-8.html">Gone West</a></b>. His best foal to-date, Champion Three-Year-Old Filly <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/proud+spell">Proud Spell</a></b> (out of Pacific Spell, by <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1354584&origin=singlesearch">Langfuhr</a></b>) was a member of his first crop. Like Proud Spell, Believe You Can is from a Northern Dancer-line mare (by El Prado). Indeed, several of Proud Citizen’s best runners, including Chilean Champion Two-Year-Old Filly <b>Vamo A Galupiar</b>, who won the grassy Megahertz at Santa Anita yesterday, are out of mares or have second dams who are by sons of Northern Dancer, notably <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/sadlers+wells">Sadler’s Wells</a></b>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And that’s no accident, in that Proud Citizen descends from the great foundation mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/almahmoud">Almahmoud</a></b>, second dam of both <b>Northern Dancer</b> and <b>Halo</b> (sire of Believe You Can’s second dam, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/taegu">Taegu</a></b>). His fourth dam, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/arctic+dancer">Arctic Dancer</a></b>, is a full sister to Northern Dancer. To-date, Proud Citizen’s best runners have had two or more distant crosses of Almahmoud, and her daughter <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/natalma">Natalma</a></b>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdawtx7hHzm1CJWjulH5pznFLm_Poux6l8uTGKPsumONtQZRZf-bW-TmqAeU_JN1v-ecQ5R4Viec1FOl1vpKz36ZwqhuQu4wjFp1GXoWqGyVRWrLOF9uAUO93CUm4YADbSQTNJDALjjN0/s1600/vamo+a+galupiar+MegahertzS2+Benoit+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdawtx7hHzm1CJWjulH5pznFLm_Poux6l8uTGKPsumONtQZRZf-bW-TmqAeU_JN1v-ecQ5R4Viec1FOl1vpKz36ZwqhuQu4wjFp1GXoWqGyVRWrLOF9uAUO93CUm4YADbSQTNJDALjjN0/s320/vamo+a+galupiar+MegahertzS2+Benoit+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Vamo A Galupiar (Chi) wins the Megahertz at Santa Anita</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Benoit Photos</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">In 2006, Proud Citizen shuttled to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Chile</st1:country-region>, where he stood one season at <a href="http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/breeding-news/2006/may/26/proud-citizen-to-shuttle-to-haras-don-alberto-in-chile.aspx">Haras Don Alberto</a>, south of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Santiago</st1:city></st1:place>. It turned out to be a successful trip. Among his Chilean foals born in 2007 were at least five stakes winners, including <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/vamo+a+galupiar">Vamo A Galupiar</a></b>, who determinedly shot up along the rail in the eight-furlong <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/SA012112USA3.pdf">Megahertz Stakes</a> and never looked back, notching her first Northern Hemisphere victory in only her second <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> start. Vamo a Galupiar’s second dam, Catalina La Grande, is by Sadler’s Wells’ graded stakes-winning son, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/stagecraft2">Stagecraft</a></b>, and her maternal grandsire, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/special+quest2">Special Quest</a></b>, is out of Mona Stella, by <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/nureyev">Nureyev</a></b>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Like Proud Spell and Believe You Can, Vamo A Galupiar’s pedigree is fueled by multiple crosses of the blue hen Natalma, whose powerful influence may be the driving force behind Proud Citizen’s seeming emergence as a sire of outstanding fillies. We’ll see.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-53027168873408779502011-11-28T21:54:00.004-05:002011-11-28T22:15:42.280-05:00Irrefutable Gave It His All<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilG1HOcttPNvqX8eezs_dPBvIiUK_YLUtq0z82LODVNInIT2UO7HlNpi7d4K0AiLHVFf3kQaLH9ZOG6WSn39JbccW92Y5c05ergSAKFNijyGAB6lDAL_rvLUkYcm8r0xgN5cbi0ZlqlAo/s1600/AmazombieandIrrefutableinAncientTitle+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilG1HOcttPNvqX8eezs_dPBvIiUK_YLUtq0z82LODVNInIT2UO7HlNpi7d4K0AiLHVFf3kQaLH9ZOG6WSn39JbccW92Y5c05ergSAKFNijyGAB6lDAL_rvLUkYcm8r0xgN5cbi0ZlqlAo/s320/AmazombieandIrrefutableinAncientTitle+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Irrefutale (left) and Amazombie in the Ancient Title</b><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Benoit Photo/Santa Anita</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><b><span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/irrefutable7">Irrefutable</a></span></b> came agonizingly close to being a top horse. He never stopped trying, even when the effort exceeded the apparent capabilities of his cardiovascular system. He literally ran his heart out, and though no one knew it as he rallied along the rail in pursuit of <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/pacific+ocean7">Pacific Ocean</a></b> in Saturday’s <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/HOL112611USA6.pdf"><span style="color: windowtext;">Vernon O. Underwood Stakes</span></a> at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>, Irrefutable had just run his last race.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To the shock of both fans and connections, the imposing grey colt collapsed in front of the grandstand within seconds after being unsaddled, and when a vet deemed that his body was in extreme cardiac distress, Irrefutable was helped to leave it. But before he passed, <a href="http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/showthread.php/9788-Irrefutable-...-(?p=273944"><span style="color: windowtext;">an onsite observer reported</span></a> that his rider, Mike Smith, touchingly "kissed his hand and then rubbed Irrefutable's head with it as he lay breathing heavily." It was all he could do.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1392779&origin=singlesearch">Unbridled's Song</a></b> out of the graded stakes-placed Kingmambo mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/honestly+darling">Honestly Darling</a></b>, five-year-old Irrefutable is from the high-class family of CCA Oaks winner, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/cherokee+rose2">Cherokee Rose</a></b> (his fifth dam), Beverly Hills-G1 heroine <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/reluctant+guest">Reluctant Guest</a></b> (his second dam), and Horse of the Year and I<a href="http://www.chef-de-race.com/dosage/chefs-de-race/chefs.htm">ntermediate/Classic Chef-de-Race</a> <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ack+ack">Ack Ack</a></b>.<br />
<br />
Irrefutable went through the sales ring twice, initially as a Keeneland September yearling, when he brought $450,000, and then at the Fasig-Tipton Calder Selected <a href="http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2008/0226/231.pdf">Two-Year-Olds-in-Training sale</a>, where he was purchased by Eldon Farm and Gainesway Stable for $600,000, a price that was second only to the $700,000 paid for <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=7756919&origin=singlesearch">Zensational</a></b> among Unbridled's Song juveniles sold in 2008.<br />
<br />
It would be almost two years before Irrefutable would make his debut, and by then, he sported the colors of <b>Kaleem Shah</b>. From the get-go, the patiently handled <b><a href="http://www.bobbaffert.com/bio.html">Bob Baffert</a></b> trainee signaled he had a ton of talent. He easily put away six-furlong maiden special weight foes at Santa Anita in his <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SA&dt=12/27/2009&ctry=USA&race=6">first start</a>, two days after Christmas, 2009, in a final time of 1:08.25.<br />
<br />
Irrefutable raced only twice in 2010 and didn't <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SA&dt=01/01/2011&ctry=USA&race=7">win again</a> until New Year's Day of this year, when he captured an allowance sprint at Santa Anita under regular pilot <b>Mike Smith</b> in 1:07.27, coming whisper close to the track record (1:06.98) set by <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/the+factor2">The Factor</a></b> just six days earlier.<br />
<br />
Stretched out to six and a half furlongs, Irrefutable <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SA&dt=03/20/2011&ctry=USA&race=5">came home victorious</a> again against Santa Anita allowance company in March, and <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CD&dt=05/04/2011&ctry=USA&race=9">went on to win</a> a six-furlong allowance optional claimer on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill on the first Saturday in May, in what would be his last triumph.<br />
<br />
But though Irrefutable never won another race, his best efforts were yet to come. He was just a neck behind eventual Vosburgh victor <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/giant+ryan">Giant Ryan</a></b> in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CRC&dt=07/09/2011&ctry=USA&race=11">Grade II Smile</a> at Calder in July, and three-quarters of a length shy of future Breeders' Cup Sprint winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/amazombie">Amazombie</a></b> in the Grade I Ancient Title in October, while defeating Grade I winners The Factor and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/square+eddie">Square Eddie</a></b>.<br />
<br />
Overmatched in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, he rebounded just three weeks later in the <a href="http://youtu.be/JhZTVko1zhM">Underwood</a>, getting up for second with a determined late run. It was because of the way he did it, with a fighting spirit and a fluid stride, that Irrefutable's subsequent collapse on the racetrack was so completely unexpected. It was inconceivable that he could be gone, just like that.<br />
<br />
Irrefutable exits the stage having won or placed in nine of his 13 career starts, with earnings of $286,980. We will miss him.<a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/irrefutable7">http://www.pedigreequery.com/irrefutable7</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-53184729572823855022011-11-28T21:52:00.000-05:002011-11-28T21:52:34.378-05:00Irrefutable Gave It His All<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilG1HOcttPNvqX8eezs_dPBvIiUK_YLUtq0z82LODVNInIT2UO7HlNpi7d4K0AiLHVFf3kQaLH9ZOG6WSn39JbccW92Y5c05ergSAKFNijyGAB6lDAL_rvLUkYcm8r0xgN5cbi0ZlqlAo/s1600/AmazombieandIrrefutableinAncientTitle+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilG1HOcttPNvqX8eezs_dPBvIiUK_YLUtq0z82LODVNInIT2UO7HlNpi7d4K0AiLHVFf3kQaLH9ZOG6WSn39JbccW92Y5c05ergSAKFNijyGAB6lDAL_rvLUkYcm8r0xgN5cbi0ZlqlAo/s320/AmazombieandIrrefutableinAncientTitle+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Irrefutale (left) and Amazombie in the Ancient Title</b><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Benoit Photo/Hollywood Park</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/irrefutable7"><span style="color: windowtext;">Irrefutable</span></a></b> came agonizingly close to being a top horse. He never stopped trying, even when the effort exceeded the apparent capabilities of his cardiovascular system. He literally ran his heart out, and though no one knew it as he rallied along the rail in pursuit of Pacific Ocean in Saturday’s <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/HOL112611USA6.pdf"><span style="color: windowtext;">Vernon O. Underwood Stakes</span></a> at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>, Irrefutable had just run his last race.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To the shock of both fans and connections, the imposing grey colt collapsed in front of the grandstand within seconds after being unsaddled, and when a vet deemed that his body was in extreme cardiac distress, Irrefutable was helped to leave it. But before he passed, <a href="http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/showthread.php/9788-Irrefutable-...-(?p=273944"><span style="color: windowtext;">an onsite observer reported</span></a> that his rider, Mike Smith, touchingly "kissed his hand and then rubbed Irrefutable's head with it as he lay breathing heavily." It was all he could do.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1392779&origin=singlesearch">Unbridled's Song</a></b> out of the graded stakes-placed Kingmambo mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/honestly+darling">Honestly Darling</a></b>, five-year-old Irrefutable is from the high-class family of CCA Oaks winner, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/cherokee+rose2">Cherokee Rose</a></b> (his fifth dam), Beverly Hills-G1 heroine <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/reluctant+guest">Reluctant Guest</a></b> (his second dam), and Horse of the Year and I<a href="http://www.chef-de-race.com/dosage/chefs-de-race/chefs.htm">ntermediate/Classic Chef-de-Race</a> <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ack+ack">Ack Ack</a></b>.<br />
<br />
Irrefutable went through the sales ring twice, initially as a Keeneland September yearling, when he brought $450,000, and then at the Fasig-Tipton Calder Selected <a href="http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2008/0226/231.pdf">Two-Year-Olds-in-Training sale</a>, where he was purchased by Eldon Farm and Gainesway Stable for $600,000, a price that was second only to the $700,000 paid for <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=7756919&origin=singlesearch">Zensational</a></b> among Unbridled's Song juveniles sold in 2008.<br />
<br />
It would be almost two years before Irrefutable would make his debut, and by then, he sported the colors of <b>Kaleem Shah</b>. From the get-go, the patiently handled <b><a href="http://www.bobbaffert.com/bio.html">Bob Baffert</a></b> trainee signaled he had a ton of talent. He easily put away six-furlong maiden special weight foes at Santa Anita in his <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SA&dt=12/27/2009&ctry=USA&race=6">first start</a>, two days after Christmas, 2009, in a final time of 1:08.25.<br />
<br />
Irrefutable raced only twice in 2010 and didn't <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SA&dt=01/01/2011&ctry=USA&race=7">win again</a> until New Year's Day of this year, when he captured an allowance sprint at Santa Anita under regular pilot <b>Mike Smith</b> in 1:07.27, coming whisper close to the track record (1:06.98) set by <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/the+factor2">The Factor</a></b> just six days earlier.<br />
<br />
Stretched out to six and a half furlongs, Irrefutable <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=SA&dt=03/20/2011&ctry=USA&race=5">came home victorious</a> again against Santa Anita allowance company in March, and <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CD&dt=05/04/2011&ctry=USA&race=9">went on to win</a> a six-furlong allowance optional claimer on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill on the first Saturday in May, in what would be his last triumph.<br />
<br />
But though Irrefutable never won another race, his best efforts were yet to come. He was just a neck behind eventual Vosburgh victor <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/giant+ryan">Giant Ryan</a></b> in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CRC&dt=07/09/2011&ctry=USA&race=11">Grade II Smile</a> at Calder in July, and three-quarters of a length shy of future Breeders' Cup Sprint winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/amazombie">Amazombie</a></b> in the Grade I Ancient Title in October, while defeating Grade I winners The Factor and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/square+eddie">Square Eddie</a></b>.<br />
<br />
Overmatched in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, he rebounded just three weeks later in the <a href="http://youtu.be/JhZTVko1zhM">Underwood</a>, getting up for second with a determined late run. It was because of the way he did it, with a fighting spirit and a fluid stride, that Irrefutable's subsequent collapse on the racetrack was so completely unexpected. It was inconceivable that he could be gone, just like that.<br />
<br />
Irrefutable exits the stage having won or placed in nine of his 13 career starts, with earnings of $286,980. We will miss him.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-20130784403735803792011-11-26T22:48:00.000-05:002011-11-26T22:48:25.971-05:00A Star is Born: Disposablepleasure wins the Demoiselle<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6tGBLsgpCd9W9nsnEGDkk1vzavShO5yWcpV4_pC6AP5Yhh77Vm9bu0PoijzU2Eh4xtRdd3J0NVe6tT9E43I8UBxFb86KyMalsOUABB2cQjrC0-f48RLoHl3G90qdaR-xdpiMQWp0nAg/s1600/DisposablepleasurewinsDemoiselleinside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6tGBLsgpCd9W9nsnEGDkk1vzavShO5yWcpV4_pC6AP5Yhh77Vm9bu0PoijzU2Eh4xtRdd3J0NVe6tT9E43I8UBxFb86KyMalsOUABB2cQjrC0-f48RLoHl3G90qdaR-xdpiMQWp0nAg/s320/DisposablepleasurewinsDemoiselleinside.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Disposablepleasure (inside) narrowly prevails over Wildcat's Smile </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">in the Grade II Demoiselle at Aqueduct</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Adam Coglianese/NYRA</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">They didn’t make it easy for <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/disposablepleasure">Disposablepleasure</a></b>, but she overcame every disadvantage to prevail by a nodding nose over <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/wildcats+smile">Wildcat’s Smile</a></b> in Aqueduct’s nine furlong <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/AQU112611USA6.pdf">Demoiselle-G2</a>, after having stumbled out of the gate, spotting the field more than 11 seemingly insurmountable lengths.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The two-year-old daughter of second crop sire <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6484356&origin=singlesearch">Giacomo</a></b> was battle tested to the extreme in this, her first attempt in stakes company, against nine other juvenile fillies. As her ground-eating stride and cardiovascular engine propelled her forward, she displaced several rivals in her wake, and gutted out a grueling stretch drive in which Wildcat’s Smile proved a courageous and tenacious competitor. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But even when the camera showed that Disposablepleasure had won the photo, her march to the winner’s circle was delayed for several minutes while the stewards considered, and then dismissed a claim of foul by David Cohen aboard third-place finisher <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/bourbonstreetgirl">Bourbonstreetgirl</a></b>. She’s now won or placed in three of her four career starts, banked earnings of $161,600, and won the admiration of a racing public eager to anoint a new star.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Her trainer, <b><a href="http://toddpletcherracing.com/">Todd Pletcher</a></b>, is a big admirer of the <a href="http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/restricted/pdf/pedigrees/Disposablepleasure111126.pdf">Disposablepleasure</a>, too. “It was a very courageous effort by any horse, but especially a two-year-old filly,” he said, after the race. “She’s got a lot of natural ability, but she showed she’s got some heart and desire to go along with it. For any horse to win and overcome all that first time going a mile and an eighth was impressive, but you don’t see too many two-year-old fillies do that.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With her <a href="http://youtu.be/k6fbJHP6oB8">victory in the Demoiselle</a>, Disposablepleasure becomes <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/giacomo.pdf">Giacomo</a>’s first American graded stakes winner, and his second stakes winner out of a mare by Canadian Champion <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/with+approval">With Approval</a></b>. His son, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/jake+mo">Jake Mo</a></b> (out of Credit Approval), won the five-and-a-half furlong Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes at Prairie Meadows in July. The cross worked moderately well when tried with Giacomo’s sire, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/holybull.pdf">Holy Bull</a></b>, who sired stakes-winning <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/sin+toro">Sin Toro</a></b> out of the graded stakes-winning With Approval mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/withoutapproval">Withoutapproval</a></b>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The seventh foal out of My Canada, Disposablepleasure is a half-sister to three other winners, including <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/romantic+hideaway">Romantic Hideaway</a></b> (by City Zip), who won the <st1:place w:st="on">Brandywine</st1:place> and placed in the Cicada-G2. My Canada is a full sister to Canadian stakes winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/patriot+love">Patriot Love</a></b>, and a half-sister to the graded stakes-winning sprinter, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/riley+tucker">Riley Tucker</a></b> (by Harlan’s Holiday) as well as to <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/deputy+country">Deputy Country</a></b> (by Silver Deputy), a hard-knocking minor stakes winner who won 13 races and earned $341,143.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Interestingly, Riley Tucker was a $375,000 short-list auction purchase for Zayat Stables by <b><a href="http://www.eqb.com/">EQB</a></b>, a bloodstock consultancy team that selects racing prospects based on their cardiovascular prowess and biomechanical efficiency. It’s interesting to speculate as to whether Disposablepleasure has inherited similar genetic attributes, though in contrast to Riley Tucker, who never won beyond six-and-a-half furlongs, she seems to be improving as the distances stretch out. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Disposablepleasure’s come-from-behind run in the Demoiselle was in stark contrast to her <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=BEL&dt=10/06/2011&ctry=USA&race=2">maiden victory</a> last month at <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Belmont</st1:place></st1:city>, in which she scored a wire-to-wire triumph by 11 widening lengths over a mile and a sixteenth on the main track.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today, she proved she doesn’t have to have it all her way, and that she has the will—and the talent--to overcome adversity. Those priceless traits have appeared throughout generations of Disposablepleasure’s female family, which stems from the foundation mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/reply">Reply</a></b>, whose descendants include the great <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/fanfreluche">Fanfreluche</a></b> (dam of two-time Horse of the Year <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/lenjoleur">L’Enjoleur</a></b> and Champions <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/la+voyageuse">La Voyageuse</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/medaille+dor">Medaille D’Or</a></b>).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Whether it was that distinguished female family, her physical presence, or the advice or a bloodstock agent that prompted John Greathouse, Jr. to buy Disposablepleasure for a $45,000 out of last year’s Fasig-Tipton July sale, we don’t know. But what does seem clear is that the gray filly’s value is now far greater than her purchase price, and that her eventual place of honor in the Glencrest broodmare band is secure. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-15258651309518660492011-11-07T14:25:00.000-05:002011-11-07T14:25:04.936-05:00What makes Hansen run?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtKJF8syk3A2DCPDfaIsbPnKpQSF4aQk_eaoku8RllCHg3pmHccHxrccraiAwfew0er0AUF-ua1AvinHxoxyRNwaUnsZfeCcaadOQW40jVCVWev-dKoZ85oSzupkzpIj5H8W7jVETwR4/s1600/BCJuvenileHansenandUnionRags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtKJF8syk3A2DCPDfaIsbPnKpQSF4aQk_eaoku8RllCHg3pmHccHxrccraiAwfew0er0AUF-ua1AvinHxoxyRNwaUnsZfeCcaadOQW40jVCVWev-dKoZ85oSzupkzpIj5H8W7jVETwR4/s320/BCJuvenileHansenandUnionRags.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>In a stunner, Hansen defeated heavy favorite Union Rags<br />
in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Juvenile</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo: Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/CD110511USA9.pdf">Breeders’ Cup Juvenile</a> winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/hansen2">Hansen</a></b>’s <a href="http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/restricted/pdf/pedigrees/Hansen.pdf">four-generation catalogue-style pedigree</a> fits neatly on just a half page, and save for the white colt’s own record, it’s virtually lacking in black type or distinguished runners. So where did he get the class to beat the likes of proven Grade I winners such as <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/union+rags">Union Rags</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/creative+cause">Creative Cause</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/crusade7">Crusade</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/drill7">Drill</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/dullahan">Dullahan</a></b>? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s hard to say. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hansen’s dam, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/stormy+sunday">Stormy Sunday</a></b>, by <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/sir+cat">Sir Cat</a></b>, <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=TP&dt=02/23/2005&ctry=USA&race=1">broke her maiden</a> in her first start in a lowly $5000 claimer at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Turfway</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> in February, 2005, stopping the timer in a pedestrian 1:14.02. She was haltered out of that race by Hansen’s current owner, Dr. Kendall Hansen, and by June of that year, showed <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CD&dt=06/08/2005&ctry=USA&race=4">dramatic improvement</a>, winning a $30,000 claiming race at Churchill in 1:10.29. Stepped up to face allowance foes in a six-and-a-half furlong contest just three weeks later, Stormy Sunday finished a tiring third. In what would be the fourth and final start of her career that August, she captured a five-and-a-half furlong <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=MNR&dt=08/05/2005&ctry=USA&race=8">starter allowance</a> over a muddy strip at Mountaineer, finishing up in 1:04.34.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bred to <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6106474&origin=singlesearch">Tapit</a></b> in 2007, Stormy Sunday produced a bay colt, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/tapanna">Tapanna</a></b>, who never started at two, but <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=TP&dt=09/24/2011&ctry=USA&race=5">broke his maiden</a> this year in his fifth start, in an eight-furlong maiden special weight test at Turfway last September. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hansen is the mare’s second foal by Tapit, and couldn’t be more different than his older brother, not only in color, but in ability. Such are the vagaries of genetics.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/tapit.pdf">Tapit</a> has established an enviable record at stud by consistently upgrading the mares to whom he has been bred. And he did it again with Stormy Sunday when he sired Hansen, the product of an oft-successful nick with mares by Storm Cat and his sons. In addition to Hansen, Tapit has two other Grade I stakes winners bred on this pattern: <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/careless+jewel">Careless Jewel</a></b> (out of Sweet and Careless, by Hennessy) and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/tell+a+kelly">Tell A Kelly</a></b> (out of Evrobi, by Tabasco Cat). Like Hansen, both are inbred to both Northern Dancer and to Secretariat, maternal grandsire of the dams of both A. P. Indy and Storm Cat. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The cross between Tapit’s sire, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1442325&origin=singlesearch&StallionName=pulpit&SRYear=2011">Pulpit</a></b>, and Storm Cat has also produced Florida Derby winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ice+box2">Ice Box</a></b> (out of Spice Island, by Tabasco Cat) and successful sire <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=5212202&origin=singlesearch">Sky Mesa</a></b> (out of Caress, by Storm Cat), who captured the Hopeful. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Though the chartcaller noted that Hansen “lasted” to win the mile-and-a-sixteenth Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, with a final quarter in 25.37, his ability to compete at classic distances is still an open question. There is an abundance of stamina flowing through the family of his maternal grandsire, the turf specialist Sir Cat, whose second second dam is the great Champion <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/april+run">April Run (Ire),</a></b> who won the Turf Classic and was third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. And <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/temperence+hill">Temperence Hill</a></b>, the sire of Hansen’s third dam, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/tescudera">Tescudera</a></b>, won the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Belmont</st1:city></st1:place>, the Suburban, the Travers, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. But these influences don’t appear until Hansen’s fourth generation, perhaps too far back to be of vital importance.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Based on his three races to-date, Hansen looks more like a sprinter who has been able to carry his speed up to a mile and a sixteenth than a true classic horse who has the cardiovascular and biomechanical equipment to stay a mile and a quarter. Time will tell, of course, as it always does.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-46617889740649939792011-11-04T14:28:00.001-04:002011-11-04T14:29:44.559-04:00Lady Shirl's descendants may be factors in Breeders' Cup turf contests<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVzt7XJV6oMvGMaBPo6bc3VWbkVYUq1kArt3t51sAOuvHEP9QI6LUjQISBTMkfDnZVJs1FLjDyrvXDxCLe40vya9R5q_v3IwvJW3DHCeVrKyJIXqf3ptOVcV7nevWyuzhO3PlH54BcQ4/s1600/shkspeare+shaliyah2+PilgrimBelmont.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVzt7XJV6oMvGMaBPo6bc3VWbkVYUq1kArt3t51sAOuvHEP9QI6LUjQISBTMkfDnZVJs1FLjDyrvXDxCLe40vya9R5q_v3IwvJW3DHCeVrKyJIXqf3ptOVcV7nevWyuzhO3PlH54BcQ4/s320/shkspeare+shaliyah2+PilgrimBelmont.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Shkspeare Shaliyah capturing the Pilgrim-G3</b><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Adam Coglianese, NYRA</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The influence of top turf mare <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/lady+shirl">Lady Shirl</a></b>, a tough competitor who notched 18 races, including the 1991 running of the mile-and-a-quarter Flower Bowl at Belmont, will be felt again this weekend when three of her descendants contest the Breeders’ Cup <b><a href="http://www.drf.com/events/breeders-cup-juvenile-turf-churchill-downs">Juvenile Turf</a> </b>and the <b><a href="http://www.drf.com/events/breeders-cup-filly-mare-turf-churchill-downs">Filly and Mare Turf</a></b> over the Churchill Downs’ Matt Winn course.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lady Shirl is the dam of up-and-coming young sire, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6096251&origin=singlesearch">Shakespeare</a></b>, a Grade I winning son of <b>Theatrical (Ire)</b> whose first foals raced this year. Shakespeare won seven of his eight lifetime starts from three to six, including the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at 12 furlongs, in which he defeated eventual <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Champion</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Turf</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Horse</st1:placename> <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6543139&origin=singlesearch">English Channel</a></b>, and the Woodbine Mile, in which he bested the ill-fated ace turf miler <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/kip+deville">Kip Deville</a></b>.</st1:place></div><br />
Shakespeare’s son, <strong style="font-weight: bold;">Shkspeare Shaliyah</strong>, is by far the most accomplished member of the stallion’s initial crop to-date, having won or placed in two of his three starts—all on turf-- including the mile-and-a-sixteenth Pilgrim-G3 over soft going at Belmont. In light of the fact that Shakespeare never even raced at two, Shkspeare Shaliyah’s precocity is a promising sign of good things to come, and he could certainly grab a share of the purse in the Juvenile Turf.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em;">And so could outlier <strong style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/fantastic+song" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none;">Fantastic Song</a></strong>, a son of high-class grass sire <strong style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=4073843&origin=singlesearch" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none;">Lemon Drop Kid</a></strong> out of Lady Shirl’s daughter <strong style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/fantastic+shirl" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none;">Fantastic Shirl</a></strong> (by Fantastic Light), who won the grassy De La Rose at Saratoga. A morning line longshot at odds of 20-1, Fantastic Song hasn’t been an object of Breeders’ Cup buzz, but perhaps that’s an oversight. He won his first start in dramatic rallying fashion, capturing a photo finish over future Bourbon-G3 winner <strong style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/animal+spirits" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none;">Animal Spirits</a> </strong>at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf, and was only a length shy of Shkspeare Shaliyah in the Pilgrim.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 1em;">Fantastic Song is one of three talented Breeders' Cup turf juveniles by Champion Older Male Lemon Drop Kid, who never even raced on the sod. The others are Juvenile Fillies' Turf runners <strong style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/somali+lemonade" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none;">Somali Lemonade</a></strong> (out of Chic Corine, by Nureyev) and <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/customer+base" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;">Customer Base</strong></a> (out of Little Cat Feet, by Tale of the Cat), who will be making her first start on the grass.</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmk9BFKTmQaQ0yIj6kRQDHqJQdzBEpdX7vfYIoJM0wj_vSiApJPu6xjwSErqD50Kzx3PrteLWBWsF_-emf0PAtf2roEtclN-qmVM0wuThjOw0kFZ3UQkY43xY8svv0zdEro1GVrK2ZLlY/s1600/PerfectShirlwinsLakeGeorgeSaratogaJuly292010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmk9BFKTmQaQ0yIj6kRQDHqJQdzBEpdX7vfYIoJM0wj_vSiApJPu6xjwSErqD50Kzx3PrteLWBWsF_-emf0PAtf2roEtclN-qmVM0wuThjOw0kFZ3UQkY43xY8svv0zdEro1GVrK2ZLlY/s320/PerfectShirlwinsLakeGeorgeSaratogaJuly292010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Perfect Shirl winning the Lake George-G2 at Saratoga</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo: Adam Coglianese, NYRA</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 1em;">Lady Shirl’s daughter, <strong style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/perfect+shirl" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none;">Perfect Shirl</a></strong> by Champion Turf Horse <strong style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/perfectsoul.pdf" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none;">Perfect Soul (Ire)</a></strong> will go postward in today’s mile-and-three-eighths <strong style="font-weight: bold;">Filly and Mare Turf</strong> over what looks to be a yielding course. Though winless in 2011, the late-running four-year-old bay filly has placed in four of her six starts this year, but is unproven at this distance and on less-than-firm turf. Her main claim to fame was as the heroine of last year’s Lake George-G2 at Saratoga at a mile and a sixteenth, in which she “closed in relentlessly during the run through the furlong grounds.” She seems to have taken on a large task in this race, but could get up to get a piece of it.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-53565086773517610452011-11-03T23:39:00.000-04:002011-11-03T23:39:55.587-04:00A. P. Indy's influence dominates the pedigrees of Ladies' Classic runners<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4yZoATL0JSZstvv0szZQn4P9F9cgPa5lE-FNTe3mmLmkNAWmgkFopmkCSCUhWBRONc0uSO7XsTQn-0uHs6CPYModMun6bNTWPP77cGHJSsX2QgzHBEb3aoDHGaTjX_iSrRrEhxOyW5s/s1600/AsktheMoonwinstheRuffianJuly312011Saratoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4yZoATL0JSZstvv0szZQn4P9F9cgPa5lE-FNTe3mmLmkNAWmgkFopmkCSCUhWBRONc0uSO7XsTQn-0uHs6CPYModMun6bNTWPP77cGHJSsX2QgzHBEb3aoDHGaTjX_iSrRrEhxOyW5s/s320/AsktheMoonwinstheRuffianJuly312011Saratoga.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Malibu Moon's Ask the Moon winning the Ruffian at Saratoga</b><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Adam Coglianese, NYRA</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Look no further than the entries for the <b><a href="http://www.breederscup.com/division.aspx?divisionname=lclassic">Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic</a></b> for evidence of the extent to which <a href="http://www.chef-de-race.com/dosage/chefs-de-race/chefs.htm">Intermediate/Classic Chef-de-Race</a> <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ap+indy">A. P. Indy</a></b> has shaped the top echelons of American racing. He appears in the second or third generations of no less than seven of the nine fillies and mares who will enter the starting gate of the mile-and-an-eighth world championship contest to be run at Churchill Downs on Friday, November 4th.<br />
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A. P. Indy's top son, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1442325&origin=singlesearch&StallionName=pulpit&SRYear=2011">Pulpit</a></b>, is the sire of <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/pachattack">Pachattack</a></b> (out of El Laoob, by Red Ransom), who captured the Grade III Arlington Matron in May and finished just a half-length behind <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/aruna">Aruna</a></b> in last month's Grade I Spinster at nine furlongs over Keeneland's synthetic surface.<br />
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Pulpit is also the grandsire of five-year-old <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/satans+quick+chick">Satans Quick Chick</a></b> (by <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=5212202&origin=singlesearch">Sky Mesa</a></b>, out of Dancing Devlette, by Devil's Bag), whose sole victory in graded stakes company came in the Grade II Raven Run at Keeneland two years ago. Though she was third (by 14 lengths) in the Grade I Beldame last out, Satans Quick Chick 's ability to win at a mile and an eighth in this company remains in question.<br />
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The reigning Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/its+tricky">It's Tricky</a></b> (out of Catboat, by <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1439212&origin=singlesearch">Tale of the Cat</a>) is by A. P. Indy's Champion son, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=4966077&origin=singlesearch">Mineshaft</a></b>, and is his leading money-winning daughter to-date. Interestingly, though, she merits only a <a href="http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/truenicks/BC11/6/3.pdf">C+ rating from TrueNicks</a>, based on the success of the cross between Mineshaft and Storm Cat and his sons, even though it also produced Grade I winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/dialed+in2">Dialed In</a></b> (out of Miss Doolittle, by Storm Cat).<br />
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Six-year-old Santa Margarita-G1 winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/miss+match2">Miss Match (Arg)</a></b>, a daughter of A. P. Indy's son, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/indygo+shiner">Indygo Shiner</a></b> (out of Miss Simpatia, by Southern Halo), captured the Argentine Oaks-G1 in her native country, and most recently was a creditable fourth in <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/game+on+dude">Game On Dude</a></b>'s Goodwood Handicap at Santa Anita. Indygo Shiner's dam, Navarra (by El Gran Senor) is a graded stakes-winning full sister to the great mare <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/toussaud">Toussaud</a></b>, dam of Grade I winners <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/empire+maker">Empire Maker</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/chester+house">Chester House</a></b>, and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/honest+lady">Honest Lady</a></b>.<br />
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Six-year-old <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ask+the+moon">Ask the Moon</a></b> (out of Always Asking, by Valid Appeal), a former claimer who ascended into greatness in the hands of trainer Marty Wolfson to capture this year's runnings of Saratoga's Grade I Ruffian and Personal Ensign, is by A. P. Indy's son, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=4300692&origin=singlesearch&StallionName=malibu%20moon&SRYear=2011">Malibu Moon</a></b>, who has become best known for his exceptional fillies and mares. His millionaire daughter, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/life+at+ten">Life At Ten</a></b>, achieved notoriety during last year's Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic when she failed to extend herself due to physical ailments that are still not fully understood. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPIA_UZV-gBzuKgAGw-5dV8SjJlcsP6nYhQoP1vXAcB90prVeDWOdWaZemuvqR6NyF1yIisx1RoieRjap9NpM7rrziuE17JSmG7mRG8XvMGqCj5YU2-0rS8ner4Q2iNkHhX97eBt4UoY/s1600/RoyalDeltaworks4fChurchillOct302011RudophBrisset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPIA_UZV-gBzuKgAGw-5dV8SjJlcsP6nYhQoP1vXAcB90prVeDWOdWaZemuvqR6NyF1yIisx1RoieRjap9NpM7rrziuE17JSmG7mRG8XvMGqCj5YU2-0rS8ner4Q2iNkHhX97eBt4UoY/s320/RoyalDeltaworks4fChurchillOct302011RudophBrisset.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Royal Delta works at Churchill Downs on October 30th</b><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Two of the highly regarded Ladies' Classic contenders, the three-year-olds <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/royal+delta3">Royal Delta</a></b> (by Empire Maker) and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/plum+pretty">Plum Pretty</a></b> (by Medaglia d'Oro), are out of A. P. Indy mares. With earnings of $1,296,700, Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty is A. P. Indy's current leading money winner in his role as a broodmare sire. <br />
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Alabama winner Royal Delta boasts an <a href="http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/truenicks/BC11/6/6.pdf">A++ TrueNicks rating</a>, based on the fact that Empire Maker has sired two other graded stakes winners (<b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/soaring+empire">Soaring Empire</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/charity+belle2">Charity Belle</a></b>) out of A. P. Indy mares, though Royal Delta herself is by far the most accomplished offspring of this cross.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-5242361270610353992011-10-01T21:55:00.002-04:002011-10-01T22:01:24.360-04:00Banned loses his battle<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcmOXGJZ1IPIoXkhNwhitrDP1Gh8pRO86DdiskfueUoMD-F6o569UPls93JUjBk_i5Q7Qc0rNM7j-H60N0Bd-zkLo8dfZNm4M2Pw6uZzj-RuFc8dWx9GUgHCvQka6UT8W86zju8vKxI8/s1600/BannedDelMarDerbyrightside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcmOXGJZ1IPIoXkhNwhitrDP1Gh8pRO86DdiskfueUoMD-F6o569UPls93JUjBk_i5Q7Qc0rNM7j-H60N0Bd-zkLo8dfZNm4M2Pw6uZzj-RuFc8dWx9GUgHCvQka6UT8W86zju8vKxI8/s320/BannedDelMarDerbyrightside.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Banned winning the Del Mar Derby</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Credit: Benoit Photo</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>In spite of valiant efforts to save him, Del Mar Derby winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/banned5">Banned</a></b> was euthanized today as a result of complications from surgery to repair both sesamoids in his right front ankle, which were shattered as he pulled up from an easy half-mile workout on the Santa Anita turf on September 22nd.<br />
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Conditioned by <b>Tom Proctor</b>, the three-year-old <b><a href="http://breederscup.com/bio.aspx?id=1922">Glen Hill Farm</a></b> colorbearer was never out of the money this year, having won or placed in all six of his sophomore starts, including victories in the grassy <a href="http://youtu.be/S2YzSIV4uXA">Jefferson Cup-G2</a> and <a href="http://youtu.be/tEjOASnL7qE">American Turf Stakes-G3</a> at Churchill Downs. He lost a neck decision to <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/air+support">Air Support</a></b> in the <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=CNL&dt=07/16/2011&ctry=USA&race=8">Virginia Derby</a> in July, and was third in <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/treasure+beach3">Treasure Beach</a></b>'s <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=AP&dt=08/13/2011&ctry=USA&race=8">Secretariat-G1</a> at a mile and a quarter in August.<br />
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In his most recent start, Banned captured the tragedy-marred <a href="http://youtu.be/iweDy6tRKIM">Grade II Del Mar Derby</a> on Labor Day weekend, eeking out a photo finish against <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/midnight+interlude2">Midnight Interlude</a></b> after launching a powerful stretch rally. That race claimed the life of <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/burns5">Burns</a></b>, who suffered a catastrophic breakdown near the first turn and was later euthanized as a result of injuries that were similar to those that ultimately led to Banned's demise.<br />
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The news of Banned death was initially reported this afternoon by Glen Hill President Craig Bernick, who said, through <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/craigb1818">his Twitter account</a>: "Heavy hearted to report that Banned didn't make it. He ended up foundering in his good foot this morning, and we did what's right for him."<br />
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The second leading money-winning son of Champion Turf Horse and top third-crop sire, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6252387&origin=singlesearch">Kitten's Joy</a></b> (by El Prado), Banned was the first foal of his dam, the winning Capote mare <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/cardinalli">Cardinalli</a></b>, to make it to the races. Her first foal, a 2007 full brother to Banned, died as a yearling. Bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who raced Kitten's Joy, Banned was purchased by Glen Hill for $130,000 at the 2009<a href="http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2009/1026/382.pdf"> Fasig-Tipton October Yearling sale</a>.<br />
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Barely a year later, he broke his maiden at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf at Belmont in his second start at two, after a lacklustre debut on the dirt at Saratoga. He went on to romp by five lengths in a mile allowance test at Keeneland last October, before being put away for the year. A model of consistency, Banned won five races and placed three times in 10 starts, while banking $599,576. He was truly a turf star in the making.<br />
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According to Bernick, Banned will be buried at Glen Hill Farm in Ocala.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-36127755413988514462011-09-07T21:34:00.002-04:002011-09-07T21:38:32.362-04:00Equinome's Dr. Emmeline Hill says "Test for the Best"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6KUEnYOOhHyIw-b73D_mKYNqx3lNWXUiU1T7HkBCIjvPCG17IWyU_otfY6tXQCoDnIiTvBimkrlDpojso6Uj5T6SIMuDJFJBHGFHlQY9qoe0ff0iS0zyROvhu0qfvgitIB7IAngbqm8/s1600/Equinome+logo+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6KUEnYOOhHyIw-b73D_mKYNqx3lNWXUiU1T7HkBCIjvPCG17IWyU_otfY6tXQCoDnIiTvBimkrlDpojso6Uj5T6SIMuDJFJBHGFHlQY9qoe0ff0iS0zyROvhu0qfvgitIB7IAngbqm8/s1600/Equinome+logo+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a>It’s impossible for buyers to discern the genetic potential of racing prospects by using traditional conformation and pedigree analysis, according to equine geneticist <b><a href="http://www.equinome.com/pages/board-of-directors.html">Dr. Emmeline Hill</a></b> who spoke today at the <b><a href="https://www.bloodhorse.com/seminars/seminar/schedule/3/thoroughbred-pedigree-genetics-and-performance-conference">Pedigree, Genetics, and Performance Conference</a></b> sponsored by <b><i><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/">The Blood-Horse</a></i></b> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Lexington</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">KY.</st1:state></st1:place><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dr. Hill cited a study demonstrating that yearling buyers paid just as much for inferior horses as they did for the ones who were most successful on the track, noting that a thoroughbred's genetic class is a more accurate predictor of its eventual earnings than the price it commands in the auction ring.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dr. Hill is the Chairman and co-founder of <b><a href="http://www.equinome.com/">Equinome</a></b>, which has developed state-of-the-art genomic tools to evaluate the genetic potential of thoroughbred racehorses. Based in Dublin, Equinome has identified the different sets of genetic variants critical for performance in short-distance, middle-distance, and long-distance racing, and has made this data available to thoroughbred owners, breeders, and prospective purchasers through its <b><a href="http://www.equinome.com/pages/the-equinome-speed-gene-test.html">Speed Gene Test</a></b>, which measures a DNA variant--<b>“C”</b> or <b>“T”</b>—in a gene responsible for muscle mass development.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div>Equinome has determined that there are three possible combinations of these DNA variants: <a href="http://www.equinome.com/pages/what-is-a-c-c.html"><b>C:C </b></a>(characteristic of fast, speedy, sprint types who best compete from distances from five to eight furlongs); <b><a href="http://www.equinome.com/pages/what-is-a-c-t.html">C:T</a></b> (characteristic of fast, middle-distance types whose best distances are from seven to 12 furlongs); and <b><a href="http://www.equinome.com/pages/what-is-a-t-t.html">T:T</a></b> (characteristic of stamina types whose best distances are 10 furlongs and over). The T:T horses are not well-suited for success as two-year-olds. In fact, a study of 142 two-year-olds in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place> who were all trained by the same trainer demonstrated that the C:C and C:T types earned the most money as juveniles.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Equinome's <b><a href="http://www.equinome.com/pages/equinome-elite-performance-test.html">Elite Performance Test</a></b> evaluates 80 genetic variants to measure an individual's potential racing class, ranking individuals from Class I to Class IV. In a study of 1,051 racing thoroughbreds who had been tested, Equinome found that Class I-rated horses were six times more likely to become Grade I or Grade II winners than to be non-winners, and that 46% of the Class I runners became elite (graded or listed) stakes winners.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-87226419585497926332011-09-07T19:12:00.001-04:002011-09-07T19:34:02.987-04:00Matthew Binns discusses the genetics of thoroughbred pedigrees<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomRgIUEU4wV5OcWQYz9iCeHF9Kk26KG5crHBPSINF-K4WFT8GqYGhblRKoixfXJPTNz58mR6wnB7BvyH23KITcX9n4KE8zmbTb4-80bExOE9-F6gtcMDUR5ZGXNgbO0GmLGNob9D5EZ8/s1600/thegeneticedgelogo+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomRgIUEU4wV5OcWQYz9iCeHF9Kk26KG5crHBPSINF-K4WFT8GqYGhblRKoixfXJPTNz58mR6wnB7BvyH23KITcX9n4KE8zmbTb4-80bExOE9-F6gtcMDUR5ZGXNgbO0GmLGNob9D5EZ8/s320/thegeneticedgelogo+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Speaking at the <b><i>The Blood-Horse</i></b>-sponsored <b><a href="https://www.bloodhorse.com/seminars/seminar/schedule/3/thoroughbred-pedigree-genetics-and-performance-conference">conference on Thoroughbred Pedigree, Genetics and Performance</a></b> in Lexington, KY today, <b>Dr. Matthew Binns</b> of <b><a href="http://thegeneticedge.net/">The Genetic Edge</a></b> said that a thoroughbred’s genetics contribute 35-50% toward his athletic ability. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A founding member of <b><a href="http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Horsemap/">The Equine Genome Project</a></b>, Dr. Binns’ company performs <a href="http://www.thegeneticedge.net/TheEdge1.php">genetic profiles</a> of thoroughbreds to assess <a href="http://www.thegeneticedge.net/ResultsMain.php">four traits</a> linked to future success on the racetrack, ranking them from A to D. About 10% of the best bred horses—such as those typically offered on the first day of the Keeneland September sale—are A-rated, with a better-than-average chance of winning in graded stakes. Dr. Binns noted that it is impossible for even the most experienced horseman to visually identify these genetic markers, which not only tag those horses with the best chances of succeeding in elite company but also unearth their optimal distance and surface preferences and even their eventual height.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Discussing the genetic consequences of inbreeding, Dr. Binns pointed to <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/zenyatta"><b>Zenyatta</b>’s five-cross pedigree</a>, which shows that she is inbred to Champion and Horse of the Year <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/nashua">Nashua</a></b></st1:place></st1:city>, 5x5. What this means, said Binns, is that Zenyatta may have gotten +/-four of her 64 chromosomes—or 6% of her DNA-- from Nashua, but there is also a possibility that she have gotten none of her material from him. The chances that this inbreeding to <st1:city w:st="on">Nashua</st1:city> would recreate <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Nashua</st1:city></st1:place>’s genotype in Zenyatta are quite low, he said. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The co-author of <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0851319351/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=yourcountryhome&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0851319351">Thoroughbred Breeding: Pedigree Theories and the Science of Genetics</a></i></b>, with <b>Tony Morris</b>, Dr. Binns noted that top racemares are the best producers of stakes-class offspring, and also cited evidence that first foals tend to be less successful than subsequent ones because the <a href="http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/reprod/placenta/equine.html">“placentation”</a> (the facility whereby nutrition is transmitted to an in-utero foal) is not as well developed in maiden mares. Based on his research on Kentucky Derby winners during the last 40 years, Binns revealed the perhaps surprising fact that a full 50% of them had a genetic profile typical of a sprinter, rather than a router.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-47956064587258019602011-09-01T22:57:00.000-04:002011-09-01T22:57:56.109-04:00State of Play fits the pattern of success<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yiS_U-nNpSxgSGNFPSEsQVqCWBY4FrzRnEEfzHA9T7RsYBDr_OYEusoWLcjcVFgFMLZfWCXv5KVdlGGPePxGiUg_PhCl73arIFo_JxPyZW8IGPOUQ1-cZRpmdbJ76aNkARCkGI0ZAPU/s1600/state+of+play+credit+adam+mooshian+WithAnticipation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yiS_U-nNpSxgSGNFPSEsQVqCWBY4FrzRnEEfzHA9T7RsYBDr_OYEusoWLcjcVFgFMLZfWCXv5KVdlGGPePxGiUg_PhCl73arIFo_JxPyZW8IGPOUQ1-cZRpmdbJ76aNkARCkGI0ZAPU/s320/state+of+play+credit+adam+mooshian+WithAnticipation.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>State of Play wins the With Anticipation-G2 at Saratoga</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo: Adam Mooshian, Courtesy of NYRA</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>As he did last year, <b>War Front</b> sired the winner of the grassy <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/SAR090111USA9.pdf">With Anticipation Stakes</a> at Saratoga again today, and with the victory, his two-year-old son <b>State of Play</b> earned a berth in the upcoming Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.<br />
<br />
When <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/soldat6">Soldat</a></b> <a href="http://youtu.be/Yw-l6m9Xe5g">won the race in 2010</a>, the mile-and-a-sixteenth With Anticipation was a Grade III, but this year, it earned Grade II and "win and you're in" Breeders' Cup status. State of Play has done little to suggest that he doesn't belong with his crop's top turfers: he's perfect in two career starts, and has banked $90,000. Among the colts he beat today were <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/mine+that+bird">Mine That Bird</a></b>'s maiden half-brother, Dullahan (by <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=4476178&origin=singlesearch">Even the Score</a>) and two promising juveniles--Captain Webb and Optimizer--from the first crop of Champion Turf Horse <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6543139&origin=singlesearch">English Channel</a>.<br />
<br />
The <b>Team Valor</b> colorbearer was plucked out of last year's Keeneland September sale by Steven Long for a mere $13,000; it's not known how much Barry Irwin's group subsequently paid to acquire him last spring. But according to <a href="http://www.teamvalor.com/news/July2011/HeadlineNewsStateofPlay.pdf">Team Valor's website</a>, trainer Graham Motion's confidence in State of Play soared as the summer days lengthened. Originally planning to send him to Presque Isle to make his first start, Motion thought enough of the colt that he he entered him in the first juvenile turf race of the Saratoga meet: a five-and-a-half furlong maiden special weight test over good ground, on July 27th. State of Play proved a handy winner, and in doing so, became the first of War Front's two-year-old runners to win at first asking. That feat alone marked him as something special.<br />
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Parenthetically, State of Play isn't the only reason that Team Valor is high on <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/warfront.pdf">War Front</a>. The group purchased his three-year-old daughter, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/summer+soiree">Summer Soiree</a></b>, around the same time as State of Play joined Motion's barn, and she soon returned big dividends, capturing the <a href="http://youtu.be/7EQG33eJ2jE">Grade III Boiling Springs</a> at Monmouth and the <a href="http://youtu.be/pTcfhyrp_dA">Grade I Del Mar Oaks</a> in her last two starts, while adding $240,000 to her a career bankroll that now totals $331,400.<br />
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State of Play is the sixth foal out of the winning Procida mare, Valeta, who has also produced stakes-placed <b>Knoxville</b> (by Septieme Ciel). He was bred on the same cross (War Front on a Mr. Prospector-line mare) that produced three of War Front's best sons to-date: Grade I winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/the+factor2">The Factor</a></b> (out of Greyciousness by Miswaki); Grade II winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/soldat6">Soldat</a></b> (out of Le Relais, by Coronado's Quest), and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/warning+flag">Warning Flag</a></b> (out of Good Vibes, by Unbridled's Song), a listed stakes winner in Ireland.<br />
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Of course, War Front himself is a product of the successful Danzig/Mr. Prospector cross, which also produced Grade I winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/brahms">Brahms</a></b> (out of Champion <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/queena">Queena</a></b>, by Mr. Prospector) and English Horse of the Year <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/dayjur">Dayjur</a></b> (out of Champion Sprinter <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/gold+beauty">Gold Beauty</a></b>, by Mr. Prospector).<br />
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On his dam's side, State of Play hails from one of the most distinguished female families in the Stud Book. His fourth dam is the Champion Hill Prince mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/bayou">Bayou</a></b>, whose descendants include Champion <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/slew+o+gold">Slew o' Gold</a></b>, Belmont winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/coastal">Coastal</a></b>, and more recently, Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/aptitude">Aptitude</a></b>. With the abundant stamina flowing through the distaff side of his pedigree, State of Play should be well equipped, as he matures, to carry his speed beyond the eight-and-a-half furlong distance of the With Anticipation. If he stays sound, he has the makings of a very nice turf horse, indeed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-78391903066119316722011-08-28T23:37:00.000-04:002011-08-28T23:37:20.006-04:00What makes Hot Summer so good?<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv0MOcymtD69tyFJWtqh81CbbQxwozV9XtWmqprr32CDN9kx8c7giBrdaQZaFzPeiR8wB6OIjmk3sAdugqH2IM3vWoHEab2_aUchIdv5-Z8K3jKnUz5mU-9Evd-Js8RuLnEQHrnRGYwU/s1600/HotSummerdefeatsMapleForestintheVictoryRide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv0MOcymtD69tyFJWtqh81CbbQxwozV9XtWmqprr32CDN9kx8c7giBrdaQZaFzPeiR8wB6OIjmk3sAdugqH2IM3vWoHEab2_aUchIdv5-Z8K3jKnUz5mU-9Evd-Js8RuLnEQHrnRGYwU/s320/HotSummerdefeatsMapleForestintheVictoryRide.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hot Summer bests Maple Forest in the Victory Ride</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Adam Coglianese, Courtesy of NYRA</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>With her victory in yesterday's six-furlong <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/SAR082711USA9.pdf">Victory Ride Stakes-G3</a> at Saratoga, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/hot+summer2">Hot Summer</a></b> proved that her previous triumph over eventual Grade I winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/her+smile">Her Smile</a></b> in last spring's Comely was no fluke. <span id="goog_1142587824"></span><span id="goog_1142587825"></span><br />
<div><br />
</div><div>The three-year-old <b><a href="http://truenicks.com/free-reports/hypothetical-mating/display?stallionReferenceNumber=4300692&mareReferenceNumber=4634940">Malibu Moon</a></b> filly is fast cementing her credentials as a specialist at distances up to a mile, and a peak at her pedigree suggests why she was cut out to be a good one. She has now won or placed in six of her seven career starts, and earned $245,700.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Purchased for $180,000 by current owner Harold Queen at the 2009 Keeneland September sale, Hot Summer is the third foal from the stakes-placed <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1066600&origin=search"><b>Quiet American</b></a> mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/summer+delight">Summer Delight</a></b>, who has also produced stakes-placed <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/southwest3">Southwest</a></b> (by Cozzene). The mare's yearling colt by <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=7187963&origin=singlesearch">Hard Spun</a></b> will be offered for sale next month at Keeneland, and her two-year-old <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=4073843&origin=singlesearch">Lemon Drop Kid</a></b> colt, <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/stirred+up3">Stirred Up</a>, who brought $420,000 at last year's venue, is in training at Del Mar.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Hot Summer is the latest in a line of top-class fillies from A. P. Indy's son, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=4300692&origin=search">Malibu Moon</a></b>, who has established quite a reputation as a sire of good distaff runners, including Grade I winners <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/life+at+ten">Life At Ten</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/devil+may+care4">Devil May Care</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/malibu+mint">Malibu Mint</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/malibu+prayer">Malibu Prayer</a></b>, and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/funny+moon4">Funny Moon</a></b>.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Shortly after Hot Summer entered the winner's circle at Saratoga, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreeconsultants.com/">Pedigree Consultants</a></b> tweeted: "Crazy good nick for Hot Summer--son of A. P. Indy over a Quiet American mare." And indeed, the cross has produced Champion <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6801271&origin=singlesearch">Bernardini</a></b> (by A. P. Indy out of Quiet American's graded stakes-winning daughter, <b>Cara Rafaela</b>), Grade II winners <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/a+p+warrior">A P Warrior</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/astrology11">Astrology</a></b>, and this year's Busanda winner, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/dance+quietly">Dance Quietly</a></b>.</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ap+indy"><b>A. P. Indy</b></a> and his sons have actually done well not only with daughters of Quiet American, but also with mares by other sons of <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/fappiano">Fappiano</a></b>, too. This pattern has produced Wood Memorial winners <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=6106474&origin=singlesearch">Tapit</a></b> (Pulpit/Unbridled) and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/i+want+revenge">I Want Revenge</a></b> (Stephen Got Even/Roy), Grade I winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/a+p+adventure">A. P. Adventure</a></b> (A. P. Indy/Fappiano), Grade II winner <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/apart4">Apart</a></b> (Flatter/Unbridled), and the current graded stakes-placed two-year-old colt, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/brigand11">Brigand</a></b> (Flatter/Quiet American).</div><div><br />
</div><div>But in my opinion, it's not just this nick that makes Hot Summer's pedigree so noteworthy. Rather, it's the fact that Hot Summer descends from the great foundation mare, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/missy+baba">Missy Baba</a></b>, who is her fifth dam as well as the fourth dam of her grandsire, A. P. Indy. To make it even more intriguing, Hot Summer carries two more crosses of this superior female family by virtue of the fact that she is inbred to Broodmare of the Year <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/weekend+surprise">Weekend Surprise</a></b>, the dam of both A. P. Indy and <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/summer+squall">Summer Squall</a></b> (sire of her second dam). She beautifully embodies the <a href="http://www.equicross.com/Inbreeding_to_Superior_Lines.htm">"Rasmussen Factor,"</a> a pattern of female family inbreeding through different individuals that has consistently produced a higher-than-average percentage of graded stakes winners.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Interestingly, Hot Summer's breeders, <b>Lazy Lane Farms</b>, sought to replicate this pattern when they bred her dam, Summer Delight, to A. P. Indy's close relative, <a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/pdfs/lemondropkid.pdf"><b>Lemon Drop Kid</b></a>, a mating that produced the aforementioned two-year-old colt, Stirred Up. By <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/kingmambo">Kingmambo</a></b>, Lemon Drop Kid is out of Weekend Surprise's half-sister, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/charming+lassie">Charming Lassie</a></b> (by Seattle Slew). </div><div><br />
</div><div>Stirred Up is therefore inbred to <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/lassie+dear">Lassie Dear</a></b> (dam of both Weekend Surprise and Charming Lassie), 3 x 5. And as a result, Missy Baba appears as the fifth dam of both Lemon Drop Kid and Stirred Up, who seems to have the birthright to be as good as or better than his Victory Ride-winning half-sister. </div><div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397643422379839459.post-58894176341809269542011-08-20T16:58:00.000-04:002011-08-20T16:58:13.738-04:00How much more can Indian Tale take?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZW7OW_5StvbC5pnmjfiRYWbjmEC_dhbLGIRE26v_JiKB6myR62ufsmM5Nr8fXlhyphenhyphenBl_Cl5SO9N9XL7JOZod72s0nnbwkPWOKhA-8Ik0zXHNo7EZK4_VbI_XyzWQOr8IZ1P9xwwY_vZI/s1600/Indian+Tale+wins+3rd+4+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZW7OW_5StvbC5pnmjfiRYWbjmEC_dhbLGIRE26v_JiKB6myR62ufsmM5Nr8fXlhyphenhyphenBl_Cl5SO9N9XL7JOZod72s0nnbwkPWOKhA-8Ik0zXHNo7EZK4_VbI_XyzWQOr8IZ1P9xwwY_vZI/s320/Indian+Tale+wins+3rd+4+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Indian Tale wins a $75,000 claimer at Saratoga on August 11th<br />
Photo: Tod Marks<br />
www.photoshelter.com/c/todmarks</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'm praying that it doesn't rain tomorrow.<br />
<br />
If it does, and the Grade II <a href="http://ftp.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/race/USA/SAR/2011/8/21/4/woodford-reserve-lake-placid-s-gr-2">Woodford Reserve Lake Placid Stakes</a> is taken off the turf at Saratoga, trainer <b><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/columns/story?columnist=moran_paul&id=6145086">Richard Dutrow</a></b> will send his recently claimed three-year-old filly, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/indian+tale">Indian Tale</a></b>, to the starting gate for what will be her fifth race in 14 days. What in the world is he thinking?<br />
<br />
The controversial conditioner must not have been in the room at the Gideon Putnam last Sunday when the University of Glasgow's <b>Tim Parkin</b> delivered his <a href="http://www.jockeyclub.com/roundtable_11.asp?section=3">compelling presentation</a> on <b><a href="http://www.thejockeyclub.org/">The Jockey Club</a></b>'s <a href="http://www.barntowire.com/2010/JCnotes101215.html"><b>Equine Injury Database (EID)</b></a>, highlighting what are now becoming predictable causative factors leading to race-related catastrophic breakdowns.<br />
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Based on an analysis of 1.5 million starts between November, 2008 and October, 2010, EID researchers have been able to identify certain variables that put thoroughbred racehorses at greatest risk of fatal lower limb injuries. Among these is the number of starts within one and six months prior to a particular race, with a positive correlation between a higher number of starts and a higher risk of injury. Having made four starts within an 11-day period this month alone, Indian Tale seems to be moving rapidly into a high-risk category, and that's a shame.<br />
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Purchased for $65,000 by <b><a href="http://www.breederscup.com/bio.aspx?id=21549">Flying Zee Stables</a></b> at the 2010 <a href="http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2010/0517/190.pdf">Midlantic Two-Year-Old-In-Training Sale</a>, Indian Tale had been slowly and carefully nurtured by her original trainer, <b><a href="http://www.drf.com/news/trainer-profile-carlos-martin">Carlos Martin</a></b>, who had her perfectly primed to <a href="http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?BORP=P&STYLE=EQB&DAY=D&tid=AQU&dt=11/11/2010&ctry=USA&race=3">win her debut</a>: a five-and-a-half furlong maiden special weight contest at Aqueduct last November. She didn't race again until April of this year, when she finished a tiring seventh against $50,000 claiming foes at Gulfstream.<br />
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After that lackluster effort, Martin worked with the filly for three months before entering her again at Saratoga, in a five-and-a-half-furlong Allowance/Optional Claiming race on August 7th. Indian Tale rewarded the trainer's patience with a <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/SAR080711USA1.pdf">sharp second place finish</a>, but when she got back to the unsaddling area, she was led to Dutrow's barn, rather than to Martin's, having been haltered for $35,000.<br />
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Dutrow wheeled Indian Tale right back four days later in a $75,000 claimer at seven furlongs, and her new owner, J. W. Singer LLC (Jose Singer) collected the $33,000 winner's share of the purse after the filly demonstrated a strong closing kick and <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/SAR081111USA3.pdf">got up to win</a> by more than three lengths.<br />
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Far from being content to have virtually broken even on Indian Tale's purchase price in a matter of days, the Singer/Dutrow team apparently figured that they could keep squeezing the lemon until the game filly ran dry. So Dutrow waited only two days before he entered her again, this time in a one-mile contest originally carded for the turf. And on August 15th, just four days after her second career victory, Indian Tale entered the starting gate again, in a seven-furlong allowance race that was switched to the dirt when the rains intervened. Once again, she ran her heart out, and in spite of having been bumped at the break, she <a href="http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/SAR081511USA7.pdf">finished a willing second</a> while contributing another $12,720 to the coffers of her connections. But they wanted more.<br />
<br />
As racing fans watched in disbelief, Indian Tale was led to the starting gate yet again just two days ago, on August 18th, in a one-mile grassy starter handicap. This time, though, the filly had finally had enough. After colliding with another horse soon after the start, she never got into the fray and was eased in the stretch, crossing the finish line some 40 lengths behind the winner. The lemon had finally been squeezed dry, or so it appeared to everyone but the Singer/Dutrow camp.<br />
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Undeterred by the exhausted filly's performance, they've entered Indian Tale to run in tomorrow's Lake Placid, but she's listed as "main track only," and will only go if wet weather forces the race off the turf.<br />
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By <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Cat">Storm Cat</a></b>'s high-class son, <b><a href="http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1439212&origin=singlesearch">Tale of the Cat</a></b>, out of the <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/ap+indy">A. P. Indy</a></b> mare, <b>Indy Power</b>, Indian Tale was bred to be a good one. Her third dam is a half-sister to influential sire,<b> <a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/clever+trick">Clever Trick</a></b>, and her fourth dam, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/kankakee+miss">Kankakee Miss</a></b>, is the ancestress of Queen's Plate-G1 winner, <b><a href="http://www.pedigreequery.com/alydeed">Alydeed</a></b>.<br />
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Though she may not have quite lived up to her lofty genetic heritage, Indian Tale has shown courage and heart and a modicum of talent, giving and giving until she had nothing more to offer. She deserves better than to be run into the ground.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0