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| Super Ninety Nine Photo by Terri Cage |
Unfortunately, after being cast in his stall, Super Ninety Nine was withdrawn from the Juvenile Sprint and thus was unable to reveal what he was capable of on Breeders' Cup weekend. But Super Ninety Nine had impressed me enough in the mornings to land a position on my radar.
The colt's debut was
clearly exciting enough for his connections to enter him in the Breeders' Cup.
His first start came in a seven-furlong maiden special weight over Santa
Anita's main track, in which the chestnut was sent off as the third choice in a
field of twelve. Super Ninety Nine did not briskly leave the starting gate, but
with slight urging from jockey Martin Garcia, the chestnut colt rocketed to the
lead as the field commenced its run down the backstretch.
However, the Tanma
Corporation-owned colt was soon overtaken by the favorite, Quietasacat, off of
whom Super Ninety Nine raced just to the outside. Just a half-length separated
the two as an initial quarter-mile split of 23.05 was set, but Super Ninety
Nine gradually began to decrease Quietasacat's lead as the pair led the field
into the turn.
Super Ninety Nine matched
strides with his nemesis midway through the curve, gaining a slight advantage
as they reached the quarter pole. With asking from Garcia, Super Ninety Nine
began to kick clear, lengthening his lead at the top of the stretch, holding
off the charges of his rivals. In the final yards, the colt seemed to find his
best stride despite changing leads, crossing the wire 1 1/4 lengths in front.
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| Super Ninety Nine Photo by Terri Cage |
Bred by Northwest Farms
LLC, this rising star brings to life bloodlines that are like a web of speed
and stamina. Bred on a cross of two of the most powerful sire lines of the
breed, Super Ninety Nine possesses a pedigree that is not lacking in strength
on either side.
Sired by Pulpit, Super Ninety Nine shares the same sire as such grade one
winners as Corinthian, Ice Box, Purge, Pyro, Rutherienne, Sky Mesa, Stroll, and
Tapit. Pulpit is of course a son of the great A.P. Indy, the sire of nearly
thirty grade one winners, including Bernardini, Flashing, Mineshaft,
Little Belle, Music Note, and Rags to Riches. The A.P. Indy sire
line from which Super Ninety Nine descends has been highly successful, as A.P.
Indy is also the sire of such productive studs as Bernardini, Congrats, Malibu
Moon, Mineshaft, and Stephen Got Even.
Super Ninety Nine's dam, Exogenetic, is a three-quarters sister to
Exogenous, an ill-fated multiple grade one winner, and is also the dam of the
multiple black-type-winning Elusive Horizon. A daughter of Unbridled's Song,
Exogenetic provides Super Ninety Nine with the same broodmare sire as the group
one winner Better Than Ever, as well as the graded stakes winners Etched, Hold
Me Back, and Out of Bounds.
War Exchange, Super Ninety Nine's fourth dam, was a stakes-winning mare who
produced two graded stakes winners, one of which was Barbarika, two-time Horse
of the Year Curlin's granddam, thus making War Exchange the multiple classic
winner's third dam. War Exchange is also the third dam of the grade one-winning
champion Countess Diana.
Misfortune kept Super Ninety Nine out of the Breeders' Cup, but I will
not soon forget this striking colt, who I will be keeping a close eye on.
Bringing to the table eye-catching conformation and movement, as well as a
beautiful pedigree, Super Ninety appears to have bright future ahead of him.
Perhaps many are thinking of what could have been had he been able to compete in the
Breeders' Cup. However, I am simply looking forward to what this colt's future
holds.
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| Super Ninety Nine Photo by Terri Cage |
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