After the Auction: Courtesan

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. “After the Auctions” feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. 

Numerous brilliant turf runners have been conditioned by Christophe Clement, including the champion Gio Ponti and the multiple grade one-winning Winchester. Can Courtesan, one of my selections from last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale, add her name to this list?

Courtesan debuted on the dirt at Saratoga, going seven furlongs in a maiden special weight originally scheduled for a mile and one-sixteenth on the grass. Against five other opponents, Courtesan finished nearly 15 lengths behind the top two finishers as she crossed the wire in third, 4 ½ lengths clear of her nearest rival. However, the sloppy surface likely contributed to the exaggerated distances between horses.

The following month, Courtesan had her chance to make her turf debut, facing nine other juvenile fillies in a mile and one-sixteenth maiden special weight. Racing over good going, Courtesan settled near the inside as she tracked the pace, galloping less than three lengths behind the frontrunner. Swinging wide around the far turn, Courtesan found room to run between competitors and partook in a battle with the favorite, Ketel Twist (who, ironically, was one of my selection's from last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and would go on to win her subsequent start), down the homestretch to prevail by a half-length.

Pedigree Analysis

Courtesan is a daughter of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner, Street Sense. Since entering stud in 2008, Street Sense has proven to be a tremendous sire of fillies, siring the grade one-winning fillies Aubby K and Sweet Reason, the graded stakes-winning filly Unlimited Budget, and the additional stakes-winning females Ice Cream Silence, Sensible Lady, and Silverette. Street Sense is a son of the spectacular stallion Street Cry, who is perhaps best known for siring the great champion Zenyatta. Including Street Sense and Zenyatta, Street Cry has produced an astounding thirteen grade/group one winners.

This filly’s dam, Lady Discreet, is out of the Reine De Course mare Pretty Discreet, making her a half-sister to the grade one winners Discreet Cat and Discreetly Mine, as well as the stakes-winning, grade one-placed Pretty Wild and the graded stakes-placed Discreet Treasure. Lady Discreet is a daughter of Boundary, a son of the legendary sire Danzig. This Street Cry/Danzig sire line cross has produced the grade/group one winners Here Comes Ben, Lyric of Light, and Shocking, as well as the additional graded/group stakes winners Falls of Lora, Motor City, Princess Highway, Splash Point, Street Sounds, and Tallow.

SUCCESS SINCE THIS ARTICLE:
WON: Juvenile Filly Turf Stakes
3rd: Jessamine Stakes (GIII)

After the Auction: Zinzay

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. “After the Auctions” feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. 

No matter how talented a young racehorse that has not yet started may seem, the answer is not revealed until the true test: the horse’s performance on the racetrack. For Zinzay, the betting public certainly doubted her, allowing the well-bred filly to enter the starting gate for her debut at odds of nearly 20-1. But her connections had confidence in her. Whose opinion would she uphold?

Facing nine other juvenile fillies in a mile and one-sixteenth turf maiden special weight at Saratoga, Zinzay – while racing three paths off the rail – tracked the steady pace. After pressing the pace throughout, the daughter of Smart Strike began to make her move around the far turn as she set her sights on the favored leader, Hillhouse High. Dueling down the stretch with that rival, Zinzay triumphed by a neck in a good final time of 1:41.09.

After the race, Zinzay’s trainer, Rusty Arnold, told The BloodHorse’s Ron Mitchell, "I never expect them to pull out a victory. I expect them to run well. She had trained well and we thought she had performed well, and that's all you can ask for a 2-year-old first-time starter. Winning is just a bonus.”

Zinzay, a $700,000 two-year-old purchase at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale, was among my selections for the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, at which she sold for $250,000.

Pedigree Analysis

Zinzay is a daughter of the elite sire Smart Strike, who topped the North American sires list in 2007 and 2008. A Canadian Hall of Famer, Smart Strike is also the sire of the champions Curlin, English Channel, Lookin At Lucky, My Miss Aurelia, and Soaring Free. Smart Strike is a son of Mr. Prospector, one of the most influential stallions to ever live. The Mr. Prospector sire line has produced an astounding number of champions, including six Horse of the Year honorees in the United States.

Zinzay’s dam is Music Room, who is a half-sister to the multiple grade/group one winners Musical Chimes and Music Note, as well as the multiple graded stakes-winning steeplechaser Top of the Bill. Zinzay’s third through sixth dams are all Reine De Course mares, including It’s In The Air – a champion racehorse and dam of four black-type horses, including a graded stakes winner.

Zinzay’s maternal grandsire is the late Unbridled’s Song, who is also the broodmare sire of the grade one winners J. B.’s Thunder, The Lumber Guy, and Unbridled Command, as well as the additional graded stakes winners Alpha Kitten, Etched, Out of Bounds, and Super Ninety Nine.

After the Auction: Fascinating

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. “After the Auctions” feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. *Note: If an “After the Auction” features a two-year-old, it will also be listed as a “Juvenile Spotlight.”

$1.3 million is the price tag attached to Fascinating’s name. A half-sister to the brilliant grade one winner Bodemeister, the filly sold for this large amount at the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale as the third-highest priced yearling and one of my selections at the near-two-week-long auction.

Put into training with the same Hall of Fame trainer as Bodemeister, Bob Baffert, Fascinating finished third in a pair of maiden special weights at Del Mar at the beginning of her career. Tracking the pace in each of these contests, Fascinating could do no better than third, though she closed more impressively in her second start than she did in her debut.

Despite having never won a race, the Virginia-bred filly’s connections thought highly enough of her to enter her in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (GI). Facing seven other talented juvenile fillies, Fascinating broke slowly and, as a result, raced near the back of the pack as the field galloped down the backstretch. With nearly 10 lengths separating her from the leaders, Fascinating remained comfortable as the trailer as the fillies entered the far turn.

Under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Fascinating began to make her move, swinging to the outside and making slight contact with Bajan around the bend while struggling to change to the desired lead while doing so. Once she found her best stride, however, her turn of foot devastated her nearby rivals as she raced toward She’s A Tiger. In spite of her impressive closing run, Fascinating ran out of time and distance, finishing a diminishing ½-length behind the winner.

Although Fascinating is still a maiden, she has proven herself as an incredibly talented filly. Without ever visiting the winner’s circle, the filly has found stakes success and is sure to find more in the future.

Pedigree Analysis

Obviously, being a half-sibling to a grade one-winning, multiple classic-placed horse in Bodemeister, Fascinating stems from a strong female family. Her dam is the graded stakes-winning mare Untouched Talent, who earned over $240,000 in her career. Untouched Talent’s bloodlines bring to the table a large amount of powerhouse sires. She is a daughter of the great sire Storm Cat, who is also an incredibly successful broodmare sire, being the damsire of brilliant horses such as the champions Folklore and Speightstown, as well as several grade one winners, including Dialed In, Sky Mesa, and Sidney’s Candy. Untouched Talent is also a granddaughter of the great sire A.P.Indy, who is the sire of her multiple graded stakes-winning dam Parade Queen. In just her first five generations, Untouched Talent traces back to a plethora of influential sires, including Northern Dancer, Roberto, Bold Ruler, Princequillo, Nijinsky, and Buckpasser. Notably, she is a direct descendant of the foundation mare of family 1-n – the stakes-winning Reine De Course mare Chelandry – thus allowing Fascinating to descend from the same tail female line as the dual-classic-winning champion Swaleand the group one-winning Americain.

Fascinating is a daughter of the elite sire Smart Strike, who topped the North American sires list in 2007 and 2008. A Canadian Hall of Famer, Smart Strike is also the sire of the champions Curlin, English Channel, Lookin At Lucky, My Miss Aurelia, and Soaring Free. Smart Strike is a son of Mr. Prospector, one of the most influential stallions to ever live. The Mr. Prospector sire line has produced an astounding number of champions, including six Horse of the Year honorees in the United States.

After the Auction: Strong Mandate

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. “After the Auctions” feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. *Note: If an “After the Auction” features a two-year-old, it will also be listed as a “Juvenile Spotlight.”

UPDATE 9/2/13: Congratulations to Strong Mandate on becoming my first grade one-winning sale selection with his 9 ¾-length victory in the Hopeful Stakes (GI)!
UPDATE 11/2/13: Congratulations to Strong Mandate on his respectable third place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI)!

Winner of four-time Eclipse Awards, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has found great success at Saratoga, especially with two-year-olds. With an astounding total of thirty-nine victories in Saratoga’s various graded stakes for two-year-olds, it is undeniable that Lukas is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to juvenile races at the Spa.

On July 22, Lukas unveiled a two-year-old named Strong Mandate, one of my selections from the first session of the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. That day, the colt finished a disappointing fifth, but redeemed himself in his second career start, adding not only a furlong to the distance of his debut, but also blinkers.

Facing seven others in a six and one-half-furlong maiden special weight, Strong Mandate led from start to finish, always holding a generous advantage over his rivals. His easy lead left him with excess energy in the stretch, allowing him to draw away to an easy 4 ½-length win under a hand ride from Jose Ortiz, escaping from the betting public at 16-1 odds.

Could this visually impressive debut be a good omen for Strong Mandate's future?

Pedigree Analysis

Strong Mandate is a son of Tiznow, the two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) winner who has ranked among the top thirty sires in North America for the past six years, ranking among the top five sires in 2008 and 2009. Among his offspring are the grade one winners Bullsbay, Colonel John, Da’ Tara, Folklore, Gemologist, Morning Line, Tiz Miz Sue, Tizway, Tough Tiz’s Sis, and Well Armed, as well as the grade one-winning steeplechaser Mr. Hot Stuff.

Strong Mandate’s dam, who tragically died eleven days after foaling him, was the multiple grade one-winning millionaire Clear Mandate. A half-sister to the graded stakes winner Dream Scheme and the stakes winner A Diehl, Clear Mandate is also the dam of the multiple graded stakes-winning Newfoundland, the stakes-winning Full Mandate – who is the sire of the multiple grade one-winning Ron the Greek – and the group stakes-placed The Mighty Tiger.

This is an immensely strong female family, as Clear Mandate’s grade one-winning dam is a daughter of the grade one-winning Reine De Course mare Likely Exchange, who yielded Crème Fraiche – an earner of $4,024,727 that won seven grade ones. She is one of many Reine De Course mares in Strong Mandate’s tail female line, with the next being the stakes-winning Strange Device, who is the dam of the multiple stakes-winning Abstract. Strange Device is a daughter of the Alabama Stakes (GI) victress Escutcheon, who produced an astounding 14 winners, including Bourtai, who produced six black-type runners, including two Broodmare of the Years and the champion Bayou. Escutcheon’s own dam, Affection, is also a Reine De Course mare and in addition to Escutcheon, the French import begat the black-type winners Flat Iron and Sanford. The next Reine De Course mare in this colt’s pedigree is The Apple, the foundation mare of a strong female family that produced the likes of the champions Bold Forbes, Forego, Mar-Kell, Nellie Flag, and Nellie Morse. The earliest Reine De Course mare in Strong Mandate’s tail female line is Maid of Masham, a multiple stakes-winning mare. Other descendants of the Likely Exchange branch of this family include the group one winner To the Victory and the group stakes winner Headliner.

The maternal grandsire of Strong Mandate is the Canadian Hall of Famer Deputy Minister. This is incredibly beneficial, as Deputy Minister was the leading broodmare sire of 2007 and has served as the damsire of a multitude of grade one winners, including Curlin, Jazil, Magistretti, Redattore, Sarava, Tapizar, Telling, and To Honor and Serve.

After the Auction: Milam

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. “After the Auctions” feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. *Note: If an “After the Auction” features a two-year-old, it will also be listed as a “Juvenile Spotlight.”

UPDATE 2/22/14: Congratulations to Milam on her 8-length win in the Pica Slew Stakes!

As a yearling, Milam’s presence and athletic conformation caught my eye via a live feed during the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Appearing able-bodied, the filly joined my list of “eye-catchers” from the large auction’s fifth session, in which she sold for $95,000. Less than a year later, she debuted at Ellis Park, winning first time out.

For trainer Eddie Kenneally, Milam was sent off as the second choice in an eight-horse field of juvenile fillies going six furlongs at the Henderson, Kentucky track. Exiting the gate from the inside post, Milam charged forward along the rail to seize a clear lead, racing two lengths clear of her nearest rival – the favorite, J J Julep – down the backstretch. Taking a slight breather around the far turn, Milam allowed that competitor to collar her, even permitting J J Julep to earn a slight advantage over her.

But Milam’s turn of foot proved to be too much for J J Julep and as the two led the other fillies into the homestretch, Milam began to kick clear and under strong encouragement from Eclipse Award-winning jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., she coasted away from her opponent, easily drawing off to a 3 ¾-length victory.

Pedigree Analysis

Milam is a daughter of champion Street Sense, 2007 Kentucky Derby (GI) victor. Since entering stud in 2008, Street Sense has proven to be a tremendous sire of fillies, siring the grade one-winning  filly Aubby K, the graded stakes-winning filly Unlimited Budget, and the additional stakes-winning females Ice Cream Silence, Sensible Lady, and Silverette. Street Sense is a son of the spectacular stallion Street Cry, who is perhaps best known for siring the great champion Zenyatta. Including Street Sense and Zenyatta, Street Cry has produced an astounding thirteen grade/group one winners.

Out of the Forestry mare Autumnal, Milam is provided with the same maternal grandsire as four-time grade one winner Turbulent Descent, as well as the graded stakes-winning Magical Feeling. Forestry is a son of the legendary sire Storm Cat, whose many successes included serving as the broodmare sire of a multitude of grade one winners, including Bodemeister, Close Hatches, Drill, In Lingerie, Lord Kanaloa, Love and Pride, Sidney’s Candy, and Speightstown.

Milam’s fourth dam, the stakes-placed Passing Look, was a terrific broodmare, producing the likes of the grade one-winning Trumpet’s Blare, the graded stakes-winning Passing Vice, the multiple stakes-winning In My Cap (Milam’s third dam), amd the Turkish stakes winner Past Master. Passing Look is also the fourth dam of recent Virginia Derby (GII) winner War Dancer and the third dam of the grade one-winning sire Albert the Great.

After the Auction: Our Amazing Rose

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. “After the Auctions” feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. *Note: If an “After the Auction” features a two-year-old, it will also be listed as a “Juvenile Spotlight.”

Each year at Saratoga, Todd Pletcher unveils a multitude of brilliant two-year-olds – juveniles that display scintillating speed as they coast to dominant victories. This year has been no different, but perhaps his most impressive two-year-old maiden winner at the Spa this year is a filly named Our Amazing Rose.

One of my selections from this year’s OBS March Sale, the filly – consigned as hip 296 by Top Line Sales, LLC – was purchased by Repole Stables for $325,000, ranking her among the fifteen most expensive horses sold. Now, as an impressive debut winner at Saratoga for Mike Repole and Todd Pletcher, she has joined the likes of champion Uncle Mo and grade one winner Overanalyze.

Sent off as the heavy favorite in a five-furlong maiden special weight over Saratoga’s dirt oval, Our Amazing Rose raced in second as the only filly with racing experience, Zip On, took a clear, early lead. With that pair several lengths clear of the other runners, Our Amazing Rose overtook Zip On with ease around the far turn, galloping past that rival as if she was standing still. In a breathtakingly effortless manner, she coasted to the front, lengthening her advantage on the field as she turned for home. With great power and grace, she finished 7 ¾ lengths clear of the rest.

Our Amazing Rose will try to join a long, star-studded list of open-length maiden winners at Saratoga that have gone on to be elite athletes. Only time will tell if she can become the next Indian Blessing, but she has certainly looked the part thus far.

Pedigree Analysis

Yes It's True
Photo by Terri Cage

Our Amazing Rose is among the talented army of Yes It’s True juveniles that have accumulated a large amount of wins this year, leaving him as the leading sire of two-year-olds in North America and the second-leading sire of juveniles on an international scale. Our Amazing Rose shares her sire with the graded stakes winners Actin Good, Aikenite, Chantrue, Off Duty, Nordic Truce, Proud Accolade, Yesbyjimminy, and Yes He’s the Man.

The pedigree of Yes It’s True is rather understated, but also lined with indicators that he would become the successful sire he is. His sire, Is It True, only produced a pair of grade one winners – including Yes It’s True himself – but is by Raja Baba, the leading North American sire of 1980. Raja Baba was a fairly productive sire of sires, producing not only Is It True, but Royal Ski and Well Decorated.

The dam of Yes It’s True, Clever Monique, was a profitable producer, also yielding the multiple stakes-winning Honest Deceiver. Intriguingly, Yes It’s True’s seventh dam is Dancing Date, the dam of Terrang, who captured a record ten stakes events at Santa Anita. Yes It’s True is a descendant of American family one, the same female family that has yielded the grade one victors Gato Del Sol, Germany, and Tizway.

Yes It’s True’s broodmare sire is Clever Trick, who was also the damsire of such grade one winners as Came Home, Elegant Fashion, Nothingtolose, and Victors Cry. Clever Trick’s sire is Icecapade, a half-brother to the great Ruffian. Interestingly, Yes It’s True only has one trace of Native Dancer in his pedigree, which comes through Shenanigans – the dam of Icecapade and Ruffian.

The dam of Our Amazing Rose, Just For You, is a daughter of Silver Deputy – a terrific broodmare sire. The son of Deputy Minister – a champion racehorse and broodmare sire – is the maternal grandsire of the likes of champion Groupie Doll, as well as the grade one-winning sires El Corredor and Roman Ruler and the additional graded stakes winners Miraculous Miss, Preachinatthebar, and Quiet Temper.

Just For You is a half-sister to the graded stakes-winning Minister’s Melody, who yielded the grade one-winning Bob and John. She is a granddaughter of the great broodmare Too Bald, a stakes-winning Reine De Course mare that was honored as Broodmare of the Year in 1986. Dam of five stakes winners, Too Bald’s most notable foals were the ill-fated, eleven-time grade/group one winner Exceller and champion Capote. Our Amazing Rose’s fourth and fifth dams – Hidden Talent and Dangerous Dame, respectively – are also Reine De Course mares.

Some paragraphs were drawn from my article "Stallion Feature: Yes It's True" from July 5, 2012

After the Auction: Ontology

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. “After the Auctions” feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. *Note: If an “After the Auction” features a two-year-old, it will also be listed as a “Juvenile Spotlight.”

Few stallions in the Thoroughbred breeding industry have experienced recent success as immense as Tapit’s. The son of the late Pulpit has been tremendous as of late, siring a plethora of graded stakes winners and high-selling horses. Attracting many top mares, such as Havre de Grace and Zenyatta, he is among the most sought-after studs in the business.

Tapit
Photo by Terri Cage

To own an offspring of Tapit is to possess a jewel. Fortunately for Reddam Racing, LLC, they have a jewel in Ontology, a two-year-old son of Tapit. One of my selections at the OBS March Sale earlier this year due to the power he displayed in the breeze show, Ontology was privately purchased by Reddam Racing at that auction for the price of $210,000.

Ontology has raced twice and although he did not win either of those starts, he has proven himself as a talented individual, having already added black-type to his name. After a solid runner-up effort in his debut at Hollywood Park on June 22 behind Alpine Luck, Ontology returned three weeks later in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes, in which he faced six others. Tracking the pace from the inside, the chestnut colt remained along the rail, rallying well to miss victory by a half-length, finishing second to Alpine Luck yet again.

Although Ontology has yet to visit the winner’s circle, the colt has clearly displayed talent in the early stages of his career, already proving himself as a stakes-quality racehorse.

Pedigree Musings

Tapit was among the top five sires in North America in both 2011 and 2012 and has sired a multitude of grade one-winning millionaires, including Careless Jewel, Hansen, Joyful Victory, Stardom Bound, and Tapitsfly. Early on in his stud career, it seemed as if Tapit could only produce precocious juveniles and the occasional speedy sophomore rather than horses that could carry their brilliance beyond their three-year-old year. However, offspring like Joyful Victory, Tapitsfly, Tapizar, and Testa Matta – have disproved this theory, having captured grade/group ones at four years old or older.

Tapit is a son of the late Pulpit, a fantastic sire who has begat such grade one winners as Corinthian, Ice Box, Purge, Pyro, Rutherienne, Sky Mesa, Stroll, and Tapit himself. 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 Ontology descends has been highly successful, as A.P. Indy is also the sire of the additional productive studs Bernardini, Congrats, Malibu Moon, Mineshaft, and Stephen Got Even.

Ontology is the first foal out of the stakes-winning mare Shytoe Lafeet, who earned more than $330,000 on the track, to race. A daughter of 2000 Guineas (GI) champion King of Kings, Shytoe Lafeet allows Ontology to share his broodmare sire with the grade one-winning Regally Ready, as well as the additional graded/group stakes winners Alexandros, Channel Lady, and Shimraan. The Tapit/Northern Dancer sire line on which Ontology is bred is the same that has produced the grade one winners Laragh and Tapizar.

Through his dam, Ontology is a direct descendant of three Reine De Course mares: Up the Hill, Gentle Tryst, and Cinq a Sept. The latter, a winner of the Irish Oaks, also resides in the tail female line of the great Triple Crown champion Secretariat, in addition to the spectacular stallions Cure the Blues and Malibu Moon. The Up the Hill line is the same one that produced Preakness Stakes (GI) winner Elocutionist and two-time Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (GI) champion Alleged.

After the Auction: Stars Over The Sea

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. “After the Auctions” feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. *Note: If an “After the Auction” features a two-year-old, it will also be listed as a “Juvenile Spotlight.”

In 2009, Sea the Stars took the world by storm, going undefeated as he captured all six of his starts that year – all of which were group ones. With victories in some of Europe’s most prestigious races – the 2000 Guineas (GI), Epsom Derby (GI), Eclipse Stakes (GI), International Stakes (GI), Irish Champion Stakes (GI), and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (GI) – and just one loss on his race record, Sea the Stars’ short but brilliant career left him heralded as one of the greatest racehorses of all-time.

Sea the Stars entered stud in 2010 at Gilltown Stud in Ireland, with his first crop reaching the races this year. On July 22 at Ayr Racecourse in Scotland, Stars Over The Sea became his first winner. Last fall, this colt was among my selections for the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, selling for $55,000 in the fourth session of the renowned auction.

Following a solid fourth-place effort in his career debut at Leicester Racecourse, Stars Over The Sea reared at the start of his second start at Haydock, which erased any chance he had when he was left a dozen lengths behind, thus leaving him to finish sixth of seven.

But the colt proved himself in his third start, facing just two other horses in a seven-furlong maiden on good to firm going at Ayr. After tracking the leader, Stars Over The Sea edged clear with a quarter-mile left to run, maintaining his advantage on the pair behind him as he coasted to a 3-length victory.

Pedigree Musings

Just having Sea the Stars as the sire indicates that Stars Over The Sea is the member of a royal family. But his sire is not the only strong suit in this young colt’s pedigree.

Sea the Stars is a son of the group one-winning Cape Cross, who has produced several notable horses, such as the champions Ouija Board and Seachange. This is the Danzig sire line, which has produced several horses that excelled as both runners and sires, including Anabaa, Chief’s Crown, Danehill, Danewin, Desert King, Exceed and Excel, Fastnet Rock, Flying Spur, Langfuhr, Polish Navy, Redoute’s Choice, War Chant, and War Front.

Perhaps the best asset of Sea the Stars’ ancestry is his dam, the great Urban Sea. Highweight older mare in France, Urban Sea was a group one winner as a racehorse, capturing one of the world’s most prestigious races: the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe (GI). She is one of the most remarkable broodmares the world has seen, producing the likes of not only Sea the Stars, but also champion racehorse and sire Galileo, champion Urban Ocean, multiple group one winner Black Sam Bellamy, grade one-winning millionaire My Typhoon, group stakes winner All Too Beautiful, stakes winner and group one-placed Born to Sea, stakes winner Melikah, and group stakes-placed Cherry Hinton. 2001 Broodmare of the Year in both England and Ireland, Urban Sea has been denoted as a Reine De Course mare.

Urban Sea is sired by Miswaki, a recurrently terrific broodmare sire who has produced the dams of the grade/group one winners Dalakhani, Daylami, Landseer, and The Factor. Like herself, Urban Sea’s dam, Allegretta, is a Reine De Course mare, having also foaled the group one-winning King’s Best, the group stakes-winning Allez Les Trois, and the stakes-placed Turbaine. Her siblings, too, have proven to be top producers, as her sisters have produced two group one winners and her classic-winning brother, King’s Best, has sired numerous top-class racehorses, including the group one winners Dubai Surprise, Eishin Flash, Proclamation, Royal Diamond, Sajjhaa, and Workforce. Urban Sea hails from a strong female line, tracing back to the likes of the German Derby winner Asterblüte – a daughter of the Reine De Course mare and tremendous racehorse Aster. This makes Urban Sea a direct descendant of four additional Reine De Course mares.

Stars Over The Sea clearly inherits much strength from the top side of his pedigree, but his dam’s side is rather impressive as well. His dam, Exciting Times, has produced the grade one-winning Gorella, the stakes-winning, group one-placed Porto Santo, and the stakes-placed Thanks Again. Stars Over The Sea’s fourth dam, Crepellana, was a group one-winning champion who produced a pair of group one-placed runners. Through this tail female line, Stars Over The Sea is a direct descendant of numerous Reine De Course mares, including Fairy Gold, the dam of the Hall of Fame racehorse and sire Fair Play, Belmont Stakes winner Friar Rock, Ascot Gold Vase victor Golden Measure, and numerous other spectacular stakes winners and producers.

After the Auction: Meadowood

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. “After the Auctions” feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. *Note: If an “After the Auction” features a two-year-old, it will also be listed as a “Juvenile Spotlight.”

Catching my eye in the sales ring at the Keeneland September YearlingSale (via an online feed), I quickly jotted down Hip 1386. A balanced, athletic-looking bay colt, the son of Harlan’s Holiday impressed me with his conformation and I watched as he drove the hammer to $190,000. Who paid that sum of money? Stonestreet Farm and George Bolton, the same connections that campaigned champion My Miss Aurelia, and, along with other owners, two-time Horse of the Year Curlin throughout the majority of his three-year-old campaign.

Hip 1386 grew into a colt named Meadowood, who debuted at Monmouth Park on June 23, 2013 against four other first-time starters in a five-furlong maiden special weight. The heavy favorite in the small field, Meadowood broke well from the rail and was urged by jockey Joe Bravo to contest the pace. Bravo continuously encouraged the bay colt and angled his mount to the outside as the horses entered the far turn, allowing Meadowood to draw even with the frontrunner, Amelia’s Wild Ride. Under strong handling from Bravo, Meadowood gained a narrow advantage as the field turned for home. Engaging in a battle with Amelia’s Wild Ride, Meadowood began to edge clear outside the sixteenth pole, coasting to a two-length victory.

Meadowood’s sire, Harlan’s Holiday, has found much success since entering stud in 2004, siring the likes of the champion Shanghai Bobby and the graded/group stakes winners Denis of Cork, Mendip, Necessary Evil, Saratoga Sinner, and Summer Applause. A multiple grade one winner, Harlan’s Holiday has recurrently crossed well with mares from the Unbridled sire line like Meadowood’s dam, Into Reality. Both Denis of Cork and Necessary Evil were produced from this cross, as were several other winners.

Into Reality herself was a rather successful racehorse, winning the Dipsea Trail Stakes at Golden Gate Fields as a three-year-old. Her success as a broodmare is still quite unknown, as Meadowood – her second foal – is the only one that has raced. But as a granddaughter of Unbridled through her sire Untuttable, Into Reality’s broodmare career receives much support, as Unbridled has been a terrific dam sire, producing the dams of the grade one winners Dream Rush, Lady Joanne, Orb, Shackleford, and Tapit. His sons – particularly Unbridled’s Song – have also proven themselves as maternal grandsires, siring the mares that foaled the likes of the grade/group one winners Better Than Ever and The Lumber Guy, as well as the graded stakes winners Hold Me Back and Super Ninety Nine.

Meadowood is a model of precociousness, making quite the impression as a yearling prior to becoming a win-early juvenile. He did not win his maiden by an overwhelming margin, but displayed notable professionalism in just his first start. This is just the beginning for a very promising colt.

After the Auction: Somewhat

As an avid fan of sales with possible aspirations to become an adviser/bloodstock agent, auctions are one of my favorite topics to write about on Past the Grandstand. This is the eleventh edition in a blog series called “After the Auction” that will feature horses I selected in sales that have found success after the sale. *Note: If an “After the Auction” features a two-year-old, it will also be listed as a “Juvenile Spotlight.”

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale provides thousands of yearlings to sort through, numerous catalogs to study, and two weeks to find at least one potential superstar from the group. The sale has recurrently proven to be a quality source for finding a successful horse, having offered two of the past five Kentucky Derby winners, four of the past five Preakness Stakes winners, and three of the past five Belmont Stakes winners.

On June 14, a two-year-old colt named Somewhat debuted at Musselburgh Racecourse in the United Kingdom, winning the race in a rather authoritative manner. Nine months earlier, Somewhat had been offered at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and although he drove the hammer to $190,000, the colt did not reach his reserve and therefore remained with his breeders, B. P. Walden, Jr., P. W. Madden, and G. McDonald.

The colt was sent to Europe and prepared for his racing career, which began in a seven-furlong maiden at Musselburgh over good to firm going. Sent off as the favorite in a field of six, Somewhat displayed greenness in the early stages of the race prior to taking the lead. Although he continued to run greenly, Somewhat responded well when asked for a rally by jockey Joe Fanning. Beginning to draw clear in the final furlong, the bay two-year-old held clear to prove himself as the best in the field, winning by seven lengths.

Boasting a rather international pedigree, Somewhat is a result of the mating between the American-bred stallion Dynaformer and the Irish-bred mare Sometime. His ancestry is largely influenced by Thoroughbreds bred in Ireland, Great Britain, and Italy, although traces of Argentine, Canadian, and French horses also exist within his lineage.

Somewhat’s sire, Dynaformer, was United States-based horse, but became an international stallion, having produced winners of some of the world’s greatest races, including Kentucky Derby (GI) victor Barbaro, Melbourne Cup (GI) winner Americain, and St. Leger Stakes (GI) conqueror Lucarno. Dynaformer was a son of the influential stallion Roberto and the tremendous broodmare Andover Way, who was a grade one winner on the track before later producing not only Dynaformer, but also the stakes winners Triple Elvis and White Bridle, as well as Black Speck – the dam of the group stakes-winning Lines of Battle.

Sometime – the dam of Somewhat – is an impeccably bred mare who is also the dam of the group stakes-winning Art Deco and the graded stakes-placed Friendly Banter. A daughter of the outstanding sire Royal Academy, who sired 171 stakes winners, Sometime provides her offspring with the same maternal grandsire as the group one winners Dabirsim, Finsceal Beo, Frozen Power, and Rule of Law.

But Royal Academy is not the only notable parent of Somewhat; her dam, Alidiva, is a Reine De Course mare and group stakes winner. In 1997, Alidiva was honored as Irish and Italian Broodmare of the Year when three of her offspring took home group one victories that season, becoming the only mare to accomplish that feat. Among her group one winners were the Italian and German champion Taipan and Sometime’s full sister, highweight Sleepytime.

Through his dam, Somewhat is a direct descendant of an astounding seven Reine De Course mares, beginning with the multiple stakes-winning Maid of Masham, who was born in 1845. The next Reine De Course mare in this colt’s pedigree is The Apple, the foundation mare of a strong female family that produced the likes of the champions Bold Forbes, Forego, Mar-Kell, Nellie Flag, and Nellie Morse. Continuing down Somewhat’s tail female line, you will find Affection, a French-bred mare that was imported to the United States in the early 1900s, where she produced the black-type winners Escutcheon, Flat Iron, and Sanford.

The aforementioned Escutcheon is among the abundance of Reine De Course mares that line Somewhat’s female family. Winner of the Alabama Stakes, Escutcheon had an incredible produce record, having sixteen foals – fifteen of which made it to the track and fourteen of which found the winner’s circle. Among those was Bourtai, yet another one of the blue hens that dwell in Somewhat’s tail female line. Bourtai produced six black-type runners, including two Broodmare of the Years and the champion Bayou. Among those stakes-winning Broodmare of the Years is Somewhat’s fifth dam, Delta, a mare who captured six stakes events and set a track record at Churchill Downs before becoming a champion broodmare.

This blue-blooded two-year-old is hopefully just the beginning of much success for my yearling sale selections of 2012. If his spectacular bloodlines are any indication, perhaps Somewhat will find even greater success in his future.

SUCCESS SINCE THIS ARTICLE:
WON: Denford Stud Washington Singer Stakes
2nd: Superlative Stakes (GII)

Juvenile Spotlight: Fiftyshadesofgold

Fiftyshadesofgold
Photo by Terri Cage

As a storm brewed beyond the grandstand of Lone Star Park on a humid May evening, a gray filly sauntered before onlookers as she was led toward the saddling paddock. Just two years old, she appeared very composed as she strolled along amid her competitors. In the infield, the totes board reflected her low odds, indicating that she was the heavy favorite.

Her name was Fiftyshadesofgold. She’d never raced before, but there had been much buzz about her. She’d compiled a collection of workouts and in those morning works, had made quite the impression. That night would prove if she could live up to the hype.

Alongside nine other rivals, Fiftyshadesofgold loaded into the starting gate on the far side of the track for the five-furlong Texas-bred maiden special weight. Away from the gate in a clean manner, Fiftyshadesofgold quickly found a stalking position in third with jockey Cliff Berry – the all-time leading rider at Lone Star Park – aboard. Making a sweeping move around the far turn, the dark gray filly soared to the lead before the quarter pole, seizing a clear advantage as the field turned for home.

In a mere hand ride from Berry, Fiftyshadesofgold drew away from her opponents with utter effortlessness, her strong strides carrying her toward the wire as she left the other fillies in her wake. The two-year-old filly continued to extend her lead down the lane despite Berry ceasing to ask her. She flashed under the wire ten lengths in front, posting a final time that was just 1.51 seconds off the track record despite being geared down in the late stages of the race. Her win served as trainer Bret Calhoun's 600th Lone Star Park victory.

Fiftyshadesofgold
Photo by Terri Cage

Fiftyshadesofgold is a homebred for Clarence Scharbauer, Jr., former president of the American Quarter Horse Association whose family owned the great Alysheba, Kentucky Derby (GI) winner and 1988 Horse of the Year. Born on the Scharbauers’ beautiful Valor Farm in North Texas, Fiftyshadesofgold’s pedigree is a model of the farm’s bluest blood.

Her sire is My Golden Song, one of the most elite stallions on Valor's strong stallion roster. My Golden Song, who was third behind Barbaro in the 2006 Holy Bull Stakes (GIII), has sired many Texas stakes horses, including the multiple black-type winners Cowgirl N Up and Platinum Song, as well as the additional black-type winners Smiles Golden Song and Triumph And Song. A son of Unbridled’s Song, who has appeared within the top ten sires in the nation six of the past ten years, My Golden Song shares the same sire as many blossoming stallions, including Eurosilver, Even the Score, Political Force, Rockport Harbor, and, most notably, Songandaprayer.

Although Fiftyshadesofgold’s dam, Hadif Cat, encountered little success at the track, the mare has found greater achievements as a broodmare. Since her racing career ended in 2006, Hadif Cat has produced the black-type winners Sword Trick and Tastefullyxcessive, the former of which earned more than $210,000. Hadif Cat is a daughter of the group three-winning Hadif, a former Valor Farm stallion that became one of the most influential sires in Texas. As a broodmare sire, the half-brother to the grade one-winning Secret Hello has produced the dams of many black-type winners, including Early Final, Final Trick, Hadavision, My Three Girls, Sax Appeal, Stormin Quality, and Triumph And Song.

Fiftyshadesofgold’s third dam is Alysbelle, a full sister to Alysheba and a graded stakes victress that placed in a pair of grade ones. She found similar success as a broodmare, producing the multiple group stakes-winning Matikane Kinnohosi and Golden Spur, a horse that earned over $100,000. This makes Fiftyshadesofgold a direct descendant of the Reine De Course mare Belthazar, who was the last foal sired by Triple Crown winner War Admiral.

Texas-breds like Fiftyshadesofgold rarely make a name for themselves on the national scene, but this filly’s chances of becoming a classy stakes horse in the South are high. A talented horse at any level is enjoyable to follow and I eagerly await the remainder of this gifted filly’s career.

Fiftyshadesofgold after impressively winning her debut
Photo by Terri Cage