Recent Remarkable Broodmares, Part Two

With their majestic stature, large stud fees, often impressive racing records, fans’ occasional ability to visit them, and their immense amount of offspring, stallions generally garner the most attention of Thoroughbred breeding stock. The highest quality, most productive sires typically produce well over one hundred foals annually and therefore, they are much more well-known than Thoroughbred broodmares.

However, the mares are extremely significant as well. More often than not, top racehorses have impressive dam lines. Yet, it is not as common for a mare to produce more than one successful horse as it is for a stallion. For this reason, any broodmare that is capable of producing more than one productive racehorse is held in high regards.

Broodmares
Photo by Terri Cage

Racing fans frequently enjoy watching siblings of their favorite racehorses contest before the grandstand, powering down the stretch like their famous sibling had done. However, it is frequent that these siblings to superstars are often much less talented than their more accomplished brother or sister. The offspring of La Ville Rouge, the dam of Barbaro, come to mind. Though she is a very successful broodmare, she has never produced another foal anywhere near as brilliant as Barbaro. Recent broodmares who have had solely one superstar include Sherriff’s Deputy (the dam of Curlin), Here I Go (the dam of Summerly), and Belle’s Good Cide (the dam of Funny Cide).

It is broodmares that produce more than one outstanding foal that are held in the highest regard. Those that produce several graded stakes winners often become known as “blue hens,” a term used for mares that produce several successful racehorses. Often, these mares become influential in the dam lines of Thoroughbreds and if they remain very effective, they could become a Reine De Course (Queen of the Turf) mare, which is a broodmare who becomes very famous, influential, and important in the pedigrees of Thoroughbreds. Such mares include the greats La Troienne, Alcibiades, and Somethingroyal. We have seen many magnificent broodmares as of late and I have chosen twelve of them to feature, adding to the nine I featured in my first “Recent Remarkable Broodmares” article, here.

Arlucea: After winning her debut, Arlucea never stood in the winner’s circle again, failing to finish better than fifth in her remaining six starts. Her first foal to find stakes success was Izarra, a daughter of Distorted Humor that placed in a pair of grade ones in Southern California as a two-year-old. Her next foal was Moonport, a gelding who finished second in a stakes race at Ellis Park at age five. Arlucea’s most accomplished foal is clearly Fort Larned, a multiple grade one winner who captured the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). Arlucea’s success has not stopped there: on the same card on which Fort Larned won the Stephen Foster Handicap (GI), Arlucea’s 2010 foal, Lent, broke his maiden impressively in his second career start.

Arlucea is a daughter of the influential sire Broad Brush, thus giving her foals the same maternal grandsire as the grade one winners Dreaming of Anna and Richard’s Kid. But the most fascinating facet of Arlucea’s pedigree is her dam, the great Bayakoa. A multiple Eclipse champion and Hall of Famer, the Argentine-bred Bayakoa won a plethora of grade ones throughout her storied career. Interestingly, Arlucea shares her name with her granddam, whereas her third dam is named Izarra – just like Arlucea’s first foal of note.

Fort Larned
Photo by Terri Cage

Born Gold: Based in France, Born Gold only won once in her brief career. A homebred for Wertheimer & Frere, Born Gold’s first foal was Glamadour, a mare that was capable of winning but never amounted to much. Her second foal, Gold Round, was Born Gold’s first black-type runner, winning the Prix Cleopatre (GIII). This was only the beginning of a very successful broodmare career for Born Gold, whose next foal was the group stakes-placed Born Something. Her next stakes runner was her sixth foal, Red Tune, yet another group stakes-placed competitor. In 2005, Gold Sound became Born Gold’s second group stakes win, capturing the Prix de Guiche (GIII) over Doctor Dino, who would go on to win numerous group ones. But it was Born Gold’s next group stakes-level runner that made people truly begin to take notice. That foal of Born Gold was none other than Goldikova, a mare that would become the first horse to capture three Breeders’ Cup races – taking three consecutive Breeders’ Cup Miles (GI) against the males. Goldikova earned championship titles in North America and Europe, taking home two Eclipse Awards and three Cartier Awards, including a Horse of the Year title. Other notable horses Born Gold has produced since Goldikova include the group one-winning Galikova and the group stakes-winning Anodin.

Born Gold’s bloodlines make it no surprise that she has become such a spectacular producer. Her sire, Blushing Groom, is one of the finest broodmare sires of the breed, having sired the dams of the likes of the grade/group one winners Awesome Aagain, Flute, Haafhd, Macho Uno, and Mezzo Soprano. Her own dam sire is the influential Lyphard, who, like Blushing Groom, found much success as a broodmare sire, appearing as the dam sire in the pedigrees of several grade/group one winners, including Hatoof, Passinetti, and Skimming. He is also the broodmare sire of Delta Princess, the multiple graded stakes-winning dam of Royal Delta. Born Gold also descends from a strong dam line, being a daughter of the group one-winning Riviere d’Or, who also foaled the multiple grade one-winning Gold Splash, also a successful broodmare. This makes Born Gold a direct descendant of the Reine De Course mares Gold River (Born Gold’s granddam and a champion racehorse), Glaneuse (Born Gold’s third dam and a group one winner), Black Ray, Lady Brilliant, and Our Lassie. Interestingly, Blushing Groom is also a direct descendant of Black Ray.

Goldikova
Photo by Terri Cage

Don’t Trick Her: An unraced homebred for Brereton C. Jones, Don’t Trick Her’s first stakes performer was On the Menu, who placed in three black-type races before capturing the Just Smashing Stakes at Monmouth Park. Her next foal, Check the Label, granted her even greater success, winning four graded stakes events, including the Garden City Stakes (GI). She continued her pattern of producing grade one winners, as her subsequent foal – Include Me Out – has become her best offspring yet, having won four graded stakes races as well, two of which have been grade ones.

Although an American-bred, Don’t Trick Her has a rather international pedigree, tracing back to numerous horses bred in Canada, France, Great Britain, and Mexico. Her sire is Mazel Trick, who has quickly proven to be an effective broodmare sire, having served as the maternal grandsire of the likes of several grade one winners, including Summer Soiree. Don’t Trick Her’s own dam, Lucy Sims, was also a quality producer, foaling the multiple stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Tiffany Diamond and the black-type-placed Kittery Point. Don’t Trick Her’s fifth dam is the Reine De Course mare Moonstone, thus commencing a pattern of four consecutive Reine De Course mares in Don’t Trick Her’s tail female line.

Include Me Out
Photo by Terri Cage

Hookedonthefeelin: Trained by Bob Baffert, Hookedonthefeelin had a spectacular racing career, winning seven of her eighteen starts – including the La Brea Stakes (GI) – to earn $488,554. She immediately found success as a broodmare as well, as her first foal was Pussycat Doll, winner of three grade ones, including the La Brea. Pussycat Doll was not her only grade one winner, however, as Hookedonthefeelin is also the dam of the grade one-winning Jimmy Creed. Other successful horses Hookedonthefeelin produced include Funny Feeling, a black-type winner, and Blowing Kisses, a mare that placed in numerous black-type races.

By a grade one-placed son of Dixieland Band in Citidancer, Hookedonthefeelin provides her offspring with the same broodmare sire as the grade one-winning Midnight Lucky, as well as the graded stakes winner Suave and the stakes winners Norman Asbjornson and Worldly. Surprisingly, Hookedonthefeelin’s tail female line is rather weak, although she is a direct descendant of the dam of Maryland champion On Your Toes.

Leslie’s Lady: Profitable on the racetrack, Leslie’s Lady was a black-type winner as a juvenile and after winning just once more after her two-year-old season, she was retired to life as a broodmare. Her first foal of note was Into Mischief, who never finished worse than second in any of his six starts – five of which were in stakes company. Winner of the CashCall Futurity (GI), Into Mischief has blossomed into an effective sire, having produced the grade one-winning Goldencents and the graded stakes-winning Vyjack from his first crop. Since then, Leslie’s Lady has also produced Beholder – the Eclipse Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 2012 who captured the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) and finished second in this year’s Kentucky Oaks (GI).

A daughter of Tricky Creek, Leslie’s Lady’s grandsire, Clever Trick, was a fantastic broodmare sire, siring the dams of the likes of the grade one winners Came Home, Camp Victory, Noble’s Promise, Nothing to Lose, and Victor’s Cry. Leslie’s Lady stems from a prolific tail female line, as her fourth dam is the multiple stakes-winning Patelin, a charm to have in a horse’s female family. The black mare was a daughter of the Reine De Course mare Pontivy and thus a direct descendant of the additional Reine De Course mares Golden Apple, Lou Lanier, and Thorn Apple, as well as the influential British-bred mare Gallopade. Kentucky Derby victor I’ll Have Another, too, is a direct descendant of Pontivy through Patelin, as he and Leslie’s Lady share the same dam line beginning with Last Bird. Triple Crown winner Affirmed and Derby winner Mine That Bird also descend from the Gallopade line.

Beholder
Photo by Terri Cage

Marozia: Marozia made each of her starts in England, winning only once in her nine-race career. Sent to Kentucky, Marozia’s third foal, Andromeda’s Hero, was the first to greatly raise her value. A graded stakes winner, Andromeda’s Hero placed in numerous graded stakes races – most notably finishing second in the Belmont Stakes (GI). The year after Marozia foaled Andromeda’s Hero, she produced the stakes-winning Superfly – who finished third in Champagne Stakes (GI) at Belmont Park four months after the colt’s full brother had played the role of runner-up in the Test of the Champion. Marozia’s most lucrative foal to date is Stay Thirsty, who was not only yet another Belmont Stakes runner-up, but a multiple grade one winner that captured the Travers Stakes (GI) and Cigar Mile Handicap (GI).

Sharing her sire, Storm Bird, with the great stallion Storm Cat, Marozia’s sire is the dam sire of the likes of the grade one winners Birdstone, Dear Birdie, Commentator, Court Vision, Medicean, and Sand Springs. Marozia’s own broodmare sire, Roberto, is one of the most influential maternal grandsires in recent years, having sired the dams of many grade one winners, including Amerique, Punctilious, and Tweedside. Her dam, Make Change, was a stakes winner that placed in several grade ones, earning $506,338. Interestingly, Marozia’s fourth dam – Equal Venture – is a full sister to Triple Crown winner Assault and produced Prove Out, a multiple grade one winner who conquered the great Secretariat in the Woodward Stakes (GI).

Stay Thirsty
Photo by Terri Cage

Matlacha Pass: Winner of her first two starts by a combined 10 lengths, Matlacha Pass was a game second in her third and final start. Unfortunately, the promising racehorse was retired due to injury and thus began her broodmare career at Claiborne Farm. Matlacha Pass found success as a producer right off the bat, as her first foal, Chili Cat, was an impressive maiden winner at Saratoga prior to becoming a stakes-placed runner. But it was with her second foal – Pine Island – that Matlacha Pass truly began to prove herself as a top-notch broodmare. A dual grade one winner, Pine Island’s life met a tragic end when she broke down in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI). But Matlacha Pass has continued Pine Island’s legacy through her effectiveness as a broodmare, having since produced the spectacular Point of Entry – a multiple grade one winner and one of the best turf horses the United States has seen in recent years.

Out of an unraced Pleasant Colony mare, Matlacha Pass is a full sister to Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) winner Pleasant Home and the multiple graded stakes-winning Country Hideaway. Her granddam, the multiple grade one-winning Maplejinksy, produced the multiple grade one-winning Hall of Famer Sky Beauty. An influential broodmare herself, Maplejinsky is the granddam of not only Pine Island, Pleasant Home, and Point of Entry, but the additional grade one winner Tale of Ekati. Matlacha Pass’ tail female line is abounding with Reine De Course mares, including her fourth dam, Stick to Beauty, who produced the champion Gold Beauty, the graded stakes-winning The Prime Minister, and the stakes winners Majestic Venture, Miraloma, and Storm Beauty. Gold Beauty is in fact Matlacha Pass’ third dam and was also a top producer, foaling not only Maplejinsky, but also the multiple group one-winning champion Dayjur. Matlacha Pass is a daughter of Seeking the Gold, therefore allowing her progeny to share their dam sire with plentiful grade one winners, such as Blame, Dancing Forever, Excellent Art, Riskaverse, and She Be Wild.

Point of Entry
Photo by Terri Cage

Serena’s Song: As a racehorse, Serena’s Song is among the most accomplished on this list. Winner of an astounding eleven grade ones, Serena’s Song won against males in two of seven starts against them – including a 3 ½-length victory in the Jim Beam Stakes (GII) and a triumph in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (GI). She was even the favorite in the 1995 Kentucky Derby (GI), although she finished sixteenth of nineteen. Although she lost to males five times, she only finished out of the money on two of those occasions. Honored as the Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1995, Serena’s Song was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Serena’s Song immediately found success as a broodmare, as her first foal, Serena’s Tune, won a pair of stakes races. This was only the beginning of years full of success for Serena’s Song. Her next foal, a $3.4 million dollar yearling named Sophisticat, made all but one start in Europe, with her biggest win occurring in the Coronation Stakes (GI) at Royal Ascot. Serena’s Song remained on a roll, as her third foal, Arbitrate, earned $195,390, missing a stakes victory by a mere nose. The champion’s highest-earning foal to date is her fourth foal, Grand Reward – a full brother to Sophisticat, born in 2001. A horse who began his career in Europe, Grand Reward placed in many group stakes races there prior to making the move to the United States, where he won the Oaklawn Handicap (GII). Serena’s Song’s 2002 foal did not disappoint, either. Sold for $2.8 million as a yearling, the colt – named Harlington – won six of his ten races, including the Gulfstream Park Handicap (GII). Her next three foals ended Serena’s Song’s impressive chain of stakes horses, as none of them amounted to much. Serena’s Song was fourteen when she foaled her next stakes horse, Schramsberg. A son of Storm Cat – with whom she had found little success with her two previous foals sired by the great stallion – Schramsberg was a graded stakes winner that additionally captured a pair of listed stakes.

Serena’s Song is a daughter of Rahy, the broodmare sire of more than 100 stakes winners, including the grade/group one victors After Market, Courageous Cat, Declaration of War, Furthest Land, Life At Ten, Megahertz, and Rahy’s Attorney. Her dam was a fruitful broodmare herself, producing not only Serena’s Song, but also the graded stakes winner Vivid Imagination. Serena’s Song is a direct descendant of the Irish mare Snoot, who produced the classic winners Caligula and Snow Maiden.

Sichilla: Sichilla made only three starts, two of which resulted in victory, including a win in the Prix Amandine, a listed race in France. Sent to the prominent sire Pivotal, Sichilla’s first foal was a stunning bay colt named Siyouni, who would go on to be a group one winner. Sichilla’s next foal, Siyouma, became a group one winner as well, capturing a race of that class in both Great Britain and Canada. Sichilla’s third foal was not named, but her fourth foal, Siyenica, is currently racing. However, that daughter of Azamour has failed to follow in her siblings’ footsteps thus far, running poorly in a pair of group ones since winning her debut.

Sichilla is a daughter of the great stallion Danehill, a leading sire in multiple nations and sire of more than 340 stakes winners. Danehill has proven to be a tremendous broodmare sire as well, as he is the maternal grandsire of not only Sichilla’s pair of group one winners, but the great champion Frankel, as well as the additional group one winners Art Connoisseur, Cima de Triomphe, Danedream, Shocking, and Vengeance of Rain. In fact, Danehill is the maternal grandsire of the winners of no less than 48 group one races. Not only does Sichilla receive much power from the top side of her pedigree, but she hails from a strong dam line as well. Her stakes-placed dam, Slipstream Queen, also produced the multiple group one-winning Slickly, the multiple graded stakes-winning No Slip, the stakes-winning runners Fly Love and Streamix, the group stakes-placed Ripple, and the stakes-placed Sliploge. Sichilla’s granddam is Country Queen, a grade one-winning daughter of leading broodmare sire Explodent.

Toussaud: Spectacular as a racehorse, Toussaud won four graded/group stakes events, including the Gamely Handicap (GI). Retiring after a career in which she earned $552,751, Toussaud quickly found success as a broodmare as well; her first foal, Chester House, was a grade one winner that was less than $56,000 short of earning $2 million. Like Serena’s Song, Toussaud’s broodmare career commenced with a winning streak: her second foal, Honest Lady, was also a grade one winner and ran second against males in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) and her third foal, Decarchy, was a multiple graded stakes-winner that placed in the Eddie Read Handicap (GI). Although this impressive pattern of stakes progeny came to an end with Toussaud’s fourth foal, her fifth foal – Chiselling – revitalized Toussaud’s success, winning a grade one. The mare’s sixth foal, Empire Maker, was certainly her best, winning three grade ones – including the Belmont Stakes (GI) – before becoming a terrific sire.

A daughter of European champion El Gran Senor, Toussaud provides her progeny with the same dam sire as the grade/group one winners Ramonti and Square Eddie. Her dam, Image of Reality, was a graded stakes-winning racehorse before producing not only Toussaud, but also the graded stakes-winning Navarra, the stakes-winning Image of Class, and the stakes-placed Projection. From her granddam to her sixth dam are five consecutive Reine De Course mares along Toussaud’s dam line. Notably, among those mares is Bravura, who is the fifth dam of not only Toussaud’s son Empire Maker, but also Funny Cide – the horse that defeated Empire Maker in the Kentucky Derby (GI) before Empire Maker spoiled Funny Cide’s Triple Crown bid in the Belmont Stakes (GI).  Bravura is one of the most notable mares in Toussaud’s dam line, being the dam of the grade one-winning Hail the Pirates and the multiple stakes-winning Candalita – whose stakes wins came in races that are now grade ones. The final Reine De Course mare in Toussaud’s tail female family, Teresina, was an outstanding racehorse – defeating males in several prestigious races. Of course, she was also a tremendous broodmare, producing five black-type winners – including the Irish Oaks (GI) victress Theresina – and a black-type-placed runner.

Urban Sea: A 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 began her broodmare career in style, as her first foal was the group stakes-winning champion Urban Ocean. Urban Sea’s prosperity continued with her next three foals: the stakes-winning Melikah, the multiple group one-winning champion and outstanding sire Galileo, and the multiple group one-winning Black Sam Bellamy. Her fourth foal, Atticus, was not only unraced, but also completely infertile. However, Urban Sea’s offspring returned to the races fashionably, as her fifth foal – All Too Beautiful – was a group stakes winner, her sixth foal – My Typhoon – was a grade one-winning millionaire, and her seventh foal – Cherry Hinton – was a group stakes-placed runner. Despite her already incredible record as a producer, Urban Sea’s ninth foal, Sea the Stars, achieved the greatest success of any of her progeny on the racetrack. Winner of six group ones, Sea the Stars earned numerous championship titles – including 2009 Cartier Horse of the Year – and is considered by many an all-time great. Urban Sea’s final foal before her death was Born to Sea, a stakes winner and group one-placed runner.

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.

Zoftig: Prosperous as both a racehorse and broodmare, Zoftig won more than $400,000 on the track, capturing the Selene Stakes (GI). Her first foal to race was Zofzig, who only raced twice, but won both of those starts. She then produced Zaftig, who won the Acorn Stakes (GI) by 4 ½ lengths over champion Indian Blessing. Her other grade one-winning offspring is Zo Impressive, winner of the Mother Goose Stakes (GI).

A daughter of champion racehorse and sire Cozzene, Zoftig provides her offspring with the same maternal grandsire as the grade/group one winners Distant Way and River’s Prayer. Zoftig’s tail female family is lined with some of the breed’s finest broodmare sires, such as Private Account, Nijinsky, Herbager, and Double Jay. This is reflected in the abundance of elite broodmares in her tail female line, which includes Chain (the dam of the grade one-winning Chain Bracelet) and the Reine De Course mares Continue, Courtesy, Book Law, Popinjay, Chelandry, and Illuminata. Other direct descendants of Chelandry – the foundation mare of family 1-n – include the dams of Americain– who won the Melbourne Cup (GI) at 3,200 meters (nearly 16 furlongs), Bodemeister – runner-up in the 2012 Kentucky Derby (GI), and Swale – the ill-fated 1984 Derby and Belmont champion.

Other mares considered for this article include: Chipeta Springs, Hollywood Wildcat, Kind, Memories of Silver, Pretty Discreet, Take Charge Lady, Tantina, and Versailles Treaty. Perhaps they will be featured in a later article!

Stallion Feature: Discreet Cat

Merely two years of age, nine Thoroughbreds loaded into the gate on the side of the track opposite the famed grandstand on Travers Day, 2005. Like any maiden special weight for juvenile racehorses at Saratoga Racecourse, hopes were high that a future superstar was lurking in the shadows of this six-furlong contest. Lucky for those attending the races that day at the esteemed New York track, they would watch a future superstar capture the race, defeating other eventual stars along the way.

Discreet Cat, a stunning bay colt carrying the maroon and gold silks of E. Paul Robsham, set a brisk pace to capture the race by 3 ½ lengths, completing the three-quarters of a mile in 1:09.76 minutes. Finishing behind him were the future grade one victors Political Force and Thorn Song, the eventual stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Superfly, and the future stakes winner Last Best Place.

The winner would prove to be the richest of the horses that contested in this race. Later purchased privately by Godolphin Racing, Discreet Cat was sent to Dubai, where he made his second start the following March. Preparing for the UAE Derby (GII), Discreet Cat effortlessly won the one-mile Areej Trophy at Nad Al Sheba by 4 lengths. With the same ease with which he seized his sophomore debut, Discreet Cat soared to a 6-length UAE Derby triumph, finding himself as one of the top contenders for the Kentucky Derby (GI).

Discreet Cat
Photo by Madison Scott

But Godolphin chose to keep their talented colt out of the Run for the Roses, instead aiming for important U.S. races in the latter part of 2006. In his return to American soil, Discreet Cat trounced allowance optional claiming foes by 11 lengths at Saratoga nearly a year to the day after his maiden victory. Displaying his trademark scintillating speed, Discreet Cat crossed the wire in a sublime final time of 1:21.53 for seven furlongs.

Discreet Cat had now won four consecutive races in just as many starts. Making his U.S. graded stakes debut in his following start, the Jerome Breeders’ Cup Handicap (GII) at Belmont Park, the bay colt broke sharply, eager to take the lead. Tugging at Garrett Gomez’s hold, Discreet Cat set brisk fractions, his governance never in doubt. With no amount of difficulty, Discreet Cat abandoned his rivals as he coasted to a 10 ¼-length victory under wraps.

The greatest triumph of Discreet Cat’s racing career took place nearly two months later at Aqueduct in the Cigar Mile Handicap (GI). Carrying 124 pounds as the highweight, Discreet Cat initially allowed Sharp Humor – a graded stakes winner that had come within a half-length of Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Barbaro in that year’s Florida Derby (GI) – to open up on the field down the backstretch, but the small group behind the pacesetter gained ground on the leader, allowing Discreet Cat to surpass Sharp Humor alongside Silver Train. Godolphin’s brilliant colt pressured the pace as Garrett Gomez sat stationary, asking him only in the final stages of the race as Discreet Cat dashed to a 3 ¼-length demolition. The final time for the one-mile was an astounding 1:32.46, just .06 seconds off Hall of Famer Easy Goer’s track mark.

Discreet Cat’s 2006 campaign earned him a rating of 128 by the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, thus allowing him to tie with champion Bernardini as top-rated three-year-old. Pointed towards a start in the 2007 Dubai World Cup (GI), Discreet Cat was kept out of a race at Nad Al Sheba that was meant to serve as his prep for the esteemed race due to a fever, instead going straight to the World Cup. But Discreet Cat’s perfect record was tarnished by a last-place finish, though the colt was quickly discovered to have a respiratory tract infection and an obstruction to air flow of his throat.

The bay colt never won again, turning in a pair of third-place finishes in the Vosburgh Stakes (GI) and the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Retired to Darley, Discreet Cat began his stud career in 2008, with his first crop hitting the track in 2011. Among his best runners to date in his young breeding career are the graded stakes winners Mamma Kimbo and Out of Bounds, the black-type winners Discreet Marq and Incredicat, and the speedy, graded stakes-placed Discreet Dancer.

If Discreet Cat’s ancestry is any indication, the stallion has a promising future as a sire, as both of his parents have been very successful producers themselves. His sire, Forestry, has sired such grade one winners as Diplomat Lady, Forest Danger, and Shackleford. His dam, the grade one-winning Pretty Discreet, is a Reine de Course mare, having produced the additional grade one winner Discreetly Mine, as well as the stakes winner Pretty Gold and the dams of the grade one winner Awesome Maria and the stakes winners Chary and Concorde’s Edge.

Discreet Cat's pedigree
From pedigreequery.com

 Notably, Forestry’s sire – Discreet Cat’s grandsire – is Storm Cat, one of the greatest sires to ever live. The very successful stallion was also very effective as a sire of sires, producing such sires as Bluegrass Cat, Giant’s Causeway, and Hennessy. This certainly augurs well for Discreet Cat, as Storm Cat is the grandsire of such productive stallions as Johannesburg and Shamardal.

The Northern Dancer sire line from which Discreet Cat descends is certainly among the most influential ones of the breed. In the 1970s, the Canadian-bred champion was the leading sire once in North America and four times in the United Kingdom, as well as the twentieth century’s most successful sire. Northern Dancer’s stud record was astounding, as the son of Canadian Hall of Famer Nearctic was an incredible producer of successful racehorses, sires, sires of sires, and broodmares. Among his best sons were the champions Nijinsky and Sadler’s Wells, both of which became leading sires, the latter of which was the leading sire in the United Kingdom for an astonishing thirteen consecutive years and for a total of fourteen years.

As aforementioned, Discreet Cat’s dam, Pretty Discreet, was an outstanding broodmare, earning her the title of a blue hen. The mare descends from a potent dam line, her third dam being the black-type-placed Reine de Course mare Christmas Wishes, who was a daughter of another Reine de Course mare in Acorn Stakes (GI) victress Happy Mood, who yielded several stakes winners that were successful producers themselves, including the dam of a Canadian Broodmare of the Year. Happy Mood herself was also a daughter of a Reine de Course mare, La Reigh – a multiple stakes-winning mare who foaled several black-type horses.

The sire of Pretty Discreet, Private Account, is best-known for siring the great champion Personal Ensign. The son of Damascus has served as a terrific broodmare sire, producing the dams of the likes of grade/group one winners Aldebaran, Good Journey, Menhoubah, Miner’s Mark, My Flag, Panty Raid, Pompeii, and Traditionally. Sons of Private Account mares have proven themselves as sires, as evident in the stallions Miner’s Mark and Our Emblem.

The Northern Dancer/Damascus sire line cross on which Discreet Cat is bred has yielded the likes of the leading sires Johannesburg and Medaglia d’Oro. Discreet Cat has had success with mares from a wide variety of sire lines, but seems to cross with mares from the Mr. Prospector sire line best. His offspring Out of Bounds, Discreet Marq, and Discreet Dancer all are out of mares from the Mr. Prospector line. This is no surprise, as Forestry has crossed well with mares from the Mr. Prospector line, as Shackleford is out of a dam from this line and Diplomat Lady is out of a mare from the Raise a Native – the sire of Mr. Prospector – line. 

Stallion Feature: Commands

Often, a large portion of a horse’s success can be traced back to an ancestor within its dam line. Stallions typically receive the spotlight in the breeding industry, but the mares are very much deserving of respect and recognition, as noted in my article dated July 3, 2012, “Recent Remarkable Broodmares.”

The presence of such a mare – especially one denoted as a Reine de Course mare, or a superior female that has left an undeniable effect on the Thoroughbred – in a horse’s pedigree is certainly an advantage. Commands, Australia’s leading sire, is a grandson of one of the most legendary mares of all time, Eight Carat – a feature in his pedigree that has surely led him to his success in the breeding shed.

Eight Carat, a mare bred in Great Britain, has had an unbelievable effect on the bloodlines of the Thoroughbred racehorse. Born in 1975, the black mare produced an outstanding five group one winners: two-time Australian Horse of the Year Octagonal and the additional group one winners Diamond Lover, Kaapstad, (Our) Marquise, and Mouawad. As if her progeny record of racehorses was not magnificent enough, her offspring also proved to be top producers. She is the granddam of many group one victors, including Danewin, Don Eduardo, Shower of Roses, and Tristalove. The four aforementioned Thoroughbreds are just offspring of Eight Carat’s daughters. Her sons produced the likes of the group one winners Golden Sword, Niello, and Lonhro.

Commands is a son of an unraced daughter of Eight Carat, Cothele House. Bred in Great Britain and exported to Australia, Cothele House yielded not only Commands, but the multiple group one-winning champion Danewin and the stakes winners Jetso (In House) and Prospect Tower.

As a son of the great sire Danehill, Commands is a full brother to his champion brother, Danewin. Danehill, though successful as a racehorse, found his true calling as a sire. The son of Danzig was the leading sire in multiple countries, including France, Ireland, Great Britain, and Australia, the latter in which he was the leading sire for an astounding nine consecutive years. The initial prominent shuttling sire, Danehill produced an astronomical amount of grade/group one winners, including many champions, such as Duke of Marmalade, Dylan Thomas, Peeping Fawn, and Rock of Gibraltar. He has also proven to be an outstanding sire of sires, yielding the likes of the exceptional stallions Flying Spur and Redoute’s Choice, as well as the rather successful sires Desert King and North Light.

Danehill possesses a Rasmussen Factor, being inbred to the Reine de Course mare Natalma 3 X 3, as the daughter of Native Dancer is not only his third dam, but the dam of his grandsire, Northern Dancer. Commands thus descends from the Northern Dancer sire line, which is certainly among the most influential ones of the breed. In the 1970s, the Canadian-bred champion was the leading sire once in North America and four times in the United Kingdom, as well as the twentieth century’s most successful sire. Northern Dancer’s stud record was astounding, as the son of Canadian Hall of Famer Nearctic was an incredible producer of successful racehorses, sires, sires of sires, and broodmares. Among his best sons were the champions Nijinsky and Sadler’s Wells, both of which became leading sires, the latter of which was the leading sire in the United Kingdom for an astonishing thirteen consecutive years and for a total of fourteen years.

Command's pedigree
From pedigreequery.com

Commands’ royal breeding was surely a helping factor in his successful racing career. Victorious in four of his fifteen outings, Commands achieved earnings of $417,231 in Australian dollars. Losing just one start as a juvenile, Commands attained his greatest triumph as a two-year-old, capturing the Missile Stakes (GIII), a race that has been won by many a talented racehorse, including Dance Hero and Lonhro.

As a three-year-old, the dark bay made eleven starts, winning the Concept Sports Stakes at Flemington Racecourse, which served as the longest stakes-winning distance of his career at 1417 meters, or a mere shade over seven furlongs. In a remarkable effort, Commands finished second – beaten a nose in The Galaxy (GI) at Caulfield, which was one of two in-the-money finishes in group one company. Commands also finished third in the Caulfield Guineas (GI), beaten by the outstanding Redoute’s Choice.

Commands now stands stud at Darley Australia’s Kelvinside division. For the past three seasons, he has been the leading sire of winners in Australia and in 2011, the son of Danehill eclipsed Encosta De Lago’s record for number of winners in a single season, setting the record on July 22, 2011 with his 148^th winner of the season. The stallion has sired nine group one winners, excelling primarily with sprinters and milers like himself, though his daughter Purple was a group one winner at 2000 meters (approximately 10 furlongs) and 2400 meters (nearly 12 furlongs) and his son Erewhon was a group one winner at 2000 meters.

Commands has chiefly found success with mares that, like him, descend from the Nearco sire line, especially flourishing with mares who have the presence of Northern Dancer in their sire lines, thus producing a line-bred foal. Seven of Commands’ nine group one winners have descended from the Nearco sire line, three of them being from the Northern Dancer sire line. Commands has also crossed well with mares from the Star Kingdom (a grandson of Hyperion) sire line, producing the group one victors Paratroopers and Undue.

Breeding to Commands provides a foal with the luxury of tracing back to one of the most prodigious international dam lines of all-time. A proven, exceptional sire, Commands will surely only continue to find success, serving as a stallion breeders should strive to breed their mares to. 

Stallion Feature: Shackleford

Some paragraphs drawn from "Shackleford: A Charismatic Superstar" and "Recent Remarkable Broodmares"

Shackleford
Photo by Terri Cage

Taking a chance on a new stallion is, in the words of Forrest Gump, “…like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Like a beautiful piece of chocolate that makes your mouth water just by the sight of it but then causes you to gag due to its horrid taste, a horse can enter his new life as a stallion with high hopes pinned upon him, but become a failure in the breeding shed. On the other hand, a young stallion can waltz into a stud career and take the Thoroughbred breeding industry by storm like that phenomenal piece of chocolate that leaves you wishing there were duplicates in the box.

So will Shackleford become a piece of chocolate that you regret tasting, or will he be one of the delicious treats that makes you realize why you bought the box in the first place? If his racing endeavors and stunning pedigree are any indication, Shackleford’s upcoming stud career looks to be a delectable one worth taking a chance on.

Following a ninth-place debut at Keeneland, Shackleford never raced over a synthetic surface again, redeeming himself in his second race by gamely capturing a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, in which he defeated eventual 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) victor Fort Larned to culminate his brief juvenile campaign.

Shackleford commenced his sophomore season with a 2 ¼-length victory in an allowance event at Gulfstream Park, defeating Fort Larned yet again, as well as the stakes-placed and eventual graded stakes-placed Casper’s Touch and the stakes-winning Strike Oil. After finishing fifth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (GII), Shackleford yet again made amends, battling Dialed In down the stretch of the Florida Derby (GI) to miss by a scant head at odds of nearly 69-1.

It was on to the Kentucky Derby (GI) for the blazed-faced Dale Romans trainee, in which Shackleford set the pace of the prestigious ten-furlong race, holding the advantage on the field as the horses turned for home. For a moment, Shackleford appeared to be the next victor of the Run for the Roses, but was run down in the stretch by eventual Champion Three-Year-Old Male, Animal Kingdom, finishing a game fourth.

But it was Shackleford’s next race that served as one of the defining moments of the horse’s career. Rather than setting the pace, Shackleford raced just off the quick, front-running Flashpoint, striking to the lead at the beginning of the far turn. He continued to hold the lead as the Thoroughbreds entered the homestretch, jockey Jesus Castanon urging him to maintain his advantage on his rivals. The Derby winner closed on the outside as Shackleford changed leads in late stretch, gaining ground on Shackleford as the wire grew closer. But Shackleford dug deep, exhibiting tremendous grit and determination as he held off Animal Kingdom to win the classic mile and three-sixteenths race by a half-length.

Shackleford at the 2011 Breeders' Cup
Photo by Terri Cage

Following a fifth-place performance over a sloppy track in the grueling Belmont Stakes (GI), Shackleford again showed his willingness to fight for victory in the Haskell Invitational Stakes (GI), finishing just a neck behind Coil. Less than a month later, Mike Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge’s homebred crossed the wire a lackluster eighth in the ten-furlong Travers Stakes (GI).

Shackleford then shortened up in distance, contesting in the Indiana Derby (GII), which would be his first time to race under nine furlongs since his maiden. The horse finished second behind Wilburn in that contest prior to starting in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI) at Churchill Downs, in which he again ran second, this time to the brilliant Caleb’s Posse. Despite not visiting the winner’s circle afterwards, Shackleford ran a terrific race in the 2011 Dirt Mile, pressing the pace and holding the lead until being overtaken by Caleb’s Posse.

After a very tough sophomore campaign spent in the company of the best of his crop, Shackleford returned in February 2012 as a four-year-old, finishing a dull seventh in the nine-furlong Donn Handicap (GI). Following two months away from the races, Shackleford again shortened up in distance, competing in the Carter Handicap (GI) at Aqueduct, in which the classic winner finished behind the grade one winners Jackson Bend and Caleb’s Posse.

In his following start, Shackleford returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since his triumph in the Preakness after battling 2011 Champion Sprinter Amazombie down the stretch of the Churchill Downs Stakes (GII), prevailing by a determined length in a final time that was just .22 seconds off the track record set by the brilliant Groupie Doll two races later. The blaze-faced fan favorite made it back-to-back victories by taking the renowned Metropolitan Handicap (GI), also known as the Met Mile, in his subsequent start.

Shackleford
Photo by Terri Cage

In the Met Mile, Shackleford contested against three other grade one winners, including his rival Caleb’s Posse. He broke very sharply, going straight to the lead down Belmont’s backstretch to set a brisk first quarter of 22.77. Extending his advantage on the others to 1 ½ lengths as the field began their journey into the wide, sweeping turn at Belmont, Shackleford completed the initial half-mile in a blistering 44.73; he had completed the second quarter-mile .81 seconds faster than the first one. With John Velazquez aboard for the first time due to an injury suffered by regular rider Jesus Castanon ten days earlier, Shackleford proceeded to hold the lead as the field turned for home. His white blaze led the charge of six talented Thoroughbreds into the long Belmont homestretch as Shackleford began to open up on the others. Though Caleb’s Posse was charging on the outside, growing closer to Shackleford with each and every stride, Shackleford dug in to hold off Caleb’s Posse, who appeared to have hung just slightly, to win by a nose before galloping out well ahead of the others. The final time for eight furlongs was a spectacular 1:33.30, just over a second off the track record.

Contesting over a muddy track in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (GI) next out at Saratoga, Shackleford finished last, adding to his lack of victories over a wet track, a surface he never won upon. Despite his uninspiring performance, Shackleford was entered in the seven-furlong Forego Handicap (GI) a month later, but was scratched due to a cough. The chestnut returned at the end of September, going to post in the one-mile Kelso Handicap (GII) at Belmont, in which Shackleford set a brisk pace prior to being overtaken by Jersey Town, crossing the wire as the runner-up.

Shackleford then shipped to Southern California for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI), which had been his goal for several months in the making. But to the fan favorite’s misfortune, Shackleford stumbled at the start and never gathered enough momentum throughout the race to gallop along better than third, finishing seventh. But the Dale Romans trainee was not to end his career on a sour note.

“Shack” – as his connections and an abundance of fans have lovingly nicknamed him – made his final start at a track over which he enjoyed running, Churchill Downs, in the Clark Handicap (GI). Going nine furlongs for the first time since the Donn and being ridden by Jesus Castanon, who had been his regular jockey prior to being injured just before the Met Mile, for the first occurrence since the Churchill Downs Stakes, Shackleford emerged from the gate cleanly, quickly advancing to the lead. The classic victor held an approximate one-length lead over 2012 Florida Derby (GI) winner Take Charge Indy as the field raced past the stands for the initial time, galloping along easily as the Thoroughbreds rounded the clubhouse turn. Through a steady first quarter of 24.31, Shackleford led his rivals by 1 ½ lengths down the backstretch under Castanon’s firm hold. Appearing very comfortable along the far straightaway, Shackleford posted an initial half-mile split of 48.65, maintaining his easy lead. His opponents loomed large around the final curve, but it was clear that Castanon still had “plenty of horse” beneath him as the field turned for home. Displaying the tremendous heart and perseverance that has become a Shackleford trademark, the four-year-old held off the charges of his challengers down the stretch, easily repelling them as he coasted to a one-length victory to culminate his career.

Shackleford preparing for the 2012 Breeders' Cup
Photo by Terri Cage

Shackleford’s career was one marked by durability and versatility. A horse that remained sound throughout his racing years, Shackleford competed ten times as a three-year-old – more than any male sophomore champion in their three-year-old campaigns since War Emblem in 2002 – and eight times as a four-year-old. His total of twenty career starts exceeds the number of lifetime starts made by four of the last five different horses to be crowned Horse of the Year. In addition, in 2011, Shackleford was one of just three horses to compete in each race of the taxing Triple Crown. Notably, Shackleford won at four different distances, from a range of seven furlongs to a mile and three-sixteenths.

Not only does a victory in the “stallion-making” Met Mile bode well for Shackleford’s chances at becoming a lucrative sire when he enters stud in 2013 at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, but his parentage does as well. Both of his parents have been very successful producers themselves. His sire, Forestry, has sired such grade one winners as Diplomat Lady, Discreet Cat, and Forest Danger. His dam, Oatsee, was voted 2011 Broodmare of the Year and, aside from Shackleford, has produced the graded stakes winners Afleeting Lady, Baghdaria, and Lady Joanne. 

Notably, Forestry’s sire – Shackleford’s grandsire – is Storm Cat, one of the greatest sires to ever live. The very successful stallion was also very effective as a sire of sires, producing such sires as Bluegrass Cat, Giant’s Causeway, and Hennessy. This certainly augurs well for Shackleford, as Storm Cat is the grandsire of such productive stallions as Johannesburg and Shamardal.

Shackleford at Santa Anita
Photo by Terri Cage

The Northern Dancer sire line from which Shackleford descends is certainly among the most influential ones of the breed. In the 1970s, the Canadian-bred champion was the leading sire once in North America and four times in the United Kingdom, as well as the twentieth century’s most successful sire. Northern Dancer’s stud record was astounding, as the son of Canadian Hall of Famer Nearctic was an incredible producer of successful racehorses, sires, sires of sires, and broodmares. Among his best sons were the champions Nijinsky and Sadler’s Wells, both of which became leading sires, the latter of which was the leading sire in the United Kingdom for an astonishing thirteen consecutive years and for a total of fourteen years.

Shackleford’s dam, Oatsee, raced twenty-one times, retiring with earnings of $106,945. Her first foal was Grand Portege, an earner of over $100,000 who contested in two black-type races. Her first “big horse” was Baghdaria, who won a trifecta of grade threes. Then came Lady Joanne, who was a graded stakes winner as a juvenile that went on to win a pair of graded stakes as a sophomore, including the ten-furlong Alabama Stakes (GI). Oatsee continued her success with Afleeting Lady, a graded stakes-winning daughter of Afleet Alex. Shackleford is, of course, Oatsee’s best offspring yet, having earned $3,090,101 during a career that saw him capture three grade ones. Oatsee is also the dam of the stakes-placed Stephanoatsee.

The sire of Oatsee, Unbridled, was not only a terrific sire and sire of sires, but he is also proven as a broodmare sire, being the damsire of the grade one winners Dream Rush and Tapit, as well as the graded stakes-winning runners Apart, Denis of Cork, and No Inflation. Oatsee is inbred 4 X 4 to In Reality, who yielded a spectacular one hundred fifty stakes winners as a broodmare sire. She also has two crosses of the great mare Aspidistra in her pedigree. Aspidistra, a Reine De Course dam, was the dam of the Hall of Famers Dr. Fager and Ta Wee, the graded stakes-winning Chinatowner, the stakes-winning A. Deck, and the graded stakes-placed Highbinder. From her fourth through eighth dams, Oatsee traces back to five Reine De Course mares. Most notable is Tamerett, who produced the champion Known Fact, the multiple grade one-winning Tentam, the grade two-winning Terete, the stakes-winning Tamtent, and the dams of the grade one winners Gone West and Tappiano.

As aforementioned, Shackleford’s damsire, Unbridled, sired the dam of Tapit, who was the third-leading North American sire of 2011. Unbridled himself was a very effective sire of sires, producing the successful sires Broken Vow, Empire Maker, and Unbridled’s Song.

Shackleford, a fan favorite at the racetrack, is a horse that will not soon be forgotten, as we have not yet heard the last from him. Racing fans have eagerly followed him throughout his career, moved by his tenacious victories and entertaining antics. And now that the popular chestnut has retired to the breeding shed, fans will await his foals, which will grace racetracks as spectators flock to see them, ready to see them carry on Shackleford’s charisma and brilliance. Shackleford’s career wasn’t perfect, but his journey, which exuded class, personality, and durability, ended on a textbook note, serving as the perfect ending to set him up for his next career.

Farewell, Shackleford!
Photo by Terri Cage

Stallion Feature: Americain and Bullet Train

It is often said that American breeders should try to blend more foreign blood with our horses by introducing horses from other nations to our breeding operations. With the loss of many of our top racehorses – including but not limited to I’ll Have Another, Summer Bird, Musical Romance, and Zazu – to foreign breeding programs this year alone, the blood of our own top racehorses has been ostracized from the heritage of most future American racehorses. But in the past month, things have shifted. Headed to Kentucky for the 2013 breeding season are two stallions that could have a tremendous effect on American Thoroughbred bloodlines: Americain and the great Frankel’s sibling and rabbit, Bullet Train.

Americain

Though bred in the United States, Americain only made four of his thirty-four starts in the United States. Americain began his career in France, contesting his initial ten starts there prior to his four-race expedition to America. This fourteen-race period saw Americain win four races, including two group stakes.

Americain never finished better than third upon his journey to the United States, but after a fifth-place finish in the Prix La Moskowa at Chantilly, Americain formed a five-race winning streak, which included a victory in not only two group stakes, but in one of the most prestigious races in the world, the Melbourne Cup (GI). Contested since 1861, the Melbourne Cup covers 3,200 meters – nearly 2 miles. Throughout its enriched history, the Melbourne Cup has seen many great Thoroughbreds gallop to victory, including Makybe Diva, Peter Pan, and Phar Lap.

Americain continued racing for an additional two years, winning three more starts, including two group stakes. It was announced in late November 2012 that the horse would stand stud in Kentucky and just days after this exciting announcement came the statement that Americain would stand at one of the most revered farms on American soil – Calumet Farm.

A farm that, in its heyday, won the Kentucky Derby (GI) a record eight times and produced two of the eleven horses to win the Triple Crown, Calumet was sold for approximately $36 million earlier this year. Prior to 2012, when Cactus Ridge and Ice Box stood there, a stallion had not stood at stud at Calumet for almost a decade. Americain could be just the catalyst for a revival the esteemed farm needs.

Americain is a son of the late, grand Dynaformer, who proved to be a top international sire. Perhaps most famous for siring the ill-fated Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, Dynaformer also produced such additional grade/group one winners as Karlovy Vary, McDynamo, Perfect Drift, and Point of Entry. Dynaformer is a grandson of Hail to Reason, the sire of successful stallions like Halo, Roberto, and Stop the Music.

The dam of Americain is the Irish-bred mare America, who was a multiple group stakes winner in France. In addition to producing Americain, America has also foaled the group stakes-placed Spycrawler and the stakes-placed Amarak. America is a daughter of Arazi, the champion famous for his breathtaking Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) victory at Churchill Downs in 1991. Though relatively successful as a sire, producing the grade/group one winners Behrajan and Congaree, Arazi has found perhaps his greatest success as a broodmare sire, producing the dams of such horses as the multiple grade/group one winners Electrocutionist and Lahudood, as well as, of course, Americain.

Americain’s third dam, Round the Rosie, produced two group stakes winners and four stakes-placed runners. This makes Americain a direct descendant of the great Chelandry, the foundation mare of Family 1-n. Other direct descendants of Chelandry include not only the grade one-winning Bodemeister, but the star-crossed champion Swale.

Though bred in the United States, Americain is a foreign asset to American breeding programs. Not only did he make the majority of his starts abroad, but his parentage presents a foreign flair. His dam is Irish-bred and though his sire may be American-bred, Dynaformer has truly proven to be an international force.

Bullet Train

A year younger than his famous brother, Frankel, Bullet Train was the first foal out of Kind. A Juddmonte hombebred, Bullet Train won his debut, the European Breeders’ Fund Maiden Stakes. Following a runner-up finish in a stakes at Newbury, Bullet Train captured the biggest victory of his life in the Derby Trial Stakes (GIII).

Bullet Train never won again, but was given many less chances to do so by serving as Frankel’s rabbit, or pacemaker. The horse lost his final eleven races, never defeating more than five horses and never finishing better than fourth. Though his brilliance is far from that of Frankel’s, it will be a grand opportunity for American breeders to get the bloodline of one of the greatest horses the world has ever seen flowing in the American Thoroughbred gene pool.

Unlike Frankel, Bullet Train is sired by the great Sadler’s Wells, who is Frankel’s grandsire through the legendary horse’s sire, Galileo. The multiple group one-winning son of Northern Dancer was the leading sire by earnings in the United Kingdom for ten years straight and for twelve years total. Among his best offspring are the champions Barathea, High Chaparral, Montjeu, Northern Spur, Old Vic, Perfect Soul, and Yeats. Sadler's Wells has also proven to be an incredible sire of sires, producing not only Galileo, but the outstanding Montjeu, as well as Barathea, El Prado, High Chaparral, In the Wings, and King’s Theatre.

Bullet Train also receives an outstanding influence from his dam, Kind. The bay mare was a successful racehorse herself, capturing two stakes races. In addition to producing Bullet Train and Frankel, Kind has also foaled the group stakes-winning Noble Mission.

Kind’s sire is a horse who was the leading sire in four different countries, the incredible Danehill, who has sired over three hundred stakes winners. He has been a highly successful broodmare sire, siring the dams of such horses as the group one winners Art Connoisseur, Cima de Triomphe, Danedream, Teofilo, and Vengeance of Rain.

The dam of Kind is the group stakes-winning Rainbow Lake, who also produced the multiple group one-winning Powerscourt and the group one-placed Last Train. Rainbow Lake is a daughter of Rainbow Quest, a son of Blushing Groom who has been a top broodmare sire. The champion is the damsire of such group one winners as Look Here, Samitar, and Spanish Moon.

Bullet Train is a descendant of the prolific female family one, the same female family responsible for many of the greatest racehorses to grace the racetracks of the world and many of the top sires the breed has seen. Such top stallions that descend from this female family include Bold Reasoning, Buckpasser, and Forty Niner.

American breeders would need to ship their mares overseas in order to breed them to the great Frankel, but with Bullet Train slated stand in Kentucky, breeders will have the opportunity to breed to a stallion with nearly identical parentage to the great champion. Bullet Train certainly wasn’t as talented as Frankel, but a horse’s performances on the track do not promise anything regarding a horse’s success in the breeding shed.