Archive for August, 2010
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
By Elaine Belval
Smoke Glacken had a career weekend. First, Persistently knocks off the reigning Horse of the Year in the 10-furlong G1 Personal Ensign S. and then Smokey Fire wins the 7-furlong Play the King S. (putting himself in the mix for a Canadian Sovereign Award as champion sprinter). To top of the weekend, Smoke Glacken’s son Read the Footnotes sired Rightly So, winner of the G1 Ballerina S.
Smoke Glacken won the G1 Hopeful S. at 2 and for a brief period was on the Triple Crown Trail at 3. However, Smoke Glacken proved to be a superior sprinter, capping off a year of six victories from eight starts with a win in the G2 De Francis Dash. Smoke Glacken was arguably the best racehorse produced by the great Maryland-based sire Two Punch. A veteran stallion and long a favorite of the Mid-Atlantic region, Two Punch did not have a reputation as a “sire of sires,” but Gainesway took a chance on the colt and they have been rewarded. (Gainesway, by the way, owns the G1 Travers winner this weekend, too, a son of resident sire Afleet Alex, so the farm, along with its owner, Antony Beck, recently elected to The Jockey Club, was on a roll!)
Smoke Glacken was well-received at $10,000 and had a healthy (for 1999) 66 named foals in his first crop. An impressive seven of them (11%) won stakes. And Smoke Glacken hasn’t slowed down in the 10 years since then. Including 2-year-olds of 2010, Smoke Glacken has sired 80% starters, 61% winners, and 22% 2-year-old winners. And a solid 7% of his foals win black type. To top this off, his average earnings per starter is over $70,000. Smoke Glacken is very good at what he does. Almost 50% of his stakes winners are 2-year-old SWs (led by G1 winner Irish Smoke). And until Persistently won the 10-furlong Personal Ensign, with all of his progeny’s stakes wins, only three came at nine furlongs. Persistently placed in the G1 Frizette and G2 Matron at two, clearly the influence of Smoke Glacken. The stamina to handle 10 furlongs clearly came from her female family. Persistently is a homebred for the Phipps family and her fourth dam is the Phipps’s foundation mare Blitey.
Smokey Fire, winner of seven-furlong G2 Play the King S. at Woodbine, is also a bit of an anomaly. Bred by Mel Lawson and raced by the Jim Dandy Stables, Smokey Fire is one of a handful of Smoke Glacken SWs to win on the turf. Smoke Glacken’s best turf performer is also a Canadian SW, Bachelor Blues, winner of the prestigious 2-year-old Summer S. Smoke Glacken continues to stand at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky and his 2010 stud fee was $12,500.
As a final note, Smoke Glacken’s son Read the Footnotes sired the winner of the G1, seven-furlong Ballerina S. Read the Footnotes was a fairly typical Smoke Glacken, with two stakes victories at 2 (and a win in the Fountain of Youth at 3). His first crop raced in 2008, and he was the leading freshman sire in New York. He has six lifetime SWs from his first two crops, three of them earning victories at 2. Read the Footnotes is off to a bright start to replace his grandsire Two Punch in the Mid-Atlantic region. Rightly So was bred by Sequel Stallions (who stand Read the Footnotes) and is raced by Zayat Stables LLC. Read the Footnotes stood at Sequel in 2010 for a $5,000 fee.
(Elaine Belval is senior pedigree analyst at WTC.)
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Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
By Elaine Belval
Carson City died unexpectedly in 2004, at the age of 17. At the time, it seemed the end of the line for this branch of Mr. Prospector. Carson City was a well-priced, incredibly prepotent sire. A breeder knew what he was getting with this well-bred Mr. Prospector, an early-maturing, sound, durable, dirt sprinter. Carson City sired well over 20 percent 2-year-old winners, and almost 40 percent of his stakes winners were 2-year-old SWs.
But, it turns out, Carson City, quite possibly, saved the best for last. City Zip had his first runners in 2005, the year after Carson City’s death, and since then, this son of Carson City has not slowed down.
City Zip was a typical Carson City racehorse. He won a maiden race at the Churchill Downs spring meet and won another four stakes races at 2, including the G1 Hopeful S. In total, he made 11 starts at 2. He returned at 3 to make another 11 starts, including four victories (one against future champion Speightstown in the G2 Amsterdam S.).
City Zip retired to stud in New York for a modest $7,500 fee. However,City Zip moved to Kentucky for the 2006 season, perhaps because of his Horse of the Year half-brother Ghostzapper. But, more likely, because of his third-place finish on the 2005 Freshman Sire List (behind Tiznow and El Corredor). City Zip sired 20 winners from that crop (the most of any freshman sire in 2005), including two SWs (his six stakes wins were tops among the 2005 freshman sires).
City Zip had five SWs in that first crop, including GSW With a City. He added another four in his next two crops, including G1 winner Bustin Stones.
City Zip has been enjoying a wonderful year in 2010 to date and is third on the list of unrestricted SWs with 11, behind only Distorted Humor with 14 and Speightstown with 12. Recently, his daughter Canadian Ballet won the five-furlong Jenny Wade H and a son won the 8.5 furlong, G2 American Derby. Another daughter also won the six furlong, G3 Royal North S. Perhaps what is most surprising, all three were turf stakes.
Yes, City Zip is following in his father’s footsteps in that 40 percent of his SWs are 2-year-old SWs. However, what is markedly different is that 50 percent of his SWs are turf SWs. And while Carson City sired primarily sprinters, City Zip’s progeny are also showing more versatility there. He has SWs from five to 10 furlongs (the majority in the eight-to-nine furlong range). And like Carson City, the City Zip progeny are sound and durable runners. Get Serious is 6 and has won 12 of 29 lifetime starts. Canadian Ballet is a 5-year-old with 20 starts and eight wins. Unzip Me is the youngster, only 4 with 14 lifetime starts and eight wins.
City Zip had over $4 million in progeny earnings in 2008 and 2009. This year, City Zip already has over $4 million in progeny earnings is currently ranked in the Top 10 on the General Sire List. City Zip sires an outstanding 79 percent starters, 65 percent winners and an excellent 7 percent SWs (not counting 2YOs of 2010). And he also has an excellent 20 percent 2-year-old winners. His average earnings per starter is almost $70,000. Add to this, an average earnings index of 1.87 and a Comparable Index of 1.37. These are excellent stats.
City Zip sired over 100 foals in his first crop of Kentucky-breds, now 3-year-olds of 2010. Based on past performance, many of these progeny will be racing successfully for many years to come. One of them, Workin for Hops, the G2 American Derby winner, just ran third this weekend in the G1 Secretariat S. against rival Paddy O’Prado–the best 3-year-old turf horse in the country.
City Zip stands at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky and his 2010 fee was a bargain $10,000.
(Elaine Belval is senior pedigree analyst at WTC.)
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Thursday, August 19th, 2010
By Elaine Belval
When Dubai Millennium died after only one season at stud, it seemed the end of the line for this amazing racehorse and his potential as a sireline.
However, it seems Dubawi and his son Makfi refused to get that message. Makfi upset favorite Goldikova in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Sunday, winning for the fourth time in five starts. Earlier in the year Makfi had won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. The same weekend, Dubase won the Grand Handicap de Deauville for her first stakes win of the year.
Dubawi was bred by Darley Stud. He won all three of his starts at two, including the G1 National Stakes at the Curragh. At three he won the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and finished a solid third in the 12-furlong G1 English Derby to Motivator. Dubawi’s dam was the Champion Zomaradah, winner of the G1 Italian Oaks and third in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
Dubawi proved very popular, with over 100 foals in his first crop, foals of 2007. He was a leading European first crop sire in 2009, his best runners including Poet’s Voice, winner of the prestigious Champagne S. at Doncaster, and Sand Vixen, winner of the five-furlong G2 Flying Childers S.
However, 2010 has proven a breakout year for Dubawi, with only his first crop 3yos. He has nine SWs this year, seven are first-time SWs. They include two classic winners (Makfi and Worthadd, winner of the Derby Italiano). He has sired SWs from five to 12 furlongs. In fact, with only two crops of racing age, Dubawi is ranked in the top 10 on the European sires list (ranking ahead of such stallions as Pivotal, Invincible Spirit, and Rock of Gibraltar). He is also a top 10 sire of 2-year-olds, with two 2010 2-year-old SWs including GSW Irish Field.
With this early success, Dubawi seems destined for a long and fruitful stallion career, doing his sire proud.
Dubawi stood for £20,000 at Dalham Hall Stud in England in 2010.
As a final note, Makfi makes an interesting future stallion prospect. Very well-bred, Makfi was an amazing find at the 2009 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training sale as an unraced two-year-old, bought for approximately $40,000. He is from the same female family as sires Green Dancer and Soviet Lad, and he was a Shadwell Farm cull.
Click here for video of Makfi’s win the the Jacques le Marois
Click here to read more about Dubawi.
(Elaine Belval is senior pedigree analyst at WTC.)
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Friday, August 13th, 2010
By Elaine Belval
The 2-year-old California-based filly Wickedly Perfect won the G3 Sorrento S. for owner Peter Moehrike, Rafter JR Ranch and STD Racing this past weekend and signalled the arrival of her well-bred, first-crop sire, Congrats. The filly had won a 5-furlong maiden by almost five lengths in her last start. The filly is now one of four repeat winners (and one of two SWs) for her freshman sire.
Congrats is a well-bred son of A.P. Indy out of a daughter of Mr. Prospector who traces to La Troienne through Admiring and third dam Glowing Tribute. Congrats was bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider (the same breeders of this weekend’s G1 Whitney winner Blame). Congrats won a maiden race at Saratoga at two. He finished third in the G2 Jim Dandy S. At 5, he won the G2 San Pasqual H. and placed in the G1 Santa Anita H. and Hollywood Gold Cup.
Congrats was retired to stud in Florida, to Cloverleaf Farms II, in a deal brokered by bloodstock writer Frank Mitchell, and proved very popular with breeders. He has more than 100 foals in his freshman crop of 2010. His 2-year-olds proved popular at the sales, too, with 33 selling for an average of almost $50,000.
His sire, A.P. Indy, is not known as being the patriarch of a precocious sireline, so it is somewhat surprising to see Congrats currently ranked second on the 2010 Freshman Sire List. But, Congrats has had two SWs already in August. Check My Cheeks won a stakes race in Puerto Rico (a G3 race in a Part II country). And now Wickedly Perfect has added the G3 Sorrento S., making her one of the top 2-year-old fillies in the US.
What is most impressive for Congrats is that he has four repeat winners (the next best is Giacomo with two!). And his two SWs are tops in that category also.
Congrats is a full brother to the well-priced stallion Flatter standing at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky. Congrats is quickly establishing himself as one of the most promising young sires in the US. He stands at Vinery Florida and his 2010 fee was $4,500.
(Elaine Belval is senior pedigree analyst at WTC.)
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Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
By Elaine Belval
Very few stallions are successful in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In fact, many of the best sires in the Northern Hemisphere have been disappointing, if not downright failures, in their shuttle attempts.
So, what do you call a stallion that has been successful everywhere he goes? Bernstein.
Bernstein was bred in Kentucky by Brushwood Stables. A well-bred son of leading sire Storm Cat, he was a full brother to GSWs Caress and Country Cat when he went through the sales ring at Keeneland November in 1997. He sold for $925,000, the highest-priced Storm Cat weanling that year.
Bernstein was purchased by H. Tabor and raced for the “Coolmore connections” in Europe. He broke his maiden in his first start at 2, winning a 6-furlong maiden in late May. He came back in late June to win the G3 Railway S. He finished fifth in the G1 National S. that fall, failing in the last furlong of the mile race to make all the running.
Thrown in deep in his first start as a 3yo, he clearly was not fit to take on the challenges in the 2000 Guineas. He rebounded quite nicely and that fall and took the Concorde S. back in Ireland. He was brought to the US for his final start, but found the nine furlong River City H. too far for him.
Bernstein clearly preferred distances under a mile. As a multiple GSW by Storm Cat from an outstanding family, he made an attractive stallion prospect. He retired to stud in the US for an attractive $10,000 fee. After his season at Castleton Lyons in the US, Bernstein went down to Haras La Biznaga in Argentina.
Bernstein had a solid first crop in the US, with five SWs from 37 foals (a marvelous 14%), led by GSWs Toll Taker and Berbatim. From his 60 foals in Argentina, Bernstein sired 11 SWs (an outstanding 18%), led by Horse of the Year Storm Mayor – winner of the prestigious Carlos Pellegrini, the premier race of South America – and champion Storm Military. Another G1 winner from that crop, Stormy Miss, came to the US and won the G3 Honorable Miss H.
Bernstein has not slowed down since. In 2009, Bernstein sired the G1 winners Dream Empress (Alcibiades S. and second in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies) and Miss World (G1 Garden City S.).
Recently, Bernstein’s Proceed Bee won the 10-furlong Prairie Meadows H. Proceed Bee has won stakes at 2, three and 4 and has more than $500,000 in earnings. Also recently, Bernie the Maestro won the American Dreamer S. at Calder over eight furlongs. This is the 3yo gelding’s second stakes victory of the Calder meet.
Bernstein was a precocious runner himself and almost half of his SWs win stakes at 2. Over 50% of his progeny win on turf. Slightly half of his SWs are GSWs and his SWs are evenly split between fillies and colts. And while Bernstein has had winners at over 12 furlongs, especially in Argentina, the majority of his runners compete in the eight-and nine- furlong range.
Bernstein has made his mark, in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and shows no signs of slowing down.
Bernstein stood the 2010 Northern Hemisphere season at Castleton Lyons for $25,000. He will not be returning to Haras La Biznaga in Argentina for the Southern Hemisphere season in 2010.
(Elaine Belval is senior pedigree analyst at WTC.)
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Jack Werk (1944-2010)
