Sunday, September 8, 2013

Pedigree Highlights - Keeneland September Yearling Sale Book One (Part Two)

We'll jump right in to the second part of the select Book One session, which occurs all day Tuesday:



Hip #236 - Speightstown - Mon Belle (Maria's Mon)
Chestnut filly consigned by Dromoland Farm Inc. (Gerry Dilger), Agent I
Speightstown was one of the fastest sprinters of recent years, and that speed has showed up  time and time again in his offspring.  His latest star is Dance to Bristol, a fleet-footed filly riding a seven race winning streak who most recently captured the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga.  This chestnut yearling is out of Mon Belle, a winning full sister to Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos, whose fame lies in running the second-fastest Derby in history, behind only Secretariat.  Mon Belle has produced one winner from two to race: the graded-placed stakes winner Supreme (Empire Maker).  This also happens to be the family of Darby Creek Road, a track record-setter at Saratoga, and his sister Andover Way, who produced the legendary sire Dynaformer.

Hip #253 - Majesticperfection - Ms. Cornstalk (Indian Charlie)
Bay colt consigned by Brereton C. Jones/Airdrie Stud Inc., Agent
I didn't pay much attention to Grade 1 winner Majesticperfection on the racetrack, but his first crop of foals are hitting the yearling sales rings and are looking absolutely phenomenal.  This colt's dam has produced three winners from three starters, including two champions - Biofuel (Stormin' Fever) and Tu Endie Wei (Johar).  Biofuel was a multiple champion and Horse of the Year who also finished on the board versus Devil May Care in a couple of Grade 1 races.  Tu Endie Wei was 2011's champion two year-old filly who unfortunately died during surgery last December.  Ms. Cornstalk is also a half-sister to Dansil, an Arkansas Derby winner who won the race when it was a Grade 2 event.  Dansil was also fourth in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.  It's not every day that you see a yearling that's half to not one, but two, champion racehorses.

Hip #256 - Indian Charlie - My Friend C. Z. (Seeking the Gold)
Bay colt consigned by Gainesway, Agent XXVII
My Friend C. Z. has produced five foals, two of which have gone on to race.  Those two are both winners.  One of them is Welcome Guest (Unbridled's Song), who finished third in the Comely Stakes (G3).  Second dam Glitter Woman is a multiple graded stakes winner with earnings of over $1.2 million; her lone Grade 1 win came in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland.  Her son, Political Force, is also a Grade 1 winner, having captured the Suburban Handicap.  Third dam Carols Folly gave us Unbridled Elaine, winner of the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in 2001 who subsequently produced graded stakes winners Etched and Out of Bounds.  Carols Folly is also the dam of Gwenjinsky, dam of Grade 2 winner Lead Story.  Fun fact - Lead Story was the first mare bred to champion three year-old Bernardini.  The late Indian Charlie was renowned for producing horses with speed.  Some of them could even carry it a distance.

Hip #262 - Smart Strike - Mystery Trip (Belong to Me)
Dark bay or brown filly consigned by Lane's End, Agent
Curlin, English Channel, Lookin At Lucky...these are just a few of the many feathers in Smart Strike's cap as a sire.  The handsome son of Mr. Prospector is showing no signs of stopping, either.  This filly's dam has produced four foals to win from four foals to race, including the stakes-placed runners Gallant Fields (Smarty Jones) and Jakonda (Kingmambo).  Mystery Trip is also a half-sister to some very famous horses.  "Who?" you might ask.  Well, second dam Weekend Surprise's name is very well-known in the Thoroughbred business.  She is the dam of classic winners A.P. Indy and Summer Squall, both of which went on to be successful sires, particularly A.P. Indy.  Her daughter Weekend Storm produced Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Court Vision, and another daughter, Weekend in Seattle, gave us Mambo in Seattle and is the granddam of Grade 3 winner Sky Kingdom.  Weekend Surprise's female family is one of the best in the business.

Hip #280 - Street Sense - One Wild Ride (Southern Halo)
Bay colt consigned by Eaton Sales, Agent for Edward A. Cox, Jr.
Street Sense is best-known as the only horse to ever win both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Kentucky Derby.  Since becoming a sire, he has done pretty well for himself, giving us stakes winners like Aubby K, Unlimited Budget and Castaway.  This Street Sense yearling is out of an unraced Southern Halo mare who is a 100% winner-producer - out of five foals to race, five of them are winners.  She is a half-sister to Banshee Winds, dam of Banshee Breeze, a champion three year-old filly who won five Grade 1 races and nearly three million dollars.  Banshee Breeze's full sister, Unbridled Wind, produced several winners, including Indy Storm, who finished off the board in the 2005 Belmont Stakes (G1).  Second dam Quack a Doodledoo is a half-sister to All at Sea, who won a Grade 1 over in France during her racing years.

Hip #285 - Unbridled's Song - Our Dani (Homebuilder)
Gray or roan filly consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, Agent
This gray filly is by the recently deceased Unbridled's Song.  He was one of the top sires in America for many years, despite speculations that he might be producing fragile offspring.  Octave and Eight Belles are two of the many fillies he's sired.  This filly has a chance to join their hallowed ranks, as she is a half sister to You (You and I), one of the greatest female racehorses in recent years.  You won five Grade 1 races and a slew of others, earning just over $2.1 million.  She is most famous for her Test Stakes (G1) win, where she battled Carson Hollow all the way to the wire in, as Tom Durkin called it, "a photo finish that doesn't deserve a loser."  You went on to produce three winners - so far - including Grade 2 winner You and I Forever.  Our Dani has produced four winners out of eight to race, and second dam Lovely Briar did even better, producing all winners out of nine foals to race.

Hip #287 - Bernardini - Our Rite of Spring (Stravinsky)
Bay colt consigned by Lane's End, Agent
Dam Our Rite of Spring was a listed stakes winner on the racetrack; as a broodmare, she has produced four winners out of four to race.  She is a half-sister to Hard Spun, a King's Bishop (G1) winner and part of that brilliant three year-old crop of 2007 that we all love to reminisce over.  Second dam Turkish Tryst herself was Grade 2 placed, but her speedy son by Danzig is what really put her on the map.  Hard Spun has since blossomed into a nice sire; his best so far is Questing, who won the award for champion three year-old filly last year.  Third dam Darbyvail is a half-sister to Little Current, the Preakness and Belmont winner who took home the award for champion three year-old colt in 1974.  This yearling's sire, Bernardini, is as commercially popular as ever, despite not quite living up to lofty expectations as a sire of racehorses.

Hip #291 - Bernardini - Pacific Spell (Langfuhr)
Bay filly consigned by Brereton C. Jones/Airdrie Stud Inc., Agent
Here's another Bernardini; this time, it's a filly who just happens to be a half-sister to Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Proud Spell.  Besides the Oaks, the daughter of Proud Citizen captured the Alabama (G1) and a slew of Grade 2 races en route to a three year-old female championship.  Besides Proud Spell, Pacific Spell also produced Proud Pearl, a full sister to the Oaks winner who ran second in the Monmouth Oaks (G2).  Pacific Spell is also a half-sister to Call Her Magic, dam of Del Mar Futurity (G1) winner J P's Gusto.  Second dam Malibu Magic is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Imaginary Lady.  Although Bernardini is best known for his colts, he is the sire of a Grade 1 winner in New Zealand, Ruud Awakening, and a Grade 3 winner in the U.S., Via Villaggio.

Hip #292 - Medaglia d'Oro - Parade Queen (A.P. Indy)
Dark bay or brown colt consigned by Bluegrass Thor. Services, Inc. (J. Stuart), Agent II
Directly following the last yearling is this colt, by the ever popular sire Medaglia d'Oro.  If Bernardini is known for his colts, Medaglia d'Oro is certainly known for his fillies, though he has had some good sons, including Violence and Warrior's Reward.  This colt is a half-sibling to Untouched Talent (Storm Cat), a Grade 1-placed racehorse whose biggest achievement came in the breeding shed as the dam of the freaky fast Bodemeister.  Bodemeister, an Arkansas Derby (G1) winner, set devastating fractions in the Derby of 2012 and hung on for a very credible amount of time before getting mowed down by a late-closing I'll Have Another.  His premature retirement was more than disappointing for racing fans around the country.  Parade Queen also produced King Gulch (Gulch), a listed stakes-winning gelding.

Hip #299 - Giant's Causeway - Path of Thunder (Thunder Gulch)
Dark bay or brown filly consigned by Blandford Stud (Padraig Campion), Agent
This filly is a full sister to two stakes winners, including Excited, a Virginia Oaks (G3) winner.  Dam Path of Thunder, a stakes winner herself, is a full sister to Spain, winner of the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), among other prestigious races.  Spain has produced five winners, including stakes winners Plan and Dreamtheimpossible.  Path of Thunder is also a half-sibling to graded stakes winners Puerto Banus and Fantastic Spain.  European Horse of the Year Giant's Causeway has more than proved himself as a sire over the last decade, siring fillies and mares like My Typhoon and Swift Temper.  The nick obviously worked with him and this mare the first few times, so it's only natural that the breeder took another shot with this pairing.

Hip #311 - Bernardini - Pilfer (Deputy Minister)
Bay filly consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent for Siena Farm LLC
Remember when I said that Bernardini's colts are superior to his fillies?  That may be the case, but in the case of this yearling, that little stat may well be forgotten, as she is one of the most intriguing horses during day two.  This filly is a full sister to multiple Grade 1 stakes winner To Honor and Serve.  Although inconsistent, he was fast, winning races like the Cigar Mile (G1) and the Woodward (G1).  He is undoubtedly one of his sire's best sons.  Another foal out of dam Pilfer is Elnaawi (Street Sense), a Grade 3 placed winner.  Second dam Misty Hour produced Grade 2 winner India and listed stakes winner Sing Softly.  Deputy Minister is one of the best broodmare sires we've had in recent years; his influence on the classic races as of late cannot be understated.  This filly will certainly be one to watch out for on Tuesday.

Hip #339 - Malibu Moon - Queen Brianna (Unbridled's Song)
Bay filly consigned by Warrendale Sales, Agent for Spendthrift Farm LLC
Not too long ago, champion sire Unbridled's Song passed away.  Shortly after, to much mourning, we also lost one of his best sons, Rockport Harbor.  This filly is out of a full sister to Rockport Harbor, Queen Brianna.  Second dam Regal Miss Copelan produced six winners out of seven to race, including Remsen (G2) winner Rockport Harbor.  She is a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Regally Appealing, and was a listed stakes winner herself on the racetrack.  Some of the many good fillies sired by Malibu Moon including Devil May Care, a racehorse we lost too soon as well, and Life At Ten, a two-time Grade 1 winner. 

Hip #354 - Malibu Moon - Rahrahsixboombah (Rahy)
Chestnut colt consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent CLVIII
Wait, did someone just mention Life At Ten?  Well, this yearling just happens to be her full brother.  Life at Ten won, as I've mentioned previously, two Grade 1 races and over $1.2 million on the racetrack.  Life At Ten is certainly the best foal out of her dam, the trickily named Rahrahsixboombah, who produced two other winners besides her.  There's a good deal of black-type under the third dam, Belle O' Reason, who is a half-sister to the highly influential sire Relaunch, one of the few stallions carrying the great Man O' War's male line into the present day.  Members of this family include Grade 2 winners Freefourinternet and Chimes Band, among others.  Like the full sibling to To Honor and Serve, this colt will also get a lot of long looks when it comes his time to sell.

Hip #369 - Tapit - Rehear (Coronado's Quest)
Dark bay or brown colt consigned by Lane's End, Agent
This colt should be precocious, if he runs according to his bloodlines.  Tapit has now sired winners of three of the five Breeders' Cup races for juveniles - Hansen, Stardom Bound and Tapitsfly.  His foals tend to mature early and go fast.  That should be no problem for this colt, who is out of a mare that's produced five winners out of five to race, including Mani Bhavan (Storm Boot), a Spinaway Stakes (G1) winner.  Also siblings to this colt are Hear the Ghost (Ghostzapper), who won the San Felipe Stakes (G2) this year, and Dattt Echo (Stormy Atlantic), a stakes-placed winner.  Second dam Chief Appeal, a half-sister to Canadian champion Silken cat, produced a whopping eleven winners, including stakes winner Turkappeal and graded-placed Premier Krischief. 

Hip #377 - Tapit - Rhumb Line (Mr. Greeley)
Gray or roan colt consigned by Woods Edge Farm (Peter O'Callaghan), Agent IX
Here's another Tapit out of a very nice mare - this time, these bloodlines make him a full sibling to graded stakes winners Zazu and Flashback.  Zazu was a filly who won two Grade 1 races; Flashback's biggest win came in this year's Robert B. Lewis (G2) before exiting the Derby Trail after a subpar performance in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), won by Goldencents.  In fact, all of Rhumb Line's winners are either stakes winners or stakes-placed - not too shabby!  She must have gotten her talent for producing stakes winners from fourth dam Like A Charm; the Pied d'Or mare produced nine winners, and four of those went on to win stakes.  I'm imagining this colt looks quite a bit like his full siblings, both of which are very attractive individuals.

Hip #385  - Bernardini - Rose of Summer (El Prado (IRE))
Bay colt consigned by Hartwell Farm, Agent II
This colt is a half-sibling to a pair of graded stakes winners, one of which is Laragh (Tapit), who captured the Hollywood Starlet (G1) as a two year-old.  The other is Summer Front (War Front), a fairly consistent colt on the grass.  Rose of Summer is a half-sibling to Siphonic, a Hollywood Futurity (G1) winner who finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).  This is also the family of multiple graded stakes winner Dixie Dot Com, as well as Kiltartan Cross, who set a couple of track records as a racehorse.  I have already discussed Bernardini at length in this blog post, but I will yet again stress how good of a sire of colts he has become.

Hip #394 - Pulpit - Ruthian (Rahy)
Chestnut filly consigned by Stone Farm, Agent
Pulpit is another sire that we've lost recently, so this filly is among one of his last crops.  She should be a good one, too, as she is a full sister to Grade 1 winner Rutherienne.  That filly was about as consistent as they come, finishing in the money in 20 of her 24 races, and earning just a shade under $1.3 million.  The list of achievements under her name on the catalog page is something formidable, indeed.  Ruthian is also quite the mare, producing seven winners from seven foals to race, including another full sister to Rutherienne, Grade 3 winner Ruthenia, and Ruthville (Afleet Alex), a listed stakes winner.  Rutherienne is one of Pulpit's best, so this filly should get a lot of interest when she enters the sales ring on Tuesday afternoon.

Hip #412 - Unbridled's Song - Scarlet Tango (French Deputy)
Gray or roan filly consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, Agent for Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC
This is another filly out of a 100% winner-producer dam, who accomplished that feat with six foals to race.  Scarlet Tango's best offspring is Visionaire (Grand Slam), a King's Bishop (G1) winner.  Her other stakes-winning foal is Scarlet Strike (Smart Strike), who is Grade 1-placed.  Second dam Silver Tango produced eight winners, including listed stakes winners Dale's Prospect and Our Commander.  Scarlet Tango herself never won a stakes race but was at least a stakes-placed winner; she is finding her niche in the breeding shed.  The sire alone should draw attention to this yearling; it won't be long before we never see Unbridled's Song yearlings in the sales ring anymore.  There could be a lot of knee-jerk buying on sons and daughters of the late stallion, just to get one of his last offspring.

Hip #426 - Smart Strike - Serenading (A.P. Indy)
Bay colt consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, Agent
It doesn't hurt to be a son of a champion.  That's the case with this colt, who is out of Canadian champion Serenading.  This is only her second foal, but there is high hopes for the daughter of A.P. Indy, due to the rest of her family's accomplishments.  This is one of the most sought-after families in the business.  Second dam Daijin is a full sister to Touch Gold, a Belmont Stakes (G1) winner who has since gone on to become a great sire, and a half-sister to With Approval, a Canadian Triple Crown winner.  Three of Serenading's sisters have produced stakes winners; Speed Succeeds is the dam of Grade 1 winner Brilliant Speed, and Touch for Gold produced Touch Me Not, a multiple graded stakes winner in Japan.  With Smart Strike in the pedigree as well, this colt has a wonderful pedigree page that deserves a long look from everybody.

Hip #438 - Malibu Moon - Shop Again (Wild Again)
Bay filly consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, Agent
The last of the yearlings I'm previewing for Tuesday is this Malibu Moon filly who is a half-sister to Power Broker (Pulpit).  A Grade 1 winner as a two year-old, Power Broker won the Easy Goer at Belmont before going on to finish a distant second to Verrazano in the Haskell (G1).  Dam Shop Again is a half-sister to Miss Shop, a Personal Ensign (G1) winner, and to Trappe Shot, who, like his sister's son, was also second in the Haskell Invitational. The horses in this family seem to love the middle distances; Malibu Moon lends a little more longevity and stamina to this family.  This filly also happens to be the very last sales hip of the day, closing out what looks to be a terrific Tuesday at the sales.

Stay tuned for parts three and four, hopefully coming tomorrow!



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