Seabiscuit Descendant Foaled Near Ridgewood

Bronze Sea, a filly descended from Seabiscuit, was foaled at Tim and Jacqueline Cooper's American Legend Horse Farm in Northern California on May 23.

The dark bay filly is by High Brite and is out of the At the Threshold mare All in Fashion, who is from the Seabiscuit line of Windy Sea. High Brite stands at Harris Farms.

Jacqueline Cooper works at Ridgewood Ranch -- the onetime homestead in Willits of Seabiscuit's owner, Charles Howard -- where she contributes to the ongoing preservation effort there. She said she plans to move the dark bay filly and her dam to Ridgewood in June from her farm seven miles away. With the latest addition, there will be seven descendants of Seabiscuit on the Ridgewood grounds, a big attraction during the regular walking tours that begin June 1 each year to raise money for the restoration project.

"People are very moved by the sight of the horses," she said. "Some have tears in their eyes. Seeing the barns and everything else is an attraction, but there's a connection people have with the horses."

Coincidentally, Bronze Sea was born on the same day, May 23, as Seabiscuit, who was foaled in 1933.

"Everything went really well and we have a strong and healthy filly," she said of the 5:30 a.m. foaling.

The Coopers plan to race Bronze Sea in 2009 or 2010 and hope to donate a portion of her earnings to the preservation effort. She noted that High Brite has been a successful stallion in California for a number of years and At the Threshold sired 1992 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Lil E. Tee. All in Fashion won once in a three-race career in 1991.

"Every owner wants to have a winner," Jacqueline Cooper said. "But to be able to have one that is a direct descendant of Seabiscuit would be tremendous."

Now 19, All in Fashion, a great-granddaughter of Buckpasser, has had three previous foals. The Coopers, who acquired All in Fashion in 2005, bred her to Holding Court last year but she was barren.

Jacqueline Cooper said All in Fashion's mating with High Brite was difficult. The mare spent four months at the Harris Ranch in Coalinga, Calif., before they were certain she had conceived. She credited the farm's veterinarian, Dr. Jeanne Bowers-Lepore, with doing "a wonderful job of getting her in foal."

"Harris Farms has been very supportive of what we are doing."