BloodHorse.com | Horse Racing News

Mr. Prospector's Dominance in the Belmont

MAHUBAH'S CORNER
In no race is the blend of speed with stamina more important than in the Belmont. Mr. Prospector contributed the right stuff to produce descendants capable of dominating the 'Test of the Champion'.

Tizway Becomes Prominent Stallion Hopeful

MAHUBAH'S CORNER
The pedigree of Tizway, whose second attempt at the 'sire-making' Met Mile proved good, unites one of America's oldest female families with one of its oldest male lines.

Flashpoint: An Intriguing New Face

MAHUBAH'S CORNER
Peachtree Stable's Flashpoint may be the most intriguing of the new faces entering the 2011 Preakness Stakes. Descending from the family of Raise a Native, he has plenty of speed to set the pace.

Joyful Victory Living Up to Her Name

MAHUBAH'S CORNER
If she is as good as she looked when taking apart her opposition at Oaklawn Park this spring, Joyful Victory has a good shot of living up to her name in the Run for the Lilies.

Brilliant Speed, Solid Stamina

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
With a closing kick that makes him aptly named and a pedigree infused with stoutness, Brilliant Speed should have no trouble with the Kentucky Derby's 10 furlongs.

Dialed In's Next Call: Kentucky Derby

MAHUBAH'S CORNER
Same connections, same track, same race, same finish -- just a different horse. Can Florida Derby winner Dialed In improve on Ice Box's 2nd-place finish in the Kentucky Derby?

War Front a Clear Factor in 2011 Triple Crown

MAHUBAH'S CORNER
Avalyn Hunter delves into the Rebel Stakes winner's pedigree to see if he'll have enough stamina for the upcoming classics.

Stay Thirsty Stays Focused on Classics

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Descending from a full sister to Man o'War, this colt has the pedigree to be in contention for the 2011 Triple Crown -- but he has plenty of competition, even from within his own barn.

Mucho Macho Man, Mucho Magnifico

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Representing a regional sire line and an undistinguished female family, Mucho Macho Man is poised to make waves in the 2011 American classics.

Wilkinson Enters Triple Crown Picture

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
One thing connections aren't likely to worry about is the colt's ability to stay the distance, and have something left for the stretch.

Rachel Alexandra's 1st Mating One for History

Mahubah's Corner columnist Avalyn Hunter reflects on the broodmare records of Rachel Alexandra's historic peers -- the four other 3-year-old filly Horses of the Year.

Mack Miller, Breeder

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Whether Miller's long-term legacy as a breeder will approach his enduring reputation as a trainer is a question for the future.

To Honor and Serve Extends Family Legacy

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Bernardini's juvenile standout To Honor and Serve, who's on early watch lists for Triple Crown 2011, descends from Darby Dan's foundation mare Golden Trail.

Bernardini Impresses as First-Crop Sire

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
With an excellent race record, a fine pedigree, and superb conformation, Bernardini looked as close to a sure thing as exists in the ranks of prospective stallions.

Murjan is the Canonero II of 2010

Thirty-nine years ago Kentucky-bred but South American-based mystery horse Canonero II did very well beneath the Twin Spires. Will Peruvian classic winner Murjan follow in his hoof prints?

Frankel Pulls Away from European Competition

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Frankel appears to be as good a Classic prospect as Europe has seen in years.

Jaycito has the Staying Power for Ky Derby

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
His pedigree makes it clear that he'll handle classic distances. Will Jaycito be the first Kentucky Derby winner for octogenarian breeder Catesby Clay, dean of historic Runnymede Farm?

Southern Belle Rivals Zenyatta in Chile

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Belle Watling became the 1st runner ever to sweep the 'Chilean Quadruple Crown.' Her success is an example of breeding Northern sires with South American families to produce top horses.

Boys At Tosconova Reports for Officer

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
From a field of 4 maiden winners in the grade I Hopeful Stakes, Boys At Tosconova left little doubt which was the best runner with a dominating performance.

Darley-bred Dream Ahead and Debussy Dominate

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Dream Ahead and Debussy have more in common than group/grade I wins the weekend of August 21-22: They're both Darley-breds piloted by jockey William Buick.

Concord Point Rides the Waves

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
West Virginia Derby winner Concord Point is the first graded winner with siblings Relaunch and Moon Glitter in his pedigree--a pattern to watch for in future pedigrees.

Hunch is Rewarded in Golden Moka Comeback

Canadian classic winner Golden Moka's story involves a crippled jockey who sees something in a cheap Panamanian 2yo; a stallion that has struggled to meet expectations; and a female family with a long and proud tradition.

Jessica Is Back, Brings the Family With Her

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Although she descends from an important early American female family, Jessica Is Back is the sole grade I-winning representative of her dam line's branch in a half-century.

Cape Blanco Adds to Irish Derby Dynasty

Coolmore, Sadler's Wells, and trainer Aidan O'Brien have a longstanding presence in the Irish Derby winner's circle. This year, the trio made it a trifecta, headed by the Galileo colt Cape Blanco.

Improving Roan Inish Ready to Take on Colts

Roan Inish has the stamina and class to take on the boys in the July 4 Queen's Plate, the first race in Canada's Triple Crown.

Met Mile is Road to Breeding Shed Success

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Traditionally considered a sire-making race, a win in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) is a coveted addition to the resume of future sires like 2010 winner Quality Road.

Special Circumstances Elevate Special Duty

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Juddmonte Farms continues to reap rewards from the family of Nijinsky Star, including Special Duty's two 2010 classic victories, both by disqualification.

La Troienne Linebreeding Still Relevant

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Super Saver is one recent example of the conventional wisdom of Thoroughbred breeders that "the more La Troienne, the better."

Exhi Emerges as Sophomore Standout

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Descending from one of Canada's leading female families, Exhi hit his stride just a bit too late for likely KY Derby eligibility, but he's a good bet for other big races in 2010.

Sidney's Candy: Sweet Rise to Derby Contender

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
The pedigree of Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Sidney's Candy pairs speed with stamina. Will it be enough to get around the Derby oval first?

Ice Box Turns Up Heat on Derby Trail

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
By one of the hottest sires in American and out of a stamina-oriented mare, Ice Box has bloodlines that indicate he's a smart pedigree pick for the Triple Crown races.

Awesome Act Sets Up Family Showdown

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
From a separate branch of the Almahmoud family than fellow Triple Crown hopeful Eskendereya comes Awesome Act, who powered into consideration with an easy Gotham Stakes win.

Will Eskendereya Mature Beyond Youth?

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Restoring new hope to a branch of the Almahmoud family of Northern Dancer, Eskendereya established himself as a legitimate Triple Crown contender with his Fountain of Youth win.

Peppi Knows Two-Turn Racing

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Stephen Got Even's rising star Peppi Knows scores his first 2-turn stakes victory in the Whirlaway Stakes. Is it a sign of Triple Crown potential?

Ron the Greek Seeks Triple Crown Mandate

The second stakes winner for Full Mandate scores in an early Kentucky Derby prep.

Neko Bay Tallies Stallion Credentials

Many breeders anticipate that Giant's Causeway will become a powerful sire of sires. Paired with the sire-producing Missy Baba family genes, recent graded winner Neko Bay is likely to attract interest as a sire prospect.

Breeding Pattern Hits Mark: M One Rifle

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Fred Hooper's unique Florida bloodlines pair with distinctly California stock in an equine East-meets-West story.

Great Runner, Grand Bloodlines, Good Ba Ba

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

Three times is impressive in any race; Good Ba Ba's three-peat in the group I Hong Kong Mile was an even greater feat because it came against some of the world's best racehorses.

The Usual Q. T. Hot in California

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

Winner of both the Oak Tree Derby (gr. IIT) and Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) in November, this Unusual Heat gelding typifies the best of California breeding.

Medaglia d'Oro has a Passion for Gold

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

A win in the group I Criterium de Saint-Cloud sets up Passion for Gold as an early favorite for the French classics next year-and also validates Medaglia d'Oro as a sire who can produce top colts along with his abundance of black type fillies.

Claiborne Happy to Accept Blame

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

With Claiborne bloodlines on the top and bottom, Fayette Stakes (gr. II) winner Blame has a pedigree many generations in the making.

Jackson Bend Takes Florida

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

Inspiring hope for small breeders is juvenile standout Jackson Bend, whose durability and precocity combined are traits this Florida homebred inherited from both sides of his pedigree.

Luck Tends to Strike

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

A multi-generation affinity of his female family with Mr. Prospector-line sires might have championship repercussions as Lookin At Lucky prepares for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile this fall.

Storm Cat Leaves a Market in Transition

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

It seems appropriate that the once-perennial leading commercial sire, Storm Cat, bow out while the Thoroughbred market redefines itself.

Dublin Elicits High Hopes for Young Sire

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

By first-crop sire Afleet Alex and from the successful family of Sunday Evening comes Dublin, winner of the historic Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (gr. I).

D'wildcat, Smarty Jones 2YOs Take Saratoga

Strong pedigrees link Saratoga's first two juvenile stakes winners of 2009 - but will genes be enough to keep Backtalk and D'Funnybone in stakes contention after their 2-year-old campaigns?

Bullsbay Confirms Tiznow/Turkoman Affinity

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

Stamina influence Tiznow again matches with a speed-oriented Turkoman-line mare. Whitney Handicap (gr. I) winner Bullsbay joins Colonel John as elite runners bred on the cross.

Funny Moon Bred on Miler-Over-Stamina Model

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

Funny Moon's big win in the grade I CCA Oaks exemplifies an American breeding pattern of miler speed over stoutness.

Sariska's Pedigree Combines Speed, Stamina

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

A female-line descendent of the top sire-producing mare Selene, Sariska adds the group I Irish Oaks to her impressive record. Here is an example of a stamina-oriented damline infused with raw speed.

Fame and Glory Across the Pond

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

Montjeu has enjoyed considerable success as a sire of Classic horses. Irish Derby winner Fame and Glory adds to his sire's tally-while also tying in this year's theme of German bloodline influences.