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Sire and Pedigree Notes - Breeders' Cup 2009

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Alan Porter recaps the 2009 Breeders' Cup with pedigree observations about the sire lines, dominant female families, and inbreeding of the 14 winners.

April Pride Illustrates Parallel Pattern

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

A globetrotting sire and an all-American dam have strikingly similar pedigrees that combined to produce recent graded winner April Pride. Breeding analyst Alan Porter discusses how his "parallel pattern" theory is evident in the filly's pedigree.

Icon Project: Yet Another Filly Standout

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

It seems 2009 would be a year for filly phenoms, and they're all the result of young, distance-loving sires.

Monitor Closely Adds to Dream Year for Sire

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Oasis Dream (GB) was considered a mildly-successful sire after his first two crops reached the track. An explosive year including the emergence of recent group II victor Monitor Closely (IRE) guarantees Oasis Dream more respect in Europe and internationally.

Second-Crop Standouts

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

The weekend brought a couple of new players to the 3-year-old scene and also underlined just how strong the second-crop sires are.

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Misremembered Scores for Breeder Bob Baffert

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Already in the news for his move to Lane's End, Candy Ride also figures in to the first progeny black type for an 18-year-old mare and the first stakes win as a breeder for Bob Baffert.

Sophomore Standouts Best Elder Rivals

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter Holiday weekend racing featured 3-year-old sprinters Munnings and Zensational, who both captured prestigious graded wins over older horses.

Grazen Is New Benchmark for Alydar Line

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

California homebred Grazen's first graded win is more proof that Benchmark is the true heir to Alydar's male-line legacy.

Classic Parallels

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Similarities in the pedigrees of Summer Bird (by Birdstone) and Gabby's Golden Gal (by Medaglia d'Oro) provide some insights into the bloodlines of their young sires.

Belmont Contenders: Pedigree Profiles

Insight into the pedigrees of this year's Belmont contenders is only a click away. This easy-to-read report includes pedigree analyses from Alan Porter and Avalyn Hunter. Order your copy today and separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Bribon Breaks Through

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

It would have been hard to predict that Bribon would achieve his most prestigious victory at age 6 on American dirt when he made his juvenile debut in a seven-furlong event at Saint-Cloud in France.

Preakness Contenders: Pedigree Profiles

Insight into the pedigrees of this year's Preakness contenders is only a click away. This easy-to-read report includes pedigree analyses from Alan Porter, Avalyn Hunter, and Tom Hall. Order your copy today and separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Mythical Power on Display

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

If one was inclined to follow the form book literally, there had to be few better bets in a stakes race May 9 than Mythical Power in the Lone Star Derby (gr. III).

Kentucky Derby Contenders: Pedigree Profiles

Insight into the pedigrees of this year's Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) contenders is only a click away. This easy-to-read report includes pedigree analyses from Alan Porter, Avalyn Hunter, and Tom Hall. Order your copy today and separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Porter on Pedigrees: Godolphin's Derby Duo

Alan Porter takes a closer look at Desert Party and Regal Ransom, the pair of Dubai-based horses in this year's Kentucky Derby.

Porter on Pedigrees: Papa Clem

One of the great uncertainties in evaluating the prospects of this year's Kentucky Derby contenders is weighing all-weather form. And it has been brought into particularly sharp focus by the efforts of two horses that have run behind the West Coast's dominant 3-year-old, Pioneerof the Nile.

Armed and Ready

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Well Armed's runaway victory in the Dubai World Cup was due to a combination of factors, including his improvement with age and an affinity for 10 furlongs on dirt.

Porter on Pedigrees: Friesan Fire

In the metal-working technique called "brazing," two metals with disparate properties are joined by a third that is sufficiently similar to both to create an effective union.

Continuing Down a Quality Road

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Foals from the first Elusive Quality crop conceived after Smarty Jones's heroics have come to hand earlier. Even though they've only just turned 3, five of their number are stakes winners. Prominent among them is Fountain of Youth winner Quality Road.

Porter on Pedigrees: General Quarters

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

One generally doesn't expect to find Kentucky Derby hopefuls hurtling down 4 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs in May of their juvenile season. Even less expected would be for that debut to be in a $20,000 maiden claiming event. That, however, was the launching point for the career of General Quarters.

Porter on Pedigrees: Saratoga Holiday

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Holy Bull winner Saratoga Sinner is the first stakes winner from Harlan's Holiday's 2nd crop.

Isn't It Obvious

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Whywhywhy is now back with a bang, with Nownownow capturing the San Fernando Stakes (gr. II) and another son, Ikigai, capturing the Mr. Prospector Stakes (gr. III).

TrueNicks Offers New In-Depth Report

TrueNicks has introduced an important new tool in pedigree research - the Broodmare Analysis Report. Breeders and owners can now hypothetically cross a mare with up to 50 stallions and quickly identify the matings with the most potential.

Just for Speight

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Speightstown's sophomores are off to a quick start with Haynesfield taking the Count Fleet Stakes and Gemswick Park scoring a game victory in the Old Hat Stakes (gr. III) in the first weekend of the new year.

Pioneerof the Nile Growing Sire's Status

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Pioneerof the Nile, winner of the CashCall Futurity (gr. I), is one of three Empire Maker sons whose recent performances have helped grow their sire's reputation among breeders. The others are Daiwa Prevail (JPN) and Summer's Empire.

Peppers Pride Stays Hot to the End

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Peppers Pride extended the modern day American record for consecutive wins to 19 when she won at Zia Park on Dec. 14. It may have been the amazing New Mexico-bred filly's final performance and was certainly one of her best.

Deep Roots Give Briecat Her Speed

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Brilliant speed isn't the trait you'd expect from the offspring of Briecat's sire and dam. Her sire Adcat won his best race at nine furlongs. Briecat's broodmare sire Marlin won a grade I race at 1 3/4 miles, the 1997 San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap. And yet, here is Briecat, who won the Bayakoa H. (gr. II) in near track-record time.

Don't Cry For Candy Ride

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Candy Ride's success as a first-crop sire was emphasized recently when daughter Evita Argentina took the Moccasin Stakes at Hollywood Park, and his son El Brujo claimed runner-up spot in Canada's top juvenile contest, the Coronation Futurity.

New York-breds Shine in Stallion Stakes

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

The sires Performing Magic, Hook and Ladder, Freud, American Chance and Regal Classic were represented by winners in the New York Stallion Stakes series.

Second-Crop Sires Shuffle in 2008

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

The sires with their first 3-year-olds racing in 2008 have seen some reshuffling among the leaders by progeny earnings, particularly compared with the rankings of this sire class as freshmen.

Mr. P Sire Line Rules at Breeders' Cup

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Mr. Prospector line stallions were represented by eight of the 14 Breeders' Cup World Championship winners. Ten of the 14 winners are inbred within five generations, while four were outcrosses.

BC Pedigree Profile: Zenyatta

For whatever Vertigineux lacked as a racehorse, she has more than made up for as a broodmare. The first three foals produced by the daughter of Kris S. have all become stakes winners, including Zenyatta.

BC Pedigree Profile: Street Boss

Street Boss is completely different horse than he was in 2007, when he couldn't seem to break through with a big win in allowance company. This year the son of Street Cry has won six of seven starts, with two wins in grade I races. He has become the third exceptional racehorse to blossom out of his sire's first crop.

Danzig Inbreeding Yields Successes

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Grade III winner Strait of Mewsina is one of several stakes winners inbred to Danzig. The son of Spartacus gets one influence of Danzig through his grandsire Danehill, and the other the influence through Chief's Crown, his broodmare grandsire. While male line/male line inbreeding generally has a lower-than-opportunity success rate, the inbreeding of Danzig has produced 20 stakes winners.

Improving Family Produces Sky Diva

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Sky Diva is at the crossroads of an improving sire and an improving family. Sky Mesa started slowly but now runners from his first crop have become graded stakes winners and his second crop of juveniles running this year already includes five stakes winners. At the top is grade I winner Sky Diva. The filly's family has also been improving over the past four years.

Lord Shanakill Adds to Sire's Tally

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Speightstown is one of seven freshmen sires that have already been represented by a group/graded stakes winner so far this year. Lord Shanakill, winner of the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes (Eng-I) is one of Speightstown's top runners and the second group winner sired by a son of Gone West out of a Theatrical mare.

Promising Filly Runs Like a Sweet Song

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Doremefasollatido is delivering on the great breeding and tremendous unfulfilled promise her sire, Bernstein, showed on the racetrack. Though a group stakes winner, Bernstein never became the promising racehorse he appeared to be at 2. He has made it up as a sire, quickly. Bernstein's first crop had 38 foals, 38 starters, and 31 winners (19 2-year-old winners).

A Jewel in the Gold Medallion

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Medaglia d'Oro only started once at 2 but his offspring are displaying plenty of early talent. Out of 10 winners through Sept. 16, he has four stakes horses and two stakes winners, including the graded stakes winner C.S. Silk.

Male Line Cross Yields Vineyard Haven

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Generally speaking, crossing the sire by a certain male line with a mare from the same male line produces below average results. But here is Vineyard Haven, the results of such a cross, who beat some rising stars in the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (gr. I).

Mani Bhavan Extends Storm Boot's Legacy

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Newly minted graded stakes winner Mani Bhavan continues the legacy of her sire Storm Boot, the first son of Storm Cat to be represented by a stakes winner.

Deep Family Roots Drive Spirit One

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Spirit One's dam, Lavayssiere, retired from racing with scant credentials to be a top mare. She did not have one black type winner in her family as far back as six generations. And yet, here she is today the dam of three stakes winners including Spirit One, who recently took the Arlington Million (gr. I). You have to dig deep to find the source of Spirit One's genetic potential.

Black Mamba Thriving on U.S. Soil

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Black Mamba has grown from a promising young filly in New Zealand into a grade I winner in the U.S. who now may be headed to the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships in October. The daughter of Black Minnaloushe is the first black type winner out her dam Sneetch.

Monzante Catching His Stride

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Monzante, who has been showing the promise of taking a major victory for some time, got it done July 20 in the Eddie Read Handicap (gr. I).

All According to a Mistical Plan

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Prior to the weekend, Mistical Plan had tried for grade one glory on five occasions. On four of those she had failed to hit the board, and in the fifth, she had gained a third, but had been beaten nearly nine lengths. On Saturday, at the Summit of Speed, Mistical Plan cut back to six furlongs and produced the performance of her life to take the Princess Rooney Handicap.

Azul Leon Puts Lion Heart On Top

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Lion Heart, currently the freshman sire leader, and Friends Lake, who is ranked eighth, got big boosts from their recent graded stakes winners Azul Leon and Screen Your Friends, respectively. The talent both of these sires showed as juveniles appears to be passing along to their offspring.

The Big Chill

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Dismissed at odds of 40-1 for the Suburban Handicap (gr. I), Giant's Causeway's son Frost Giant prevailed with a determined effort that recalled the battling style of his sire.

Haradasun - Australian Champion at Ascot

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

The achievements of such Australian standouts as Choisir (AUS) and Takeover Target (AUS) have taught Royal Ascot regulars to have a healthy respect for the form down under. That lesson was underlined when Haradasun (AUS) captured the first race of the 2008 Royal Ascot carnival, the Queen Anne Stakes (Eng-IT).

Belmont Stakes Still Made History

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Okay, so no Triple Crown, again. But the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) still made racing history. Da' Tara became the first male-line descendant of Man o' War to win an American classic since War Admiral took the Triple Crown in 1937. Tiznow, the sire of Da' Tara, is an extension of the Man o' War line through Cee's Tizzy, a son of Relaunch.

Pedigree Analyses of Belmont Contenders

Insight into the pedigrees of this year's Belmont contenders (including surprise entry Guadalcanal) is only a click away. Pedigree analyses done by Alan Porter and Avalyn Hunter have been compiled into one easy-to-read report.