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Kentucky Oaks Winner Dispute Dies at Age 23

Dispute, winner of the 1993 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) for owner-breeder Ogden Mills Phipps and trainer Shug McGaughey, was euthanized April 24 at Pattons Creek Farm near Goshen, Ky.

Pedigree Analysis: Sires of Sires

by Anne Peters
Who will be next to join Storm Cat, Mr. Prospector, and A.P. Indy?

Lines of Battle Advancing to Louisville

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
Lines of Battle is likely to be the only starter in the Kentucky Derby to have won at in excess of nine furlongs.

Shackleford Connections Buying Mares at Sale

Mike Lauffer, who bred and raced Shackleford in partnership with Bill Cubbedge, said the partners are looking for mares at the Keeneland sale to mate to the 2011 Preakness winner.

Exchange Rate Continues With Reckless Abandon

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
Reckless Abandon, son of Exchange Rate, cemented his standing as Europe's top sprinting 2-year-old.

First Defence's First Winner Scores by 12

First Defence's initial winner, 2-year-old Dundonnell, romped by 12 lengths at Lingfield in England Aug. 4.

Strait of Dover Navigates Canada's Classics

MAHUBAH'S CORNER
Now the winner of four consecutive races, Strait of Dover not only went gate to wire to defeat Irish Mission but set a new Woodbine track record of 2:01.99 for the Polytrack surface.

Drill Part of Danzig Revival

Porter on Pedigrees, by Alan Porter
Drill is part of a revival of the Danzig line through Lawyer Ron.

Green Desert Line Sure to Continue

MAHUBAH'S CORNER
Green Desert not only helped to establish the reputation of Danzig as a sire of sires but has founded a flourishing line of his own stallion sons in Europe.

Stallion Green Desert Pensioned at Age 28

Green Desert, sire of more than 90 stakes winners who is gaining a reputation as a top sire of sires, has been pensioned at age 28.

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.

Midnight Interlude is Late-Hour Derby Hopeful

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
Another Danzig-line runner enters the 2011 Kentucky Derby picture as the previously unheralded Midnight Interlude annexes the Santa Anita Derby and looks toward Churchill Downs.

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.

The Danzig Line Soldiers On Through Soldat

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
Soldat's bloodlines initially appear to indicate he could have problems with the Kentucky Derby's distance -- but he has close pedigree connections to good classic runners.

Spotlight Back on Calumet with Switch's Win

Calumet Farm, so much a part of the top-tiered landscape of Kentucky breeding and racing for decades, returned to the spotlight in a big way when 3-year-old Switch won the $150,000 La Brea Stakes (gr. I).

Polish Miner to St. Hilaire in Washington

Polish Miner, Oregon's leading sire this year, has been relocated to Gary Jackson's St. Hilaire Thoroughbreds near Yakima, Wash.

Champion Dayjur Retired from Stud Duty

Shadwell Farm has announced that its 23-year-old stallion Dayjur (Danzig--Gold Beauty, by Mr. Prospector) has been retired from stud duties due to the infirmities of old age.

Polish Relocated to Louisiana

Polish, a 10-year-old winning son of Danzig has been relocated to John Pomier's Pomerosa Farms near Duson, La. and will stand for a fee of $1,000 in 2010.

My Friend Max Relocates to Averett Farm

My Friend Max has been relocated from Elite Thoroughbreds to Averett Farm in Loranger, La. for the 2010 breeding season.

Ishiguru Euthanized in England

Ishiguru, an 11-year-old son of Danzig who was shuttling between England and New Zealand, was euthanized Sept. 18 following complications from a knee injury suffered earlier this year.

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.

Magna Graduate to Stand At Darby Dan

Magna Graduate, Elisabeth Alexander's multiple graded stakes-winning son of Honor Grades, will stand at Darby Dan Farm near Lexington upon the completion of his racing career, it was announced Oct. 10.

Danzig Sires 200th Stakes Winner

Danzig, a prominent stallion ever since his freshman crop emerged, was represented by his 200th stakes winner.

Prussian Looks to Return to Winning Ways

Less than two weeks after being caught at the wire in the Lamplighter Stakes, Bill Mott will send Prussian back to the starting gate in the $100,000 Hill Prince Stakes (gr. IIIT) June 6 at Belmont Park.

Similar Inbreeding, Jay Peg & Big Brown

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Danzig within the third generation and inbreeding to an influential dam is a pedigree pattern shared by Triple Crown hopeful Big Brown and international group I winner Jay Peg, a son of Camden Park. Jay Peg has won eight of 13 starts as a freshman and sophomore, including group I victories in his native Singapore, South Africa, and in Dubai.

Danzig Line Rebounding

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Big Brown's victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and Hard Spun's second in the Derby last year are the latest indicators that the Danzig line is asserting some authority in America's premier dirt races. Want more proof? How about last year's older male champion Lawyer Ron (a son of Danzig's son Langfuhr)and the emerging sire Exchange Rate, who got two grade I winners in his first crop.

Porter Buys Interest in Biker Boy

Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm has purchased 51% interest in Richard Brand's Biker Boy, the 3-year-old Nick Zito trainee whose March 16 debut resulted in a 93 Beyer and a 3 Ragozin number.

Doing Her Young Sire Proud

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

Proud Spell stamped herself as a top contender for the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) by winning the 8.5-furlong Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) in 1:44.01, a shade faster than the 1:44.44 that Pyro ran in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II). She is the leading runner to date for the second-crop sire Proud Citizen. Considering Proud Citizen ran better at 3, more of his runners are expected to blossom this year. Keep an eye in particular on those horses whose dams have Northern Dancer blood.

Absolutely on Fire

MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter

Absolutely Cindy is an improving stakes winner who has shown a particular fondness for the turf and synthetics surfaces. This isn't too surprising since she is a daugher of Arch and a granddaughter of Kris S., sires that have both shown an ability to get top runners on dirt and turf. As for stamina and distance, Absolutely Cindy looks primed to run all day.

Ascot Knight Dead

Ascot Knight, one of Canada's top stallions for a number of years, was euthanized Feb. 8 due to declining health. He was 24. He had been pensioned from stallion duty in January at the Taylor family's Windfields Farm near Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. In 2007, he covered 13 mares. He is buried in the cemetery with such farm greats as Windfields, Northern Dancer, and Vice Regent.

Put It Back Keeping Sire Line Alive

PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter

Were it not for Florida, there would now be no active male line tracing back to that most revered of American racehorses, Man o' War. The line had already begun to fade from prominence when Tartan Farms' colt In Reality came along in the stellar foal crop of 1964. Today, Bridlewood Farm's young stallion Put It Back, a son of Honour and Glory and a great-grandson of In Reality, is the latest young sire with the potential to keep this line alive. One of Put It Back's runners who is helping make this happen is grade I winner In Summation.

War Monger Comes From Back to Take Rutgers

Peter Vegso's War Monger was in last place after a half-mile, but made a decisive move along the far turn and rallied to take the $100,000 Rutgers University Stakes by a length-and-a-half on the Monmouth Park turf Oct. 24.

Bold Hawk Pecks Out Hawthorne Derby Win

Boxed in and looking for running room, Bold Hawk found it and nipped Twilight Meteor on the line in the $250,000 Hawthorne Derby (gr. IIIT) Oct. 13.

Three Chimneys Announces 2008 Stud Fees

Three Chimneys' stallion fees will remain the same or decrease in 2008, the farm announced Oct. 12. Also, the farm will contractually limit the stallion books to 110 mares, as has been its informal custom for several years.

Shakis Primed to Shake Up Field in Shadwell Turf Mile

In a race like the Oct. 6 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland, it is only fitting that the likely favorite is bred and owned by Shadwell Stable, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, and coming off an impressive victory in a major stakes race.

Sycamore Starters Seek Redemption at Keeneland

The $150,000 Sycamore Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland has drawn 10 older horses seeking redemption after recent performances.

Sale Analysis: A.P. Indy Dominates, Softness at the Top

There were several trends that emerged during the first day of the Keeneland September yearling sale, including market dominance by leading sire A.P. Indy on both sides of the pedigree and softness at the top of the market.

Commentary: Running Start

By Dan Liebman - Thankfully, someone at the time did have an interest in standing Danzig, Storm Cat, and Mr. Prospector, respectively. And, our breed has been changed forever because of their decisions.

Hard Spun Fights Back, Wins King's Bishop

Heavily favored Hard Spun, a colt who has made all the major dances for trainer Larry Jones this season, earned his elusive first grade I victory when he turned back a serious challenge from First Defence in the $250,000 King's Bishop (gr. I) for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Aug. 25.

Carver in Hog Heaven With Hard Spun

One of the first horses Bob Carver bought a small part of is Belmont (gr. I) hopeful Hard Spun. The auto dealer from Arkansas is enjoying the Triple Crown ride as much as he does his Razorback football.

Astronomer Royal Leads Irish Sweep in French Two Thousand

A late surge by Astronomer Royal topped an Irish sweep of Sunday's Poule d'Essai des Poulins (French Two Thousand Guineas) (Fr-I) at Longchamp.

Hard Spun Blazes Five Furlongs in :57 3/5

Richard Porter's Hard Spun scorched the Churchill Downs main track Monday morning, blazing five furlongs in :57 3/5 under regular rider Mario Pino. Hard Spun worked in company, for a while at least, with graded stakes winner Wildcat Bettie B.

Hard Spun Gets 'Exactly What He Needed' in Keeneland Work

Trainer Larry Jones sent Kentucky Derby contender Hard Spun for a mile work over the Polytrack surface at Lexington's Keeneland Racecourse Monday, April 23.

Hard Spun Regains Winning Form in Lane's End

Fox Hill Farms' Hard Spun regained his status as a leading Triple Crown contender with a powerful win in the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes (gr. II) for 3-year-olds on Turfway Park's all-weather track Saturday.

Super Frolic Will Return to Racing

The 6-year-old Super Frolic, an earner of $1.3 million in his career, will be returned to training, Millennium Farms announced Feb. 15.

Minor Illness Changes Plans for Hard Spun

Fox Hill Farms' undefeated Hard Spun will be pointed for the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn instead of the Risen Star at Fair Grounds after coming down with a minor illness.

Zofzig, Annika Lass Added to FTK Sale

Fasig-Tipton announced two late additions to its November mixed sale Nov. 5 in Lexington, the day after the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

September Sire Power: Young and Old Rule at Keeneland

While it was Sheikh Mohammed who drove the market during the two-day select sessions of Keeneland's September yearling sale Monday and Tuesday, it was powered by the sires of those yearlings. The leading sires from Book One are a heady mix of the old guard with a trio of young shooters making some interesting headway.

Keeneland Pace Remains Hot; Record Price Established

The pace of the 2006 Keeneland September yearling remained brisk Tuesday with the buying power of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai leading the way. A new September sale record price of $11.7 million was established along with an all-time high for a session average.

Godolphin Gets Back into Group 1 Mix

Godolphin, which had been without a Group 1 victory in Europe all season, scored two within minutes of each other in France and Germany on Sunday.