Smart Strike, who has had three grade I winners in a single day, can only be held down so long.
He bagged the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) with Lookin At Lucky and the supporting Dixie Stakes (gr. IIT) at Pimlico with Strike a Deal. Now we can dispose of linebreeding to La Troienne in the pedigree of the 2009 juvenile champion male who found redemption in the Preakness and rewarded the faith of Maryland punters. She is present just once in the dam of Lookin At Lucky.
Not to say there is no serious linebreeding herein.
Smart Strike is from the family of Discovery and Domino and picks up Discovery as the damsire of Native Dancer. Smart Strike, as with most other living Thoroughbreds, has many lines of Domino to back up Discovery influences. He also has two rarer strains of the sisters to Domino. The dam of Lookin At Lucky has multiple lines of Domino, two sisters to Domino from Clever Trick and five more lines of Discovery as Native Dancer sired Native Charger, Raise a Native, and Exclusive Native and the “Grey Ghost of Sagamore Farm” is the damsire of Icecapade and Northern Dancer. The latter and Raise a Native are present on top and bottom. There is a half sister to Domino named Lady Reel, and there are multiples of her as well.
Domino did sire Belmont winner Commando who sired Belmont winners Peter Pan and unbeaten Colin. Stamina seems an acceptable norm even more than a century after his birth. Returns of Domino, his sisters, close kin and Discovery to a sire featuring all of that will suffice for linebreeding.
Please note: Mr. Prospector was born 40 years ago featuring Discovery, Domino, Correction, Lady Reel, and sired Smart Strike from similar returns, who in turn sired a Preakness winner from more of the same.
Pedigree analyst Les Brinsfield, who may be contacted at pedigrees@gmail.com, operates the Web site pedigreegroup.com
