SILENT NAME (JPN)
A dual stakes winner in France, Silent Name (JPN) did ever better in the U.S., winning the Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup Stakes (gr. II) -- in near track-record time -- and the Arcadia Handicap (gr. II), and was also three times grade I placed. By Sunday Silence, Silent Name is out of the group-winning Danehill mare Danzigaway, a half sister to French champion older horse and successful sire Gold Away (IRE).
Silent Name has only one cross of Northern Dancer but his broodmare sire, Danehill, is inbred to Northern Dancer’s dam, Natalma, and Sunday Silence brings in Almahmoud, dam of Natalma. Mares from the Northern Dancer line have supplied nearly 50% of the stakes winners sired by Sunday Silence and his sons, so Northern Dancer-line mares are likely to work well. With Blushing Groom (FR) on the dam’s side, Nijinsky II looks strongly indicated, as does Gold Away, who stands in France and is a Nureyev-line horse from the same female family. Silent Name is free of Raise a Native, and Sunday Silence has met with success when bred to mares descending from Raise a Native through Mr. Prospector, Alydar, and Affirmed. Silent Name’s broodmare sire, Danehill, is out of a mare by His Majesty; bringing in his full brother Graustark could be good. Sunday Silence has also worked over Ribot through Hoist the Flag and his son Alleged. -by Alan Porter