JAZIL
The 2006 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner has a wonderful pedigree: he’s half-brother to 2007 Belmont heroine and Champion 3-Year-Old Rags to Riches, and out of Better Than Honour, a graded stakes-winning daughter of Blush With Pride, from the family of El Gran Senor, Aldebaran and Australian stallion star, Redoute’s Choice, to name but a few.
Rags to Riches is by A.P. Indy, a son of Seattle Slew, and since Jazil’s sire, Seeking the Gold is exceptional with Seattle Slew, that strain looks like a primary target. Breeding Jazil back over his own broodmare sire line (Northern Dancer) should work well, with likely branches including Nijinsky II, Storm Bird/Storm Cat, Danzig, Dixieland Band and El Gran Senor (giving inbreeding to Jazil’s family). Mares by sons of Jazil’s broodmare sire, Deputy Minister might also be of interest. Pleasant Colony and Halo are two other sire lines that have done well under Seeking the Gold, and doubling Blushing Groom, the sire of Jazil’s second dam, could be worth considering. Raise a Native/Buckpasser crosses, such as Easy Goer and Wavering Monarch, or even Miswaki and Woodman (three-quarters relatives to Seeking the Gold), may be good, and Buckpasser in general is likely to be positive. — by Alan Porter