Belmont Winner's Pedigree (Cont.)

Accompanying all those big figures have been some good runners. Millionaire Elmhurst won the 1997 Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I), and Wild Rush, also a millionaire, took the 1998 Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I). Two fillies, A Wild Ride and Shine Again, were grade I winners in New York, and a son, Wild Escapade, captured Saratoga's Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) for 2-year-olds. Another daughter, millionaire Wilderness Song, was a Canadian champion and a U.S. grade I winner. Her accomplishments helped pave the way for the mating of Wild Again to Rhythm of Life that resulted in Sarava.

Rhythm of Life, who was unraced, is a half-sister to Wilderness Song, so it made sense to send the mare to Wild Again. Rhythm of Life's first offspring, a Wild Again colt, was bred by Martin and Pam Wygod of California and foaled in 1998 at Fred Seitz' Brookdale Farm near Versailles, Ky. The Wygods had bought Rhythm of Life as a weanling for $130,000 at the 1994 Keeneland November breeding stock sale from her breeder, John Gaines. The colt, Wild Rocket, has earned $39,080.

Rhythm of Life was bred back to Wild Again and consigned to the 1998 Keeneland November mixed sale by Seitz for the Wygods. Central Kentucky horseman Jeffry Morris, acting for William Entenmann's Timber Bay Farm, bought the mare for $180,000. Sent to Morris' Highclere near Lexington, Rhythm of Life produced Sarava on March 2, 1999, for Timber Bay Farm.

Rhythm of Life has produced two other offspring and is in foal to Tactical Cat for 2003.

Sarava's second and third dams, Nalee's Rhythm and Lady Rhythm, respectively, contributed some stakes quality to the Belmont winner's pedigree. Each was a stakes winner and multiple stakes producer. In addition to Wilderness Song, Nalee's Rhythm produced stakes winner Sound the Fanfare. Lady Rhythm is the dam of five stakes winners, including Canadian champion Dance to Market.

Wild Again won a "classic" Breeders' Cup Classic. Now, with Sarava denying War Emblem a Triple Crown, he is the sire of a "classic" classic winner.